So I returned from my travels to one of my favorite seasons here in NC…glorious spring. And what did I see when I arrived….my bulbs all in bloom. If you remember back in the fall, I wrote about my laborious exercise in researching how to shop for bulbs and then the follow up laborious activity of actually planting those more than 200 bulbs…and combine that with my post on how the garden has taught me patience…what do you get? My absolute amazement with this showy display of daffodils, tulips and hyacinths in my yard. It is truly a bulb blooming bonanza. It took my breathe away. It reassured me that often times patience does has its rewards and, in this case at least, has outperformed my wildest expectations.
Here are a few things to do now:
1- ENJOY….walk outside more, cut them and put them in your house, look back at photos when that part of your garden was bare…or in my case overgrown with my nemesis plant–English Ivy.
2-Take pictures. You will want to know what your yard looks with each burst of blooms, so you can plan for next fall. Also document when each variety blooms, so you can better decide in the fall what you need to plant more of to extend the season.
3-Share. Cut them and share them with your friends, family and neighbors. You never know, you may inspire someone to add more bulbs to their garden.
4. Brag. You deserve it. You took the time in the fall to plan and plant those little nuggets of wonder to wait almost 6 months for the pay off.
5. Leverage your joy and pride to plant more and sustain your gardening throughout the spring season. It is my favorite, but it is the season that gardners literally work the most. Pruning, preparing, mulching, mowing, planting(inside and out), weeding….You need the energy to sustain you for the season.
Oh….blog partner, Chris, was right…they are so much better in bunches. Last year I had a few here and a few there. I had them in these rows as if they were these little British soldiers lined up for battle. This time…I planted them in bunches….asymmetric, almost wild. Boy, do they shine in that formation. You should plant more bulbs…and always in bunches.
What about you? Are your bulbs in a full blooming Bonanza? Tell us about them.
Happy gardening!
Saude!
melissa
6 comments
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March 18, 2011 at 11:19 pm
christine ramsey
Inspiring post, Melissa. And what a nice welcome home from your travels.
Bulbs do give back, don’t they? We are beaching it and had lunch today in Southport. I took photos of great colonies of bulbs that might have been there FOREVER, facing the stormy Cape Fear. The right bulbs in the right place will just go on…
Seems like you’re off to a great start.
March 19, 2011 at 2:30 am
K. Melissa Kennedy
Woot woot…go bulbs!
March 19, 2011 at 5:01 pm
Diane
Melissa,
They look great! We didin’t plant our bulbs until JANUARY becasue it had been so warm…but, just like Mother Nature to give us the benefit of the doubt and they are blooming…we hare happy. Win-Win. Don’t you just love Spring?!!!!!
I have really enjoyed your postings….you look so happy in the photo. World traveling at its best, can’t wait to hear more.
Did you ever ask your “followers” about getting rid of moles and voles? Without Rocky they are having a heyday.
Talk with you soon?
Di
April 11, 2011 at 4:02 pm
christineramsey
Moles and Voles are my area Diane, actually our dog Tralee’s assignment. She like to tunnel after moles, which can a problem. She’s even caught one or two, and vole.
A less destructive method is to bait the mole runs with peanut butter on a mouse trap. My husband did this one spring day and caught over 10 voles in the same run. No more vole problem! I can not manage a mouse trap though…
I’ve heard that moth balls in the runs will send them packing. But the moles are not the biggest problem. They eat grubs and that’s fine with me, esp if they like Japanese beetle gurbs. It’s the voles that use the mole runs to feast on the roots of my most expensive plants–
If you have someone who can do the mouse trap thing, try that first. I would just have to be out of the house/garden when it is going on… but effective.
Good luck.
March 19, 2011 at 5:03 pm
Diane
Duh, didn’t check the spelling and we both know I can’t type. (You don’t have to claim me
.
Di
March 21, 2011 at 3:34 pm
K. Melissa Kennedy
Hahahaha…Funny Diane. I will always claim you. I heart Spring. One of my favorite seasons. Let me do some research on the Vole, Mole issue and get back to you.
So glad your bulbs made an appearance. Yes, often times nature is forgiving. Woot Woot.
yes, let’s connect soon.
ciao
m