Fill your frame with tiers of tulips descending to the basin's edge. Aim from the lowest point upward.

Notice light green seeds on the elm trees, creating a mystical glow. Combined in a frame with the darker, cooler greens of the nearby boxwoods, for stunning color.

Keep your eye close to the ground to spot a variety of early bulbs poking through the stone. Capture their image against the unique background. In the rock garden area, look for a dwarf iris named Katherine Hodgkin; or the low, dusty-pink prairie smoke in the Native Garden, along with the purple hues of the pasque flower. Follow the calls of warblers to find and photograph these dynamic subjects.

Start with the magnolia tree in a raised circle bed. Circle to your left to see early-season snowdrops or banks of shaded tulips later. Raised beds give photographers easy access to some rare fritillaria.

Evening light often brings an iridescent sheen to the flowers both here and in the adjacent garden rooms. Peek into the bell-shaped flower of the Dalmatian purple foxglove for the contrast of a visiting insect. From ground level, point your lens upward to capture the open blossoms, noting that the flower stalk appears to recede into the distant sky.

Consider spring bulbs and annuals from lower perspectives, as they are in raised beds. Contrast form with pattern.

Watch for ferns along the way, as they stretch up from the soil. When you reach the Guardian Statue, turn right to Evening Island, where you can view crabapple trees.