The last days of the tulips

I looked at the fading tulips in my yard, and thought back to my last post, when I was planting bulbs in the still frozen ground.  The thoughts of false spring have faded, and I am enjoying the warm days and cool nights of real spring.  The rain seems to be softening the ground to let the tender shoots come forth, and they seem greener each day.  I am amazed by the number of perennials that are springing from the ground, it's like a present to watch the shoots appear and see what appears.  I planted a lot of new species last year, so I am gaining a whole new perspective on the early life cycle of the plants which were fully emerged when I planted them.