Springtime in Washington, DC is known for it beautiful flora. People work year round to plant and maintain flowers, trees, and shrubs for the amazing spring blooms. The Cherry Blossom Festival draws thousands into the district each year. A couple of weekends ago, we took the family up for a trip just at the tail end of peak cherry blossom season.
While I agree that it’s easy to be drawn to the showy blossoms surrounding the Tidal Basin, I found myself more drawn to The Tulip Library. On our way from the Tidal Basin to show the kids the Washington Monument, we just kind of stumbled onto it. I grew up in the suburbs of DC and had never heard of it.
Apparently, it was established back in 1969! Who knew? This little spot is just kind of hidden in plain sight and features nearly 100 different varieties of tulip! I never, in my wildest dreams, imagined that many varieties! The tulips bloom from early April until the first week of May, so you might still have time to get out to see them if you live nearby. Here are a few examples of what you might see. (Click on the pictures to see larger views.)
For me, I was very excited to put my new lens to work, but I was even more elated to pull out my macro to get in for some very close and detailed shots. This is the kind of place that photographers dream about.
There is plenty of open grass nearby, making for a great spot to take the kids for a picnic or just to run around for a few minutes. Our kids loved taking control of our phones and running around to take their own pictures. What fun!
Do you have little “hidden in plain sight” spots like this where you live? Leave a comment and share your story.
I love tulips but they do not have much of a season in the deep south….so no one really plants them…i’ts just too hot.
I’m so jealous, tulips are my favorite flower and I would LOVE to see this! I’ve always wanted to make it to DC to see the Cherry Blossom Festival, too!
It’s so funny because I grew up 30 minutes from DC, but never saw the cherry blossoms until I went off to college. My favorite time to see them, though, is at night! The lights show them off wonderfully and it feels like you have them all to yourself!
Love all the beautiful flower photos! I actually live in a town known at the “Lilac City”, because of the Lilac’s here! We get some beautiful flowers blooming in the Spring.
Lilacs are, by far, my favorite flower and flower scent. Love them!!
Yes we do. We discovered Little Ponderosa Zoo a few years back and we’d lived here for years and it’s not that far from us. It’s a really neat place. As for tulips… I love them, but have a black thumb so I can grow them. If I’m in the DC area, I’ll have to make a stop to see the tulips.
What a fantastic place to play with your new lens (which one did you use?)!
We have blue bonnets at the beginning of April – they pop up ALL OVER but you don’t want to stop on the side of the road because of fast-moving vehicles, you DO want to poke through with a stick before you sit in them (rattlesnakes hide in them) and you can’t pick them (it’s illegal).
I’m shooting with a Nikon D3100. The wide-angled shots are with a 50mm f/1.8. The close in shots are with a 105mm f/2.8 Micro. It’s amazing the difference that these lenses make compared to the kit lenses!
We have a pretty popular tulip festival here and I can’t wait to go to it! Love your pretty pictures.
Beautiful! And your little photographers/phone thieves look to be really enjoying themselves!
Those flowers are beautiful! &Your photography really is amazing.
Beautiful flowers and photos. This is why I love spring time.
I love tulips! So pretty!
We used to live in NOVA and while the cherry blossoms were always super popular, I never knew about the tulips. We’ll have to check those out if we’re up there next year!
I think tulips are such a beautiful flower. Sounds like a wonderful place to visit.
Oh I love the tulips, they are one of my favorite flower. Looks like the girls were having a ton of fun with the cameras, I know mine would have. Lovely shots and I love the shots of the girls.
So beautiful! These are some great shots!
We have a large tulip festival just north of where we live in Oregon. I think my kids may be old enough to finally enjoy it. What lens and camera are you using? I would love to invest in a good macro lens.
I use a Nikon D3100. My macro is a 105mm f/2.8. They aren’t cheap, but we invested in that one because it’s compatible with camera body upgrades down the line.
so pretty! I’ve never seen tulips that look like the middle row!!
Wow, those are gorgeous! We’ve had such a weird spring in MN I don’t even know if my tulips will bloom this year.
I’m a big fan of tulips myself. They are so vibrant.
WOW unbelievable that they feature nearly 100 different varieties of tulip. And they look gorgeous. Wish I could have them all in my backyard! So pretty!
My 2-year-old daughter loves tulips.
I love tulips-we have a little garden in our front yard with perennial tulips. They are always the first to bloom and look amazing!
I so love tulips – and taking pictures of flowers. I love your photos! I love tulips even when they are starting to droop over, they are still pretty! I’d love to see a cherry blossom festival!
Tulips Are My Favorite Flower, So Pretty, Great Photos!
All those pics are so beautiful, I wish there was a place like that where I live. I find in my town that we usually have small flower gardens that are landscaped at entrances to subdivisions or businesses. I would love to have a beautiful flower garden, but I have tried in the past and not done really well.
Lovely! The tulips here in Downeast Maine should be getting ready to bloom any day now, and I can hardly wait. Thanks for the preview of what’s to come. There’s something heartwarming about the first tulips of spring.
That is so pretty and I bet it is a wonderful display. We have a tulip festival in Iowa in Pella it was established by the Dutch when they first came to our state.
I miss bulb plants like tulips and daffodils – having moved from Michigan to FL 🙁
Beautiful pictures!!! I hope to be able to bring my kids down to the Cherry Blossom Festival someday!
the flowers are gorgeous. DC is one of my favorite places to visit and Id love to be there when everything is blooming, esp the cherry blossoms.
Such beauties! Tulips are one of the few things that I miss from the north.