Over the past week or two we have planted 12 new pecan trees, 10 muscadine vines, 50 strawberry plants, and over a hundred bulbs. The weather hasn't exactly cooperated with our planting schedule, with its rain and cold, but I will finish the bulbs today when the temperatures rise above 60 for the second day in a row.The trees, vines, and strawberries were a Christmas gift from my husband and a retirement gift from scouting. The bulbs were a gift from Pink Panther's ex horse/rider trainer. One of his tutees is in the landscape/garden shop business and gives them thousands of bulbs each year to help decorate the covered riding arena, barns, and house. This year the bulbs were daffodils and mystery bulbs that could be daffodils or hyacinths. Daffodils naturalize easily in the South, so I was happy to spend the time tilling, digging, and planting the 100+ bulbs in the mud. Though I love tulips, I wouldn't have been as excited because they last only the planting year. I would have had to remove the bulbs and store them in the refrigerator or just waste them. The daffodils will bloom again and again without me having to do anything and that is the kind of gardening I like - a big show each year for nominal work outlays.
The daffodils have been blooming for weeks here. The show isn't as spectacular as in some years because once the blooms emerged the temperatures dropped and burned many of the flowers. I am hoping, even with the late planting, that I'll have another daffodil season.
5 comments:
Are sure you weren't peeking into my mind this morning? Girlie and I were garden planning, and she mentioned how much she likes tulip and asked why we never plant those bulbs. I explained that while I enjoy planting, I like my efforts to continue more than one season! What a great gift! We are so NOT even close to having anything green on the ground, bulbs are months away.
I was always amazed by the tulips and peonies in the Chicagoland area - everyone had them. They were an emblem of a serious gardener and a bit of luck in the deep South. The damp, clay soils and too warm winters cause the bulbs to rot and the peonies to fail. But we can't complain because we have nearly carefree azaleas, camelias, daffodils, magnolia, wisteria, crepe myrtle, gardenia, hydrangea, and so many other beautiful plants.
Angela, I would have thought that you were far enough north to have tulips.
I wish I had bulbs. 1000 bulbs. He should share more!
I was so hoping to see some daffodils in Memphis! No luck, but the pansies were plentiful and in full bloom -- until the day there was freezing rain, which destroyed the blooms, but not the plants.
Tulips are fine, but I love daffs best of all, maybe because of their subtler variations? There's just nothing like a field of naturalized daffodils to take my breath away!
Memphis is a full USDA hardiness zone north of us. You should have come to visit.
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