Isn't this the most delightful spot for a picnic?Down in the Salt Lake City valley, 3 thousand feet lower in elevation ~ and a full month ahead of the chilly scene in my own mountain garden ~ is a beautiful spot called Thanksgiving Point.
Filled with acres and acres of happy spring tulips.
Warm sunlight tap dances across their pretty petals. Snapping this grumpy gardener out of the deep, blue funk that always accompanies an icy cold spring.
The valley (as we call Salt Lake City) is a blessing in springtime. When absolutely nothing is happening in my own garden, a quick trip to the lower elevations provides sweet inspiration.
Oh, I know what you're thinking... you feel sorry for me for living way up there in that snowdrift, don't you?
It's not so bad. Spring arrives a bit later. And, yes, that's maddening for a gardener. But, in another month, those proverbial tables will turn. My smug valley girl friends will be roasting in 100-degree heat and they'll be visiting me for a much-needed break.
* Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival: If you're heading to the festival, giddyup. We stubbornly waited for the first picture-perfect spring day but we were surprised to see that many of the tulips were already past their prime...
Hot Tip for Locals:Tulip bulbs are perennials but Thanksgiving Point Gardens don't care. They dig up approximately 250,000 Tulip bulbs every year and sell the bulbs to flower lovers like you and me for a dollar a dozen.
And, you did not seriously think I was going to tell you when they go on sale, did you? No, no... smaller crowds = more for me!
