I'm slightly obsessed with tulips as anyone who walked around my garden at the moment would confirm. There are beds of them, tubs of them, pots of them, urns of them....... These ones are in a small bed just outside my back door.
Every year I buy lots of different varieties from a bulb wholesaler, all planned and colour coordinated. I plant them in pots and flower beds near the house and wait patiently. I enjoy every stage of their flowering, even when they are floppy and over-blown, then when they have died back we lift the bulbs and store them for the summer before planting them much more randomly in the less formal parts of the garden in November. They don't all flower again, but it is always a lovely surprise and a reminder of years gone by to see what comes up again in these areas in later years.
It was my annual donkey inspection yesterday. I foster them from the Donkey Sanctuary and am inspected three or four times a year to make sure I am looking after them well. Once a year the regional inspector comes along too. I always get a bit nervous for some reason in spite of never having had any problems or negative feedback. Yesterday was no exception. The donkeys behaved perfectly, proving that they are well handled with Jack resting his head on the inspector's shoulder while he checked the feet of one of the others - bless him.
I did a lot of rather overdue 'poo picking' in the field on Monday in anticipation of the visit. My progress was very much hampered by Jack and his head resting. Every time I bent over he either rested his head on my back or my head. He has got a VERY heavy head.
After all of the St George's night preparations last week, and the panic to get ready for the inspection yesterday my house is a complete tip. So today is going to be a day of cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning........ what joy!
Pretty much the nicest classiest tulips I have ever seen.....you are almost making me love them Jan........I must say tulips are a whole new ball game these days! Wonderful close up detail!
A very elegant capture! I share your love for tulips, but could never grow them - the local squirrels would dig them all up. One year, my daughter sent me 150 bulbs from Keukenhof gardens - I got one year of enjoyment, then word got out among the squirrel population and my garden became a buffet delight...sigh!
Love this - reminds me of Philippa Gregory's Earthly Joys. I'm not a massive Philippa Gregory fan but I really enjoyed that one about John Tradescant and his plant collecting (amongst all the royal stuff!) There is quite a bit in it about the stock market trade in tulip bulbs and how people lost a fortune when the market collapsed. You'd have left yourself wide open!! This is an absolute beauty.
Beautiful close up, you can never have too many tulips, it sounds a wonderful show, I am impressed that you manage to lift and replant them. Your story of Jack leaning on you really made me chuckle, I do love to see donkeys.
Fabulously captured - a lovely story about the donkeys. btw my youngest went to the David Bailey exhibition you mentioned and said he learnt lots .... am looking forward to going too!
