Tulips, Tulips, Tulips

 Victoria over at Our Life in Idaho just posted about her Tulip Explosion.  Some gorgeous shots!  After all the rain we had last week and then it turning off hot there are indeed tulips opening up all over the place.  Here are some of mine.  I don't have near as many varieties (or the right lens for good close up photos).  Still, the bright colors they add to my yard this time of year is always a delight.

I planted the Claudia bulbs (bottom picture) the first fall we were here, in 2010.  The purple one on the right was also planted that year, and is the first to show in what will be a row of multi colors  along the border of my shade bed where I have my rhubarb, hostas and ligularia.  They are generally later than all the other tulips in the neighborhood since they don't really get enough sun there, but since I have precious little spots with sun I have to make due with what I've got.

Most all the rest of my tulips came from the LDS Temple here in Boise.  Last spring they let people come dig whatever they wanted out of a particular area that would be changed in their remodeling project.   We showed up about 6:30 AM on a cold rainy morning after Mother's Day to join other die-hard gardeners in carefully digging through some of the prettiest flowerbeds in town.  Spring is not the ideal time for moving and planting tulips, but that is when they were available so we didn't want to pass them up.  Several of the clumps from that flower blessing are still in bud, so I'm waiting anxiously to see what they will look like.   Tulips don't last all that long, but with their bright, rich colors and varied shapes I can't help but love them.  They are always a sure sign we are in full spring.