Tiptoeing Past the Tulip

As my front-yard flowers are learning this year, springtime isn’t always easy in Central Illinois. (Just imagine what they’d feel like if they were planted at my parents’ house in Wyoming—oh wait, they wouldn’t even be peeking out of the ground yet.)

The flower blooming is progressing rather slowly, thanks in no small part to the fact that twice in the past couple of weeks my flowers have been greeted by a blanket of snow. That’s enough to send any bud—or person for that matter—into hiding.

Yet some of my flowers, like my hardy daffodils that survived both snow experiences, soldier on.

Take this lovely little tulip, which you may remember from last week. I kept a close eye on this one.


It’s right next to our sidewalk and perfectly positioned for watching from our front window. Plus, it shot up and looked like this while all the other tulip plants were languishing low to the ground.

This baby has potential, I thought. And the flush of color that appeared on the bud the day the next day confirmed it.


As it got closer and closer to turning full-on red, I watched it even more. No, I’m not that big of a dork. (Well, maybe I am.) But it’s the little details that make life sweet, people. Remember that.

And then the next day it got redder.


Oh boy, I thought. Here we go.

And on the fifth, it bloomed. Lovely lovely lovely.


And then it snowed.

But don’t worry: it still looks like this. It came this far. It’s not going back. It stuck its middle finger at the weather (well, it would if it had a middle finger) and went right on blooming, even though it’s still the only tulip blooming in the yard.

(Wanna see some lovely tulips that aren’t all red like mine? I love Dave’s over at The Home Garden.)