Soon the spring bulbs will emerge from the cold soil to send their finished flowers toward the sky, to blossom, and build energy for next year. God designed bulbs and corms to reverse what we expect in flowers. Later I will plant some seeds and seedlings for later flowers, but these bulbsw were just waiting underground to take advantage of spring rains and sunshine before the trees leaf out.
I think of hardy bulbs (planted in the fall) as the chance to get a jump on the spring. In the past I planted crocus, snowdrops, and daffodils in the lawn, to finish their work before the first mowing. But squirrels dug up and replanted the edible bulbs. Daffodils are supposedly not so tempting.
The little bulbs can be fun, and I may plant them in 2015. The beauty of fall bulbs comes from the energy already in them, which means careful cultivation by the vendor. Bargain bulbs simply have less energy, but they are better than nothing.
Cheap flowers are no bargain. I am not ready to buy $100 daffodil bulbs, but I would rather plant a double for 50% more than a scrawny single bulb than seems less but in fact costs more. Well fed daffodils are double and even triple. They are broken up when planting and should multiply in time.
Tulips tend to fade rather than build energy, but their is nothing like those goblets rising from the ground, pure in color, perhaps bi-colored, or planted in masses of harmonized color. I used to walk by the giant emperor tulips when I went to grade school.
They enchanted me each day, and I was so tempted to touch them, but wary of cautious eyes on me. Those tulips made me a hardy bulb Johnny Appleseed. I began in Midland. I did group orders in Columbus and gave the bonus bulbs to the church to decorate the property.
In New Ulm, one member said, "We should not covet, but pastor, I covet your bulbs." I planted two sets there.
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| Crown Imperial - the guinea hen plant raised to the throne. |
On German Avenue I designed a bulb garden where yellow emperor bulbs and daffodils bloomed around a Crown Imperial plant. They bloomed together on the day one the day the realtors came by--as a group...to see and sell the house. They were transfixed.
Our helper dug holes with me to plant daffodils, tulips, Crown Imperials, and giant aliums. I know what will happen soon. He will be watching the tips of the bulbs coming up , the pointed spearheads of the leaves, and enjoying the unfolding of the flowers. His wife will come over and take some home in a vase. His children will participate in the wonder, because they helped on various projects. The roses will follow.
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| The Giant Alium - Globemaster - garlic on steroids. |