Waterfall, Tulips and a Wonder

I went back to my midtown waterfall - it is warmer so more people present. The owners placed pale yellow tulips in containers in the space. These tulips look unnatural and clash (poorly) with the minimalist serenity- daffodils would have been better choice - they would have echoed the quiet sense of nature of this small concrete oasis. Particularly in March, when there are no tulips in March in Manhattan except those pulled out of a pot.

I am a gardener - I plant many spring bulbs but prefer those that naturalize and seed and replenish - certain crocus, daffodils, species tulips - plants that are tough yet elegant. Understated.

Regular tulips are short lived and some types are almost trite. I have many Lilac Wonder tulips, shown below, in my garden. More beautiful than pretty. They hug the ground. Then they disappear. Then they come back, good as new.

Good as that which is old and true.

Tulipa species 'Lilac Wonder'