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Pretty petals

Tulip Blossoms stamps will soon spring into view

The stamps feature close-up views of 10 different tulips in a rainbow of colors.

The Postal Service will release its Tulip Blossoms stamps on April 5.

Dutch immigrants brought tulip bulbs to the United States, perhaps as early as the 1600s. The United States now imports more than 1 billion bulbs a year.

Tulips can be grown in most of the country, outside of the Deep South, and gardeners can choose among almost endless varieties.

Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps with existing photographs by Denise Ippolito.

Each flower fills almost the entire frame of each stamp, with just the top of the stem showing. The tulips, in various yellows, oranges, pinks, greens and violets, are set against backgrounds in similar or contrasting hues.

Ippolito photographed the 10 different tulips in various gardens and parks she encountered in her travels.

The Forever stamps will be available in booklets of 20 and coils of 3,000 and 10,000 at Post Offices and usps.com.