Its perhaps the last week for the blooming tulips out in the Skagit valley. It is a a bit earlier than other years, perhaps aided by a few warm days last month. But it was as colorful as ever.
Did you get to see the blooms this year?
Awaiting Tulips
The warmer temperatures and long sunny days of the upcoming spring in the Pacific Northwest have re-awakened memories of exploring the colorful blossoms that dot the fertile Skagit Valley. I long to see the uniform rows of colorful tulips layered against the foothills of the North Cascades. Especially in the early morning hours when the low angle of light adds a beautiful rimlight to the kaleidoscopic blossoms. And if I am lucky, I would be greeted by a soft fog that descended to ground level the prior night, and adds an ethereal dimension to the scene. Here is to hoping that this happens once again.
Skagit Valley
WA USA
Skagit blossoms
April has always been symbolic of tulips for me. From my very first visit to the tulip fields of Skagit Valley more than a decade ago, I have been fascinated by the vast carpets of vibrant reds and crimsons, bright whites and yellows, soothing rose, and vivid blues and purples. Being blessed to live less than an hour away, I try to seize every opportunity to explore the ever-changing spring patterns out here.
Earlier this year, I was lucky to capture the beginnings of a storm-front rising above the tulip fields during the late afternoon hours. I found these bright red tulips a perfect contrast to the grey and yellow clouds.
As before, you can buy this calendar at this link.
Skagit Valley
WA USA
The Arrival of Spring
In the PNW, there are many signs of the seasonal changes in the spring. However, my favorite amongst those is the bloom of the tulips in the many farms that dot the Skagit Valley of Washington. Acres of carefully maintained gardens featuring a bounty of different kind of flowers provide plenty of splendid opportunities for photography. Here is one such farm at sunrise featuring a silhouette of Mt Baker.
Skagit Valley
WA USA
Odd one out
One of my classic takes with the spring tulip blossoms of the Pacific Northwest is photographing the odd ones out. I seek out the oddball misfits and the mis-colored ones amongst the uniform rows of neatly planted tulips. I presumed that these bulbs were planted either intentionally or they just crept it. Regardless, they form a great subject to add contrast when shooting tulips
Skagit Valley
WA USA
Delicate Delights
It was more than a decade ago that I had heard of the kaleidoscopic displays of tulips in Holland. I pictured long undisturbed rows of variegated blossoms stretching endlessly to the horizon, adorned by silhouettes of iconic farmsteads and slowly rotating Dutch windmills under a hazy morning light. That vision spurred a last minute trip to the Skagit valley of Washington, the tulip capital of the Pacific Northwest. While it lacked the beautiful haziness of an atmospheric Dutch landscape, it was replete with the endless varieties of Tulips that I had come to expect. This collection was but a small sampling of the rich displays I witnessed.
This was the year I was supposed to be ensconced in the vast tulip fields, chasing sunrises and sunsets amidst the vast beds of colorful blooms, and exploring the idyllic Dutch countryside in all its glory. Sadly, that was not meant to be. But in light of the challenges this pandemic has placed on society, I am glad to be where I am.
This too, shall pass.
Skagit Valley
WA USA
In Search of Tulips
Spring has arrived, but the Pacific Northwest hasn't been informed of it. Cold damp conditions continue to persist, and sunlight barely manages to peek out through the dense cloud cover. The long halcyon days of warm sunshine that took over a few weeks ago seems to have gone back to hibernation mode, a cue that up in the mountainous Northwest, cold unpredictable weather is always around the corner.
I went around in search of colorful tulip fields of Skagit Valley opening up their buds to the embracing grace of morning light, but that was not to be. The reversal of the weather fortunes seem to have delayed the opening by a few more days. This image from last year was what I was hoping to find this year, but I never made it.
Skagit County
WA USA
A Figment of Color
With a winter armageddon bearing down on Seattle, where a few inches of snow can bring the city to a standstill, it was time to look ahead a couple more months to spring. And nothing heralds the arrival of spring in Seattle more than blossoms of tulips in Skagit Valley.
Last spring, I managed to take an early morning trip to the colorful fields of Skagit Valley where vibrant unopened buds were getting ready to be plucked out. This was one such quiet scene from a gem of the Pacific Northwest.
Skagit Valley
WA USA
Welcoming Spring
The cold winds blowing down from the Cascades chills me to my very bone. The count of weeks without seeing the blue sky even a single day keep increasing. The struggle to wake up at dark to leave in the freezing hours of the morning, and return hours after sunset is getting to me. The dreaded Seasonal Affective Disorder is upon the Pacific Northwest, and trying to keep spirits up in these trying times requires a spirited effort.
It is this dearth of light that makes spring and summer glorious here, where the rays of sunlight evokes a new awakening, a warmth that revitalizes the soul. And that is why I look forward to the next spring, where the bloom of the tulips heralds the welcome to the new year.
Find this image in my 2019 Calendar.
Skagit Valley
WA USA