Tulip – Easter Surprise, Meadowlark Gardens, Vienna, Virginia
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Spring is officially here as determined by both the astrological and meteorological calendars. Try telling that to the weather! The famous Cherry Blossom Festival has begun in Washington DC but nobody thought to consult with the trees themselves. Due to the prolonged cold the blooms are now not forecast to peak until April 3 this year, past the mid-point of the festival. As I write this, Easter is only a couple of days away and yet there is very little color anywhere as the spring bulbs have yet to begin showing their swathes of color.
Tulip – Plasir, Meadowlark Gardens, Vienna, Virginia
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To make up for this lack of spring here in the Mid-Atlantic, I thought I would provide some color of my own. Not being a big fan of daffodils, tulips to me are the true sign of spring and the promise of warmer weather. There are dozens of different varieties of tulips in the Botanical Gardens, only some of which I am highlighting here.
Tulip – Striped Bellona, Meadowlark Gardens, Vienna, Virginia
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All of these shots were made in Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, one of the Northern Virginia Regional Parks. Meadowlark is a 95 acre complex of ornamental display gardens around a picturesque lake, all intertwined with walking trails. There are also 20 varieties of cherry trees so this is a great place to avoid the crowds of the Tidal Basin whilst taking in the beauty of the wonderful blooms. There is a perfectly placed gazebo on a pier over the lake to use as a center-piece to images of their cherry trees.
Tulip – Orange Emperor, Meadowlark Gardens, Vienna, Virginia
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Twitter: ljsaltiel
| March 27, 2013
Beautiful flower photos Mark. Those colors just pop off of the screen. We are actually starting to see some signs of spring here in CT but I am sure winter will show up at least once more.
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| March 27, 2013
Many thanks, Len. I cannot wait for the weather to warm up and the colors start to reappear. It’s been a long drawn out winter.
Twitter: JimiJones
| March 27, 2013
Love these flower shots, Mark. Great colors and DoF in the first and third shots. All have a lovely vividness about them. The last shot is stunning with it’s beauty.
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| March 27, 2013
Many thanks, Jimi. Seemingly, the snows we had on Monday have not delayed the Cherry Blossoms any further so lets hope that applies to the rest of spring as well. Personally, I can’t wait to get rid of all these muted tones that winter has left us with.
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| March 27, 2013
Oh how I wish we had some colour over here! We seem all stuck in the same wretched weather pattern. Looks like we will have snow on the ground for Easter. A great set, and you are so right: tulips are a beautiful bloom and so many varieties.
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| March 28, 2013
Many thanks, Andy. Let’s hope we all break out of this weather cycle soon and get some spring scenes to capture.
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| March 29, 2013
Beautiful images Mark. We finally got some sun and mild temperatures today. Maybe spring is finally here.
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| April 1, 2013
Many thanks, Edith. Glad to hear that you are beginning to experience the warmer temps.