Heirlooms Around the Homestead

Rip Van Winkle Daffodils, born 1884
* Heirloom bulbs are genetically unique. They live forever, producing new flower offspring each year. (So, if you buy one bulb, chances are you'll have 20 or 30 before you know it!)

Planning is not really my strong suit. Oh, I can do it if I have to. For instance, I am planning to clean the house sometime in the near future but ~ like I said ~ that's a 'have to.' No telling when, or if, I'll find time for that.


Grand Monarque Hyacinth, born 1863

Gardening is not on the 'have to' list. It's a 'want to.'

But, if you think I lack discipline on the cleaning front, just take a stroll through my gardens...

For example!

We built a raised garden bed the year before I fell in love with horses.

Princeps Daffodil, born 1830

Now my raised bed rests smack dab in the middle of Megan's corral (aka backyard.)

That horse has zero respect for my gardening endeavors.

Meg doesn't live here. She comes over every once in awhile to mow the lawn and wreck havoc with all the goodies I've planted out there.

Like my latest batch of heirloom bulbs. They arrived so late last fall, that I decided to just stick 'em into the raised bed for a 1st year test. And, they were doing just fine!

Right up until Meg got the bright idea to leap ~ with all 4 feet ~ directly into my raised bed, shmooshing a whole bunch of those prized heirloom bulbs. (Which is why it's looking a little sparse in that top photo.)

But that's okay. I don't love horses for their brains.

Can't hardly wait for this one to blossom!
Gipsy Queen Hyacinth, born 1927

Why heirlooms? Because they're cool! And, they're rare! And, even if Meg murders half of them the other half will eagerly produce more new plants each spring. With any luck we'll stay one step ahead of the horse.

COMMERCIALLY EXTINCT:
That's the new term for what's happening to these pretty heirlooms. All joking aside, heirloom flower bulbs, including heirloom Hyacinths, are on the endangered list. And, yes, they are more expensive but in the long run they are considerably LESS EXPENSIVE than hybridized bulbs. Because they reproduce, with more flowers every year. And they're twice as easy to grow as the fussy new hybrids.