Every year, the vast and vibrant fields of Skagit Valley are in bloom!
First, the daffodils and other narcissus pop up in bright oranges, yellows and white trumpets.
Followed by rainbows of color from the tulips!
In celebration of this occurrence, the annual Tulip Festival runs from April 1st through the 30th! The main growers cordon off areas for parking, photographers come out of the wood work in droves and people visit from all over the world to see this glorious colorful sight!
See the photographers in the background?
Flower beds are coifed, kids get muddy in the fields, specialty foods are featured and this year, even National Geographic came out to do a piece on the event!
The Mother Nature dictates how well the season will go. I’ve seen seasons where the tulips bloomed late because it was a cold year! Other years, they didn’t bloom well because of late snow, heavy rain and cold. The past few years, the tulips bloomed early because it has been more warm and sunny than past weather patterns.
This year did not disappoint! Residents of the surrounding areas sneak out early to get a look at the flowers before the crowds arrive! That is exactly what I did!!!
Certainly, the flowers are the star of the show but I like to also highlight some behind the scenes images of what is done with these posies besides “wowing” us with their vivid colors!
Beyond cutting and selling the blooms, bulbs and plants are also available for purchase.
It’s the perfect time to come out and get your bulbs for planting in the fall!
Here are a few gratuitous macro images of tulips and a daffodil. I love doing macro work!
We can thank the Dutch influences of yore for this annual event!
It's All Relative.... 