The beauty of an old tulip in earth tones by Lisette Rijkers

Nature remains fascinating in every way and the seasons play a big role in this. At the beginning of the year, nature comes back to life and everything starts to grow and bloom again, and at the end of the year, nature goes more and more into dormancy. This recurring process in nature is also how life goes: everything has a beginning and an end. And after the end, something new always starts again. This is the circle of life, and so it is with flowers too. A plant blossoms and during this period insects provide pollination. After flowering, the flower dies and the plant provides seeds or tubers for the next generation of plants. Most flowers are not pretty after flowering but a faded tulip (Tulipa) certainly has its charm. Sometimes flowers dry up beautifully and become works of nature's art. The tulip flower in this picture has had its best days but was definitely still worth photographing. The decay of the flower is emphasised by the warm natural colours with a vintage look. Thus, this old flower also gets a new life in this artistic work of art.