Tulips, daffodils and a flea market
Here in the Pacific Northwest we have a local festival... the annual Tulip Festival held in neighboring Skagit County. Started in 1984, this festival has grown over the years to be a huge, regional festival.
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| photo courtesy Peter Cherry |
The views of the tulip fields are breathtaking, especially with our local foothills and the peak of Mt. Baker towering in the background. A popular way to take it all in is through bike tours. Not difficult since most of the fields are in low lying, flat flood areas of the Skagit River... which is also what makes the area so wonderful for bulb growing.
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| photo courtesy of Skagit Tulip Festival |
The festival not only bring visitors to the fields and shops of the region... it creates many other "happenings" like the Tulip Run, a home tour, quilt walk, art shows, dining events, a street fair and my favorite... a flea market/garage sale/antique sale... held annually during the festival at the Skagit County Fairgrounds.
For the low price of $2, you can look through building after building of antiques, garage sale items and flea market items. Last year I scored the above treasures... including vintage holiday and garden items. I've attended the flea market for the last 3 years... this year is scheduled for Saturday, the 9th. This Saturday! I plan to attend with my mom and hopefully find a few new (or old) treasures.... maybe for my garden... or the barn!
My own tulips and daffodils aren't quite as spectacular, nor as far in bloom as Skagit County to the south...
But the early tulips have started to bloom...
Soon the pink tulips will join the pale yellows.
And not to be overlooked... my happy faced daffodils...
welcome the sun, the spring and visitors to Red Gate Farm.
Almost the weekend... and the hunt for treasure,
linking up to
Oh my gosh--breathtaking!!! I so wish I could go this Saturday--that sounds like my kinda day. I know you all will have so much fun. I’ll be thinking of you :)
ReplyDeleteYour flowers are beautiful too!!
I got some beautiful photos last year and went to the garage sale too. Sad to say that as I went to Mt. Vernon yesterday there were no signs of the tulips yet. Have fun with your mom at the sale and any other activities.
ReplyDeletexo
Oh Chris Sweetie...
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous share today. I absolutely love the row upon row of tulips. They are so spectacular. I can just imagine the wonderful sweet fragrance that they hold. Bicycling would be so much fun.
I would sure love to be going to that sale with your Momma and you. What bargains and treasures await you all. I can't wait to see what you find, as last years treasures look so wonderful.
Can't wait for your photo shares. Have a wonderful time sweetie. Many hugs and much love, Sherry
I remember in Holland where my mother lived as a child and seeing the tulip farms. Breath taking and then later in the year the same fields were cabbage, again breath taking to see.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous pics and it looks like a lot of fun! Happy hunting:@)
ReplyDeleteThat first photo is my favorite. Have a good weekend!
ReplyDeleteOh spring bulbs are the best! Especially in such enormous quantity...beautiful...AND yours are just as lovely!
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining the hop today!
Deb
Just phenomenal!
ReplyDeleteahh i love the tulips! reminds me of home but even better because i see the mountains and we don't have those!
ReplyDeleteThanks
Leontien
I can't wait to see what treasures you find this year, but last years are sweet...and so are those flowers!
ReplyDeleteWow, gorgeous! The tulip events sound like so much fun. Canadians have a long history with Holland, dating back to the war, and we have gorgeous parks highlighting beautiful tulips but I have never seen specatacular FIELDS of tulips. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a lot of fun. We have a tulip festival here in Iowa as well, but I've never actually attended it. Your flowers are beautiful. I'm still waiting for mine to bloom.
ReplyDeleteI am in love with that little iron! Someitmes this dang ferry is such a hinderance! It keeps me away from the fun.
ReplyDeleteJust gorgeous....the festivities sound like so much fun...Happy hunting.
ReplyDeleteBlessings Kelsie
Have a wonderful time at the Festival...I wished I had planned early (I only live in Portland) Oh well...maybe next time. I can't wait to see your new found treasures! ♥
ReplyDeleteWhat a great event this Festival sounds like! You're going to have so much fun looking for vintage items for Red Gate Farm. I would love to take a bicycle tour through those fields of flowers. Have a fun weekend! xox
ReplyDeleteYou had me at flea market! But, then I saw that "carpet" of tulips and I was speechless! Can't wait for new pics of this years trip!
ReplyDeleteHave a grand time!
xo, misha
That sounds so fun, I hope you find lots of treasures. I've always wanted to go to Holland and see all the tulips, I am sure this would be cheaper ;)
ReplyDeleteThat's something I'd love to see! The flea market sounds like a lot of fun, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm jealous of your flowers. We got snow today.
Lucky you. We also have a tulip festival about 2 hours north of us, but we were just up there yesterday to look, and the tulips are just breaking through the ground. You guys are so far ahead of us! Have a great time!
ReplyDeleteOur snow has just melted away this week so the few bulbs we have are just poking through the soil. We also have a tulip festival here in Michigan. It takes place in Holland, MI and is quite a big festival also. I have only went once it always seems to rain.
ReplyDeleteHow many years I have lived in the Pacific NW and still have never made to the Tulip festival.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures, thanks for sharing.
treasuresApril 10, 2011 at 3:30 PM
WOW! Those tulip pics are breathtaking! Your daffodils and tulips are also pretty. How was the flea market this year?
ReplyDeleteHope you're having a great Sunday~
~ Julie
Thanks so much for linking up to Cottage Flora Thursday's last week! Thank you so much for posting about the Tulip festival - thinking of visiting this next Sunday - hoping that all this rain we are supposed to have doesn't spoil it! I should have the garden link party up later this evening & can't wait to see what you share! xoox, tracie
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