What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time there was few daffodils in bloom in the Skagit Valley. I have posted several times about birding or the tulips. Last year everything was two weeks behind and the best blooms were near the end of April. This year, everything is early.

We headed up today. The forecast was for cloudy with some sun breaks. We could see the brilliant yellow patches as we drove through the narrow backroads. We pulled off into a parking area setup for a large daffodil field. The paths were soggy and muddy. We were surprised as we got closer to see the flower edges tinged with brown. The daffodils were not at their prime and slightly past.

We passed several fields of tulips that were just tinted with color. They were still tightly budded but with a good warm day – they will be a riot of color but for now – they are still asleep. We stopped by Roozengaarde where the early tulips were in bloom. It gave us a wonderful taste of warmth to come on this early Spring day.

Fields along the narrow roads

Gardens at Roozengaarde

Just coloring and not yet open

Related posts

• Birdwatching in the Skagit Valley
• A Day in the tulips – April 2009