The Garden is coming alive this week! The Garden staff and volunteers are busy planting all over the Garden and each day there are new displays of flowers appearing. One of my favorite yearly displays is already in - the colorful mix of Iceland Poppies in the English Oak Meadow next to the English Walled Garden. Poppies are the perfect subject for playing with a shallow depth of field, isolating one flower to be in focus and letting the rest fall out of focus. The colors this year are stunning! 

But of course, who can resist a close-up of a poppy.  I love the paper-like crinkles of their petals.

I went back to see the 'Bronze Charm' tulips in the Bulb Garden.  In my previous post, the tulips had been tightly closed due to the chilly, overcast weather.  Yesterday I found them fully open, basking in the sun.  

A patch of colorful Ranunculus is planted in Heritage Garden.  I happened to catch this one just as a few raindrops were beginning to fall.  

In the Circle Garden the tulips are getting taller every day and will soon begin to open but while we wait, the Garden staff has planted a display of beautiful 'Supernova Pink' Polianthus Primrose.