Ah, December. Finally time to plant my bulbs.
I plant my bulbs in phases, the way they roll out those sprawling suburban housing complexes. With PHASE I: ORDERING done, and PHASE II: THINKING ABOUT IT well underway for the past couple of months, it was finally time to move on to PHASE III: PLANTING, before the “D” month becomes the “F” month, like last year.
I have ingrained issues with getting any of my plants into the ground, but planting bulbs is a particular challenge. It seems like such a lonely endeavor and a complete leap of faith compared to planting a pretty perennial with nursery-fresh foliage. Something just seems to be missing when I plop a brown bulb into a brown hole and pile dirt over it. It looks exactly the same as it did before I went outside. I could’ve stayed in the comfy chair drinking coffee.
Despite that, the planting went amazingly well this year. The hyacinths were easy because I forgot to order any. And I knocked off the tulips quickly because I only ordered orange shades so I didn’t hurt my brain concocting complimentary color schemes. And to keep the deer from eating them this year, I planted them in the family room, in all of that dirt the dogs have tracked in to the carpet.
I planted a few red tulips outside near the tree, where I always plant red ones. But the squirrels are already carting them away, so no deer worries there either. As for that 5-gallon bucket of bulbs from last year, well I just planted those right back into the bed I dug them out of in September. So seldom do I have the chance to turn back time. I socked away the reticulated iris in the rock garden, forced the dutch iris in pots to ward off the late-winter blues, and tucked the delicate white daffodils among the hellebores, where I can see them real good from the kitchen window.
I was really on a roll—I even got the garlic planted!—then I hit the glory of the snow. Talk about knocking the wind out of my sails. Next year, I’m counting the cost of bulbs in hole labor instead of dollars because those tiny bulbs that seem like such a bargain at 50 for $6 have a ridiculous cost/labor ratio.
But I pushed through the pain and can proudly say that my bulbs for 2010 are all in the ground—and it’s only early December. So NOW what am I going to feel guilty about for the next couple of months?
Okay, how did you trump me on this?! I haven’t finished my planting ‘cuz knowing you were still in the same boat eased the pressure to have it all done pronto! I would like the how-to on the living room plantings please! Me too on having orange tulips next spring! But mixed with pink…odd combo but it looked pretty in the catalog.
Yeah, nothing to obsess over now..but I’m sure you’ll think of something…hehe!!
LOL. I didn’t realize I’d become a slacker role model. I’m so proud.
I finished planting my bulbs last weekend. It’s not a job I enjoyed because there isn’t that instant gratification. I’m not sure if I planted them correctly or if I got the color combinations right but I figure I can always move things around in the spring once they start popping up.
Glad you were able to finish before you got sick, Jackie. Lovely holly tree on your blog today.
Planted my bulbs about a month ago! I did get 5-6 different hyacinths too. So you did not use the stand in the middle of the lawn and toss the bucket of bulbs in the air planting method? Just find them on the ground and plant them in place.
Welcome, Randy. I did not use the “toss and plant them” method–but only because my anal retentive tendencies are stronger than my procrastination tendencies. BTW, that is a drop-dead-gorgeous wooden fence in your current blog post. I covet it.
Have yet to plant mine. I usually wait until x-mas day and hope for warm weather. I hate planting when my hands are freezing. Congrats on getting yours in the ground.
I’m so heartened to see people chiming in who have yet to plant. I can see how planting on Christmas day might be something to look forward to with a Southern garden like yours.
Ummmmm bulbs, what bulbs?
I just wait until the spring and buy the pots of forced ones. Afterwards I chuck them into the hidden compost pile, they wither away until they rebloom in crooked angles the next spring. Tidy, easy, and fun.
After all what is the point when you live within the boundaries of a small patio. One overrun with those nasty rats with bushy tails, known as squirrels.
This is a wonderful post that you wrote, can’t wait to see those tulips blooming in the dirt on the carpet. LOL.
Jen