Happy May Day

The first of May was never very significant when I was growing up. It wasn't until about 20 years ago that we experienced the tradition of having someone leave a small basket of fresh flowers hanging from our front door handle. What a special treat that was! We knew the flowers were home grown but it was the thoughtful surprise that truly warmed our hearts.

It would be fun to make up little baskets and leave them for friends and neighbors. Wish I could! In lieu of that let me share with you a few pictures I took during a drive through our beautiful valley the other day. The following photos were all taken through the windows of my vehicle so they may not be as clear or pristine as I'd like.

First off, one corner downtown:

And then we'll drive westward, toward the fields where the daffodils and tulips are grown for their bulbs. The daffs are all spent, most of the bulbs harvested by now. But the trees in the area are wearing their spring greens or delicate white or pink flowers.

We find the tulip fields in the flatlands.

There are a couple of growers who have huge display gardens open to the public during the month of April. I wasn't willing to take the risk of getting out of the car to take those tours however.

It may be hard to tell, but all that yellow is tulips. And beyond them, purple, then red.

Eventually the tulips have to be "topped" to insure the bulbs store up as much potential for future growth as possible.

I'm not sure how it's done but all the petals are removed, leaving the stems and leaves in place. The local high school has a tradition of collecting the various color petals to create logos or images representing their various clubs and organizations. They are built on the lawns around campus. It's quite a sight. Certainly one I'd never seen before until we moved here. 😊Sorry I don't have a picture of that to show you.

I always find it a little sad to see the color in the ditches between the rows of stems and leaves. There are still tulips to enjoy around town though. And the flowering trees. There will soon be lilacs and irises, then peonies and lilies. There's wisteria, azaleas, and rhododendrons too. My rose bushes are looking healthier than I expected so I have hopes of fragrant roses again this summer. Ah, Spring!