It’s chilly for the first time this month in Chicago, slowing down the emergence of spring blooms. This white tulip appears to be cloaked in a green blanket curled to protect it from the wind and cold. It is more patient than I. This is day three since it began showing its color and I find myself checking to see if it has opened each time the sun peeks through the clouds. So far it has remained sheltered, so I suppose that nature knows best.

One anxious tulip partially opened several days earlier, this red and white bloom, stimulating my appetite to see more.  In a previous post I shared that tulips are not usually a part of my garden because they are too quickly dug up as a feast by the squirrels. This past fall I planted eight tulip bulbs in my garden and have been pleasantly surprised they had not been raided. I suppose I treasure them more than other plants at this moment because I know they are rare in my garden. Interesting how rarity increases value. I am thankful for their ability to survive and will try to patiently await their full debut.