It’s funny how objects can sometimes evoke emotional responses. I planted some tulip bulbs a couple of weeks ago and they’re blooming! This is rather surprising to me as I always heard that you couldn’t grow tulips here in Florida. So, I waited 28 years before trying.
I cut some of the flowers to photograph. I am rather pleased with how the photographs turned out. I discovered that I like to photograph tulips for two reasons. One, photographically speaking, I like the shape and texture of the flowers. This is aesthetically pleasing. I like how the flowers form little cups that look like they are ready to capture the raindrops that will fall later this afternoon. I like the saturated color and the contrast with the darker wood I chose as a background.
Second, they remind me of my mom and dad. They used to plant a long bed of tulips along our driveway when I was growing up. They tended to them each year and when they ran out of room, they decided to add them to the backyard garden, as well. My mom loved tulips and my dad just loved gardening. They had all sorts of different varieties and colors.
I will be pouring through garden and flower catalogs in the weeks to come to add to my collection. I like the thought of photographing the different varieties. I also like the thought of remembering my mom and dad.
