not with a whimper, but a bang

...as TS Eliot might say, were to describe the beginning of my garden's tulip season.

I turned my back on the garden for just four days, and when I got home I couldn't believe how many tulips had exploded into flower while I was away. What made the whole thing even more surprising was that it was a freezing-cold weekend with three inches of snow. And yet there was the ultra-reliable, ultra-large and ultra-lovely 'Ivory Floradale'  (above) waving to me, looking for all the world like multiple images of Snow White next to lots of Rose Reds (the smaller, deep wine-red 'Jan Reus' - below). I bet in the snow they would have looked just like a scene from the fairytale. 

Round the corner is what has turned out to be something of a hot-bed of tulips - lots of fiery oranges and warm apricots. (As I've said before, we never mark what goes where when planting; the element of surprise makes the whole spring thing so much more entertaining. It's also a good way to rationalise what is, essentially, laziness on my part.)   

Toady's pick of the bunch comes from this section. It's 'Orange Breeze' and looks palely peachy from the outside, but is a rich orange on the inside. It's a sturdy, early Triumph tulip

which is not terribly elegant or shapely,

but it provides a wonderful shock of colour in a room. It has lovely chartreuse-green markings on the petals which curve back to reveal the depth of colour inside.

I don't think you could ever really claim that the tulip season starts with a whimper (a whisper might be a better word), but this is definitely a big bang year.

Comments

[Lindsay]

What gorgeous tulips! I am really missing seeing flowers in my garden this year as it's been rather trampled on by the builders (not that it was in a very good state before they started I must admit). http://www.flickr.com/photos/clothcat/2367274026/in/set-72157604035715998/

[Crystal]

Breathtaking!

Must. Must. Must remember to plant tulips this fall. Yours are so very beautiful.

[patty]

beautiful! especially that last photo - i had one tulip come up this year. It is very pretty, sort of crayon striped red and yellow with a dark purple heart, but really, ONE?? who knows where the rest of those bulbs went. I suspect a certain squirrel who shall not be named.

[françoise]

Gorgeous!! and makes me wonder why, why, why I decided not to plant tulips last fall!
I do have a sea of daffodils, but still . . .

[Suzy]

No tulips yet for me. A few crocuses (croci?) only. That's what I get for living in Canada (well, my part of the country, anyway). I will enjoy yours until mine poke up.

[Romi]

Oh my. I love it when your tulips come up! :)

[lucette]

All your photos are great, but I am partial to the wine red and yellow bunch of tulips. I can hardly wait for spring to unfold here. Should be having tulips in about a month from now, that is if the deer do not eat up the shoots first.

[Lorie]

Oh the tulips, beyond beautiful..I was wondering how you could top that blue Barbie delight..

A funny UK group I found, and for
Some reason thought of this blog!

http://www.themothers.co.uk/index.htmome

[Maritza]

Your tulips are beautiful! Such gorgeous colors! I can't wait for ours to come up - they're on their way.

[Kristina (and Sam and Sara)]

Fantastic tulips! We can't grow them very well on our porch, but I will plant them at once if we ever have a yard. I had my own tulip plant in our garden when I was little; it had bright magenta blossoms with pale green centers. What pleased me the most was that every year a small green garden spider would make its home inside one of the flowers. I was slightly envious because I wanted to live in one too, like Thumbelina!

[Sarah]

Ooh, I love the deep red ones...Actually, I love them all, but those are especially amazing! (BTW -- are tulips hard to grow? Is it all about timing the bulb-planting? Because I'd love to try growing them sometime, but I am cursed with a black thumb!)

[sherrieg]

I love the juxtaposition of the red and yellow tulips! My all-time favourite flowers.

[Kat]

I wish I could grow Tulips here. They are just beautiful.

[danielle]

They're absolutely beautiful. I've taken to getting tulips from the street vendor on Monday mornings, just so I can have them on my desk all week. Thank you for sharing your bounty.

[mindy]

Lovely. This is our first spring in our new house, and everyday I scour the yard looking for new flowers to erupt. I've discovered we have quite a few tulips in the front yard! I have yet to find out what color they are {so much anticipation, I love it}. I highly doubt they will be as gorgeous as yours though! :) {I'm in CO...i.e. too dry for much to flourish!}

On my honeymoon, we went up to the Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island... it was April, and the tulips were incredible. They looked like large wine glasses.

How many varieties do you grow?

[Hazel]

Glorious!

Mine aren't out so far yet, as I am 'oop north' - I am looking forward to them though

[Novembrance]

THAT does it. This fall I am planting a cutting garden full of tulips!

[l walz]

Love the photos!

[mesclun]

Mmmmm... my favorite season - tulip time in the Brocket garden. Really, each year I just feast on your beauties. I never knew how much I loved tulips until I lived in Washington DC and saw all the beautiful massive plantings around the city. Now they are my favorite spring flower and I love the showcase you give them here. Keep them coming!

[patricia]

uau! so gorgeous! I do love tulips, but they don´t come that beautiful around here (it´s not cold enough I supose). lucky you! wonderful garden! congratulations!

[catherine]

oh wow - so beautiful! Don't think I can pick a favourite, but do love the green and orange combination.

[tricotmiss]

I found your blog in tulip time last year and I've been looking forward to this for the last few months. I'm so glad it's tulip time again!! Can't wait to see more.

[susoolu]

Spring is here properly, finally, sunnily, for Yarnstorm's tulips are out!

[Georgia]

No tulips yet here in Connecticut, but lots of lovely golden daffodils. But after yesterday's lovely 23 deg C day (I can't believe you had SNOW!!) I think we'll be surrounded in tulips during next weeks spring break. Your tulip garden has inspired me to plant more more more this year! Aren't they just lovely?!

[Kristin Nicholas]

Hi Jane: I first found your blog 2 years ago when you were posting your amazing tulip photos. I didn't even know what a blog was back then. They sucked me into your wonderful Yarnstorm. Your this year's tulips continue to wow me. Beautiful photos. And Julia was crazy over those Cinderella's from NYC. Hope you are well.

[willow]

Really really lovely to see! Especially since Southern California is simply not tulip territory.

[di]

As usual, I love watching tulip season unfold at your home from afar :)

[Melanie Dunkley]

What a wonderful yellow - like a satin gown. The green in the orange is so pretty. It's all looking a bit like the red carpet at the Oscars (with Cate Blanchett in the yellow)!