Steam & Fall Planted Bulbs

Morning Ice on Sedum

Steam and fall bulb planting? What could possibly be the connection...?

Think about it for a moment and I bet you'll land on the logical answer.

Early morning view, from my deck. Snow remains in the higher elevations, melts in my garden as the sun rises.

The landscape glistens with the reds and golds of late autumn but that is not what I was thinking about when I shot this photo. I was half-heartedly hoping those grey clouds slithering over the highest peaks would turn this into a rainy day.

Back to steam and fall bulb planting. Give up? Oh, come on! I just gave you a great hint!

It's about me running out of steam...

Been playing in the mud for 6 fun months but the weather is changing, now, and so is my burning desire to dig more holes.

Only this year, I premeditated lazy. Ordered bulbs early. Ordered a lot. They're here and there's no point in whining. Somebody's gotta plant them & I suppose that somebody will be me.

Today's chore includes a truckload (well, not really, but it feels like it) of:
* Grape Hyacinths
* Pheasant Eye Daffodils
* Red Devon Daffodils

And! Vuurbaak! These glorious red, rare, bordering on gaudy but that's a good thing heirloom Hyacinths are goodies I purchased from Old House Gardens. I love that joint. (They did not pay me to give 'em a plug, though I'm just shameless enough I would probably work for bulbs...)

Why red? Because everybody else will be planting purple, that's why.

Fun Facts to Know & Tell!

- Heirloom Hyacinths are an endangered bulb.
- They come in all sorts of spectacular colors.
Plus, they have a lovely fragrance ~ much nicer than the purple, pink, white hybrids big retailers sell.

I buy from big retailers, too. I'd need to win the lottery before I could fill my entire garden with heirloom bulbs. In addition to those bargain bulbs I like to support the cause and purchase a few heirloom bulbs to brag about.

Last year I planted Gipsy Queens (I did not spell that wrong. The plant owner did.) A luscious apricot Hyacinth. Here's hoping Ms. Vuurbaak is just as delightful.

Vuurbaak Hyacinth: Man, with a name like that she has to be a legit heirloom. Been around since 1948.

Gipsy Queen, my apricot beauty from last year was born in 1927.

* When I say 'born' think of it as the original Hyacinth bulb is Great, Great Grandma and the bulbs with the same name we buy right now are members of a proud, authentic lineage who have not been putzed with or futzed with in any way, shape or color.
** Because heirlooms flower bulbs naturally create offspring - new bulbs (clones?) each year.

Click here to discover why heirloom bulbs are so wonderful.