Tiptoe Through The Tulips

Tulips in bloom at Norfolk Botanical Gardens.
(Click picture for larger view)

"There is material enough in a single flower for the ornament of a score of cathedrals." ~ John Ruskin

Before the wind and rain of the storm, we finally did it....finally made our first trip to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens! The roses aren't blooming yet and the butterfly garden plants are just beginning to push through the soil; but the dogwood, crabapple, wisteria and azalea are heavy with blossoms and the daffodils are hanging on. There is new life everywhere, even in the towering tops of the oak and pine trees. Each year the garden plays host to a nesting pair of bald eagles who have hatched three chicks this year. From a vantage point outfitted with a telescope, you can watch as the parents take turns bringing bits of prey to the nest. Even better is the webcam giving us a "bird's eye" view of the chicks.

On this, my first trip to the garden, I was looking for color.... I was hoping for tulips. The garden did not disappoint. Tulips in all shapes, sizes and colors were in full bloom. For this post I chose just one classic; a deep red tulip with sunlight streaming through its petals, as though it were the stained glass window of an ancient cathedral.

Submission to LensDay for topic "flower". (end of post)