Luscious 'Lips

deep purple dream
(c) 2006 RKnow

sweet botanical tulips in clown colors
(c) 2006 RKnow

I am infatuated with tulips. The deep luminous colors, so intense with sun behind them they look like richest glass. Their graceful shapes. In a vase, they writhe and dance on their long stems, unfolding in spurts like coy dancers. They come in a range of heights and colors, and bloom early to late.

In our garden, the big early yellow tulips are almost gone, but the black-purple ones are holding strong and some gaudy red and yellow parrots are just beginning. Some multipetaled reds have exploded into mops of falling petals, while others are still primly shut.

In addition to long-legged beauties, goblets elevated on tall stalks, there are bunch-flowering tulips and botanical varieties some with mottled leaves and contrasting marks on their water-lily petals. The rockgarden tulips seemed vary fragile and are almost done. They are supposed to naturalize well. We'll see if the squirrels spare them.

Romantic reds
(c) 2006 RKnow

flame
(c) 2006 RKnow