in praise of exploding tulips

Last year I went to Capel Manor Gardens in the autumn with a friend who had recently acquired a London back-garden and needed things for it. Tucked inbetween the tiny demonstration gardens and the test beds we found a shed with three big trugs of bulbs marked "Fill a flower pot for £1" and we both did. I was hoping for some classic standards - red-and-yellow streaked tulips, big yellow daffodils, as I'm inclined to buy from the fancy end of the spectrum.

And I did indeed find standard red-and-yellows breaking up my fancy lilies and ruffles and streaks. But I had also, in my grab-flowerpot, picked up some truly, unconscionably fancy flowers; see below for an exquisite tiny pink fringed tulip, set among all of my orange and red stars and explosions.