Knoxville’s Dogwood Arts Festival isn’t only about art.  It’s about the beauty of the area, too. And sometimes it’s right under your nose.

We pass by Cherokee Country Club on Lyons View Pike almost daily.  And sometimes, not all the time, we note what’s planted in the flowerbeds by the street.  Last year, a profusion of almost-perfect tulips caused us to pull over, risk getting hit by incoming guests, and squat down beside these lovelies to get some of the best shots of tulips ever. (Well, at least for us.)

Full plantings of pink tulips in bloom at Cherokee Country Club, Knoxville

While driving around town looking for redbuds this week, I saw this year’s plantings and immediately made a judgement call:  this year’s flowerbeds just weren’t as spectacular as last year’s. Or so I thought.

But pull over I did.  And squat.  And take a look . . . up close.

That’s when I realized the beauty in composition.  This year’s planting of pale pink, yellow, and white tulips was nothing less than spectacular: an impressionistic painting with light colors running together, one of the prettiest arrays in town. And maybe even better than last year’s one-color show of pink.

If you live in or near Knoxville, you may want to put this Lyons View address on your itinerary.  It’s worth the drive, especially if you enjoy taking pictures.

Collectively or individually, the tulips at Cherokee make a strong statement: there’s beauty in quiet colors.

For more information on the Dogwood Arts Festival 2015 (along with a calendar of events), click here.

To see the tulips, head to Cherokee Country Club, 5138 Lyons View Pike, Knoxville, Tennessee 37919.