Yesterday my wife and I spent a gorgeous Sunday afternoon in the garden of Noell and Jim Schepp in Charlotte. They open their garden to friends and groups to share their annual display of tulips. Noell and Jim treat tulips in our part of North Carolina as annuals, planting a new batch of bulbs each year to welcome spring.

Noell said that for this year’s display, they had planted 3200 bulbs in some 28 varieties. Has tulip mania hit Charlotte? Planting that many bulbs, of course, takes a lot of effort, but the beauty of their garden is the result. She said the tulips are in bloom from mid March to the end of April. Here are a few photos of their garden.

And one of the special treats of Noell and Jim’s hospitality:

Perfect weather, a beautiful garden, tulips, tulips, tulips, delightful and gracious hosts, a glass of wine, and those delicious cakes…truly a tulip lover’s afternoon.