Playing with Red-Yellow Tulip Still Lifes

I found some inexpensive baskets online, but it wasn't easy to find.  I like how the curves set off the flowers.  Most of the baskets this size new were maybe $80.  I just checked online every once in a while.

I like playing with my white ceramic vase.  The ceramic doesn't show as much glare as a clear glass vase does.  The first one got broken, but I found the same one later.

Tulips at Lyon Family Farms

We visited Lyon Family Farms to photograph the tulips on April 11th after Sotterley.  They were somewhat past prime, but I managed to photograph some pretty ones any way.   I also brought a few home for still lifes and they seemed a little on the expensive side to me, but they were more unique than the usual grocery store tulips. (i.e. some with fringe or pink and white).  I had to think about the angles to photograph to avoid poor backgrounds.  There aren't many local tulip gardens within a small distance.

Photographing beneath the tulip looked nice, but it was more difficult to get down low.

Bee

Tulips at Lyon Family Farms

 I visited a local You Pick it Farm when they had some nice tulip fields, instead of driving to Baltimore to see Sherwood Gardens.  I discovered that Sherwood Gardens was a really long trip.  The fields were not only pretty, but I got to bring home a batch of tulips to photograph and bulbs to plant. (although it is somewhat questionable whether they will come up next Spring in our poor soil.)

The farm had really dark purple, almost black tulips, some frilly red and yellow ones and several shades of pink.

Sort of Red White and Blue (purple)

There was a wishing well and a little bridge.

This one reminded me of Mickey Mouse.

I cut off the bulbs later to plant in Autumn.

I loved the pretty baskets for gathering tulips.

Flowers at the U.S. National Arboretum in April Part 1

I wanted to see the tulips at Sherwood Gardens in Baltimore, but the trip was just a little too far away and I couldn't find any nearby restrooms, so we settled on the U.S. National Arboretum instead, since it was a shorter trip.  

Does anyone know of any tulip fields in St. Mary's County?  They had a few tulips at the Arboretum,  but not 6 acres worth and most of them were behind a fence.  

They did have quite a variety of beautiful flowers blooming, so I was satisfied.  In the past, we usually visited in May to see the azaleas.  Most of the azaleas weren't blooming yet and that was fine.

I will probably turn this into several posts, because there were too many pretty ones.

We smelled and saw some lovely wisteria too.  The carpenter bees were certainly enjoying it.

Tulips

Wisteria

Spring is All Around

I was stuck after a doctor checkup at the Calvert Hospital parking lot for an hour last week.  What is a photographer to do?  It was Spring and I only had a cell phone.  It kept me busy, walking and out of trouble.  LOL.  Here are the results, edited in Snapseed, a phone app.  I wish my phone had a closeup lens or telephoto.

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