Tulips are like colourful wine goblets, sprouting and spouting from the ground and there is a fantastically riotous clang of tulips at this very moment at RHS Wisley.

In fact there are over 350 varieties of glorious, resplendent tulips. It’s like the best of Amsterdam’s floral offerings have been carefully selected and planted for us all to admire.

I had no idea that tulips were this diverse! Of course, there were smooth, plump, soft flowers:

And the more open, blousey kind of tulip:

And two tone tulips: (Just look at the rush of reds, yellows and oranges!)

Juxtaposed against the sharper, feather-edged petals as shown in this amazing, clashing display of pink tulips:

Talking of, look at these dramatic chocolatey purple dark ones:

They’re called the Vincent van Gogh tulip, which start out white and become darker as they develop!

I don’t think I would have recognised some of the flowers to be tulips if I’d seen them in isolation – like these huge, red waxy flowers:

It’s an absolutely incredible display, I highly recommend a visit ASAP!

Très chic!

If you say ‘tulips’
with your two lips,
stems won’t chew hips
but will eclipse
with an ellipse 
of overlapping overlipping 
petals.
It slips from a tongue
– yours or mine –
as we listen to 
a pack of picketed thicket
pinks,
rustling rattling. And riveting
everyone around.