Tulips

Photo taken 2010

When Ms Wynne retired as principal of our school we planted a cherry blossom tree and underplanted with snowdrops and tulips.  The snowdrops flowered and are finished for this year.  The tulips are flowering now.  They have increased in number.  An interesting fact about tulips is that they open and close each day.  Also on a sunny day they will open and on a wet cold day they stay closed.

Photo taken 2011

NOTE how many more tulips there are in this years photo.

Tulips open in the sunshine.  This makes it possible for bees to pollinate the flowers this involves the transfer of pollen from the anthers of one flowers to the pistil of another, the pollen germinates and produces a pollen tube which grows down to the ovule where fertilisation occurs.  Bees cross pollinate flowers and this increases the genetic diversity of plants.

Watch out for the tulips opening and closing.  Watch out for other flowers opening and closing. 

CAN YOU IDENTIFY ANY OTHER FLOWERS THAT OPEN AND CLOSE EACH DAY.