Tulips at Longwood II

Tulip Time at Longwood Gardens offers spectacular views and opportunities to plan

gardens for the future and to take pictures.  The 350 plots in the Idea Garden each feature

300 plants of one variety and color.

"Blushing Beauty" is a luscious tulip in peach with streaks of pink and yellow.

The flowers are quite large, and the petals open very wide.

"Blushing Beauty" tulips.

For spectacular blooms, nothing can surpass the "Bright Parrot."  Parrot tulips are

characterized by their large size and frilled and ruffled petals.  They come in many colors.

A bed of "Bright Parrot" tulips.

Some Amish ladies were enjoying the color.

"Gavota" tulips were small, about 10 inches high, but in vivid purple and yellow-orange.

A bed of "Gavota Tulips."

"Antoinette" tulips are special for several reasons.  They are multiple tulips with 

several blossoms on each stem.  in the past, tulips had only one flower per stem.  These

also have delicate streaks of pink and white in the yellow.

"Antoinette" multiple tulips.

The Gardens are quite extensive, but they are also used-friendly for the older visitors.

Electric carts/wheelchairs are available to anyone, and the entire Garden is

accessible to the carts.  Little old ladies, who must come regularly, were zipping

all over the Gardens.

"Louvre" is a beautiful lilac tulip with ruffled, white edges.

"Stability" is one of the dark, purple lilacs.  It is quite tall, and if you photograph

the flowers with backlighting, as I am here, the petals become translucent and glow.

Beds of mixed red, yellow, and orange tulips were very colorful.

Bed of Mixed Tulips.

The Gardens provide an opportunity to meet new varieties and also to see which

colors and varieties of tulips work well together.

"Sultans of Spring" was a wonderful collection of lily-tulips in many colors.

"Sultans of Spring" mixed tulips.

"Abba" is a very large tulip which opens its petals almost out flat and is an intense

red color with yellow center.  Each flower is about 8 inches across.

A bed of "Abba" tulips.

On the hill in the background is part of the Conservatory.

"Maja" is a delicate little yellow fringed tulip.  Fringed tulips now come in every color, but this is a particularly beautiful one.

"Maja" fringed tulip with backlighting.

A bed of "Maja"fringed tulips.

"Angelique" is a large late double tulip with mixed pink and white colors.

The Northeast Section of the Idea Garden.  Part of the Conservatory can be seen on the hill

in the distance.  The pink striped tulips are "Marilyn."

"Marilyn" was one of the most popular tulips with its bright, sunny burst of
white petals striped with bright red.

A bed of "Marilyn" tulips.

"Apricot Emperor" was one of the stars.  It has large flowers and soft shades of

peach, pink, and yellow.

"Apricot Emperor"  in peach, pink, and yellow.

"Purple Dreams" is the name of this distinctive tulip with quite separate petals and a

white center.

"Purple Dreams" was a popular contrast to other, lighter-colored tulips.

In the front is "Clearwater White" and "Blushing Beauty."

"Mariette" is one of the lily-tulips whose stem bends ratehr than standing up straight.  It

makes an interesting visual contrast to other tulips which stand neatly upright in rows.

A bed of "Mariette" tulips.

I'm not sure of the sigbnificance of the name, "Semper Maxima."

Maxima is currently Queen of the Netherlands; she is flashy and Argentinian.

Perhaps it was named in honor of her.

"Carmine Red" is a late double tulip and very elegant.

Tulip beds stretched as far as the eye could see in all directions.

"El Nino" was a favorite with everyone.  It is a tall tulip, perhaps 28 inches high.  It is

in bright orange with streaks of reddish purple.  It is very dramatic.

A bed of "El Nino" tulips.

This is "Banja Luka" tulips.  I don't know where the name comes from, but they are

incredibly hot and vibrant.  Related to the "Lighting Sun."

"Banja Luka Tulips."

Visitor enjoying tulips at Longwood Gardens.

I hope you have enjoyed them also.

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