I don't know about y'all, but I am ready for spring to come ... and actually stay.
I am particularly excited this spring because I am seeing signs that bulbs I planted are immune to my black thumb.
Last December, Cliff had a patient, who owns a nursery. He brought in hundreds of bulbs for everyone. So Cliff brought home a brown grocery bag full of tulips, crocus and muscadine? (or is that the name of a fruit, I don't know). I was giddy of course, until I realized that the fate of these bulbs was in my hands.
So I googled about when to plant these bulbs. Basically, it looked like I had to do it fast, or else I would have to cover them with soil in the garage, and the thought of doing that with hundreds of bulbs was more overwhelming than the fear of losing them all to my incompetence. The weatherman said that we were going to have a Saturday with 55 degree weather so amidst the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, I took a chance, a few bulb planter tools, and got to work. I did enlist the help of my daughters of course, because it was HUNDREDS of bulbs.
The girls were cursing my name after a few hours, but I can't believe what I am seeing now. Sprouting up through my weeds are these bulbs.
Other than a few plants in the "I was planted by Charity and survived" Club, these bulbs are the only other exception ... they are surviving.
Apparently, they haven't heard from the other plants, that they should expect a short life of neglect and drought. I should probably weed the beds.
I can't wait to see them in full bloom. Then I just need someone to tell me what I'm supposed to do after they bloom. They will come back next year, right?
6 comments:
I can only give advise on tulips... due to my obsession with them. Once they bloom, if you want them to come back next year, you MUST let their left behind leaves wither away on their own. If you cut back the leaves to the ground right after the tulips die, then the tulips will not come back. Those left behind leaves are the key success to the bulbs storing whatever it is they need for next years bloom. I have my tulips planted in an ivy bed, so the tulip leaf leftovers are well hidden among the ivy.
I want a YARD!! The only plant I have is one that Julie gave me upon graduation. Year 1 it dutifully bloomed Easter weekend (Easter Lily) and last year it was severely neglected so it didn't. This year, we're working hard to build it up and get some good blooms again.
Bulbs are such a welcome friend come February. I am so excited about yours! Please post pictures again!
Wow, how pretty! I'm excited for your fully blooming yard!
I know nothing of bulbs... but I love the way yours are gracing the yard! Lovely!
Oh, I love the flowers! Adam's the gardner 'round here (the bugs freak me out) and he only plants edible stuff.. which is nice but I love those flowers! I will tell you that when we first moved here someone gave us tons of muscadines and some muscad. jam and we weren't fans of the stuff... but I'm sure YOU can come up with something delicious to do with them (esp since you are the TOP award winner of the chili cook off) :)
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