Sunday, June 14, 2020

A Tulip Festival

Today I begin my series on the Tulip Festival for 2020, and I intend to take my time with it. This year was an odd one, what with Covid-19. There were no tie-in events, such as the planned 75th anniversary marking the liberation of the Netherlands, and the tulip beds lacked the signage identifying types. That said, however, the parks were open for walking through, just with some common sense. This year the tulips were relatively late; I was still photographing them a few days after the formal festival would have ended on Victoria Day, and most years, they're all done by then.

The biggest site for tulips is at Commissioners Park down by Dow's Lake, where the Rideau Canal passes through. I came here several times over the course of the festival, photographing in stages. For this first time I started at the south end of the park. Homes bordering the park make a nice backdrop for the beds.


There is a set of beds apart from the main pathway that can generally always be counted on to be the first blooming. One of them, at least, was doing so, while others were a few days behind during this visit.


The lake itself is seen in the background here.


Daffodils are sometimes planted as a companion flower in tulip beds, but there are also parts of the park where they grow freely in the grass.


Some of the tulip beds are less densely planted than others. We'll pick up here tomorrow.

22 comments:

  1. lucky you, you have festival in park and it was open to public. here in Brussels, tulip festival is held in a castle garden and this year it was cancelled.

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  2. ...at last, I have been waiting to see Ottawow's tulip[s!!!

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  3. Hello,

    Gorgeous tulips, lovely images. Enjoy your day, have a happy new week ahead!

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  4. There is a tulip grower here and the season is just over. Lots of photos of the tulip fields on-line recently.

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  5. I planted daffies in the grass. It's been fun.
    I'm so glad you are covering the tulips. In the depths of winter, they are good memories.

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  6. Dear William, how beautiful are those fields of tulips. You're lucky to have daffodils growing in the lawn; we have to buy bulbs and plant them in July. This has indeed been a strange year. Today was the Comrades Marathon, held virtually with more than 40, 000 entrants. A record "attendance". On the farm where I live, the 75 year old farmer, his son, DIL two granddaughters and their boyfriends, the farmer's his brother of almost 80, on the next door farm, all did 10km walk/run today. Be safe. Jo

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  7. They are pretty amazing. Here the show was within the Biltmore Estate gardens, and they've all be dug up for this year. Maybe a few friends went to see them, but the visits have been limited.

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  8. I was so happy to see your new header shot William... Yay the tulips, always enjoy and look forward to this series 🌷🌷🌷🌷 btw Grumpy cat last post 😀😀

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  9. I have always liked tulips with their great color.

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  10. The cool weather probably let the flowers last longer this year!

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  11. I love those daffodils scattered among the tulips.

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  12. Oh the tulips. I was waiting for them !

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  13. Sososo beautiful, dear bank-robber ;-)

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  14. So pretty! I'm glad we will get some tulips from you after all. Every one of them is gone around here now.

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  15. Beautiful tulips and other floral photos ~ Our tulip display has passed but people did get to see them without the big celebration though ~ Way of the world right now ~

    Be Safe ~ Be Well,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  16. The tulips are back, so nice to see them.

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  17. Hooray! The tulips are back Tweeted.

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  18. @Klara: I initially wondered if it would be possible to photograph them.

    @Tom: I knew you'd enjoy them.

    @Eileen: thank you!

    @Marie: they're a delight.

    @Jennifer: I'll be covering them for awhile.

    @Jo: our race weekend marathons were cancelled too.

    @Barbara: now the tulip beds have been dug up for seasonal plants.

    @Grace: thanks!

    @Red: as have I.

    @RedPat: true. The first heat is what spells their end.

    @Sharon: I do as well.

    @Karl: it was a longer wait this year than most years, but I expect I'll be posting tulip shots through a good part of July.

    @Iris: that they are.

    @DJan: it's going to be awhile of tulips.

    @Carol: it certainly is the way of the world.

    @Bill: it is, yes.

    @Mari: thank you.

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  19. I'd love to stroll the tulip beds. Not tiptoe, though! 😉

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  20. Schöne Tulpen Bilder.

    Gruß
    Noke

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