Ode to Tulips

Sing of my colors!  Plant me in gardens!

Admire my beauty!  Chefs use me as culinary

decoration adorning food such as salads.

They prepare a vinaigrette, sauces, and dips with tulips.

The petal color determines the flavor of the tulips.

Red is sweet; white is spicy; yellow can be bitter.

These edible petals are famous, versatile and

medicinal.  From far and wide, people travel to

observe the beauty of these magnificent flowers.

Recently our daughter and her husband traveled to

a festival of tulips on Long Island. Most folks know

that the Netherlands burst forth with an array of tulips

in glorious colors each Spring.  They undergo seasonal

emotions and are hardy.  In our spring snow this past

week, we found the tulips still standing but leaning

together for warmth.  Today they are lavishing the sun.

A symbol of rebirth each spring, tulips are like

humans.  They have a lifespan from birth to upright

position.  Tulips bloom in many shapes, sizes, and colors

until their demise after fading with age.  I have never

tasted a tulip petal but have been known to consume a

nasturtium which are harvested for their leaves and

flowers.  Some folks consume dandelion greens in salads

and make a wine from them.  For now, I am content

to admire the colorful beauty of the tulips in our

gardens.  Shapes, sizes, colors, and textures have

intrigued me in artwork.  Quilters and sewing artists

have long had a love affair with the colorful tulip.