Hi there. I hope you’re doing well.
At the moment the flowers in these photographs are weighed down by raindrops and I get the impression that we aren’t alone here in Toronto when I say that this has been a particularly wet time. My goodness, the April showers haven’t let us down this spring!
It did ease up for one day last week, when I was able to get out into the garden and take some photographs of our bulbs in bloom. As documented on these pages, I began what I called the “Great Tulip Growing Adventure” in 2012, when I planted 30 new bulbs in the garden one autumn and then another 35 the next. Then, each fall afterward, I planted a few more varieties. So, by now, we have plenty of colour in our yard at this time of year. Pretty well all of them still bloom now, over a decade later, and some have multiplied into drifts of flowers. I don’t mean to be Bragging Betty but it is very beautiful and we regularly see people stop by the fence to take pictures!
I tried to choose varieties that opened at different times throughout the season beginning with tiny snowdrops that showed up extra early this year in mid March. At this point, we’ve had those, two kinds of daffodils, a sea of purple scilla and several clumps of purple and white grape hyacinths. And, as you can see from these photos, the tulips are beginning. But, we’re only halfway through the show because there are still plenty of later blooming tulips to come and a few patches of alliums.
It is so fun and exciting to see it all unfold, all by itself as if by magic, and I thank my younger self for making the effort to do it. And, as anyone who has planted bulbs will know, it is not easy work to get them into the ground in the fall! Ouch, my back hurts in sympathy now, for what it shall endure in late September!
I consider growing things to be a creative expression, which is why I’m discussing this in this week’s entry for my Creative Challenge . Also, taking the photographs, (which was done with a Canon DSLR camera, with a telephoto lens, if you’re into gear), is a creative endeavour. Thirdly, using our home printer, some store-bought blank cards ( I got mine at Michael’s) and silicone stamps and ink, I turned some of the photographs into greeting cards.
Thank you kindly for reading, and my gratitude goes out to those online friends who have written to say they’re enjoying this Weekly Creative Challenge series. I’m so happy that you do and appreciate having you here. xo loulou
