Chinese Tulip Tree (Liriodendron Chinense)

I love that Bernheim is both a forest and an arboretum. There are such beautiful trees and bushes and the flowers are gorgeous and the variety is a treat each time I visit.

I'm posting a beautiful bloom from a Chinese Tulip Tree. I love it's cup shape which are typically about 2" round and blooms in early Spring and Summer. I also love the unique shape of the leaves. Big, huge leaves, like they command your attention. In Fall they turn bright yellow. Perhaps I'll pay a visit to Bernheim then and try to get a few photos. But I digress, back to the blooms, I especially love the way the sun shines through the cup to reveal every tiny, little vein. I got very lucky while taking this image, as the sun decided to come out during a mostly overcast day. There was a pretty good breeze blowing too, so I had to hold onto the branches to get a good picture.

After leaving Bernheim, about an hour later, we had a heavy downpour in Louisville and later that evening around 8:45 we had storms come through. I'm pretty sure it rained about 3" in about an hour. I was driving home from an errand and forgot my route included passing under a railroad crossing which typically gets flooded out in heavy rains. As I got close the traffic was stopped and I saw cars turning around and realized it was flooded. The water had to be about two feet deep. Some cars and trucks were plowing through. I opted to turn around. Better safe than sorry. Enjoy this beautiful photo and I'll post more from Bernheim in the next few days. I gotta get outside, the sun's shining. Enjoy!