Worth the Effort?

We had such a mild winter that I feared it would be a poor year for bulbs.  But honestly, though high wind and heat often make them especially short-lived, there have only been one or two years (out of the past twenty or so) that these bulbs did not perform well.

And yes, it is true that their grandeur is fleeting given the amount of work and expense of planting them.  (I treat them like annuals, you know.  600 each year in the front alone.) 


Perhaps especially fleeting here in Oklahoma.


Still, I could no more do without my beloved tulips each year then I could do without, well


if not my children, then maybe

Husband (Not! just kidding, Dear!)


And I have the image of their loveliness in memory and photos to comfort and encourage me during the coldest of winters and the hottest of summers.

They are an indulgence whose transient, exquisite beauty is all the MORE prized because of this transience. 


As I look at these photos again and again...comparing one year to the next...one blend of color to another blend

I have NEVER felt that it was not worth the effort.  


And you out there...who read this blog

and walk or drive by as the tulips and daffodils put on their show

do you think it is worth the effort?

I do hope so.