Sunday, April 18, 2010

Luscious color




Tulips are my absolute favorite flower.  I'm not sure why I adore them above other flowers.  They seem almost shy, with their petal cups shielding pollen stems from prying eyes.  Their season is short; in bouquets, they lack the longevity and flamboyance of the ubiquitous rose.  But I think the blooms are sublime.


Yesterday I went to the Wooden Shoe Farm Tulip Festival in Woodburn, Oregon.  There, for four weeks each spring, you find acres and acres and endless acres of gorgeous, luscious, exquisite color as the tulip bulbs stage a show that is far from shy.  And oh, the color: white, pink, coral, red, purple, even midnight blue.  And the shapes: traditional cups, showy ruffles and multi blooms, ladylike lily-flares.

I just wanted to capture the view, wrap it around me like a blanket, drink it in and live in such glorious technicolor all year round.  I did the best I could to take it in with my camera, and you can't help but take beautiful pictures with such an expansive and striking subject, but my efforts don't begin to do it justice.

To see a slide show of about 20 of the better images, click here.  I hope they put a smile in your day.

10 comments:

  1. Oh, they did make my day! First a pretty pink sunrise, then your gorgeous photos. Wish I could have been there. It must have been a little piece of heaven.

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  2. WOW. How unbelievably cool! Tulips are my favourite colour too. :)

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  3. Erm, I mean, my favourite flower. I need an afternoon caffeine fix, apparently.

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  4. How can it be so warm there Keanie? When I look at a map it seems VT is roughly at the same latitude. Crocuses just started coming up a little over a week ago. Can't wait for summer.

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  5. RT100VT: Although Oregon lies at about 45 degrees latitude, our climate is really temperate due to the moderating influence of the jet stream winds blowing off the ocean. Plus an El Nino season (warm water welling up in the Pacific) has brought us a really warm winter.

    I think, hanging out on the eastern edge of our continent, Vermont tends to receive the bitter cold weather that develops over the land mass.

    I can't imagine that the crocuses are just up there - ours are out by early January each year. No wonder you are eagerly awaiting spring!

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  6. so gorgeous! i can't imagine what it must be like to walk in a field of bright tulips. thank you for letting us experience it through your lens.

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  7. These photos are SO beautiful! Wonderful job!
    Tulips are one of my favorite flowers too :)

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  8. Keenie, hi!!! I LOVE tulips. They are my favorite flower. Petals are wonderful :)

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  9. Thanks for all the kind comments folks!

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  10. Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous! What lovely pictures!

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