Are Red Spider Lilies Hardy in Wisconsin???

        Maybe. Although we recommend them for zones 7 and warmer only, Jean Virnig of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, has been experimenting with them. She writes:
        “I ordered your heirloom version of the red spider lily (L. radiata radiata) because this form is triploid and rare in the trade, having been replaced by the diploid form (L. radiata pumila). Jim Shields of Shields Gardens wrote in his online journal that the triploid form is hardy for him in zone-5 Indianapolis while the diploid form perishes. He added, ‘Why are the triploids hardy in the cold North when their diploid cousins are not? It might be because they have extra amounts of a few critical genes that promote cold hardiness. For some genes, having three copies allows the cell to produce more of the gene-product than having only the usual two copies does.’
        “Here in my zone-5a Wisconsin garden, I have been growing the heirloom form for two years now, and although they have proved hardy enough to survive the winters with no special care, they may not be truly suited for this climate.
        “Red spider lilies put up leaves in the fall which have to survive until spring. Last winter we had lows of -20 F, three weeks when the temperature never once rose above freezing, and destructive, desiccating winds. Nevertheless, every one of my bulbs still had green leaves this spring, albeit shorter, as they were burned back by the cold. On the bulbs I planted last fall, most leaves were 4”-6” long, as they were not able to grow much longer before the weather turned inhospitable. Those that were already established, planted the year previous, grew much longer foliage that lay down on the ground after the first snow and survived the winter nearly fully intact. Currently in late June all of the foliage is still green with no signs of dying back, although I suspect it will soon.
        “In areas that have more consistent snow cover, or in a sheltered location like a woods, damage to the leaves over the winter would probably be mitigated. As for me, I will try covering them with straw this winter and removing it in the spring. I am still hopeful of some red spider lily blossoms in my yard in the future.” (June 2009)

View ‘Ehemanii’ in Greg Grant’s Texas Garden, and Order Yours ASAP!

        Expert and hilarious, Greg Grant is one of our favorite horticulturists. Recently he emailed us photos of our Canna ‘Ehemanii’ growing at his place in Texas. One shows a nice big clump in his front garden (artistically balanced by an especially fine bottle tree), and the other is a close-up of its rosy, bell-like flowers.
        If you decide you need one yourself, you’ll need to move fast. We still have 10-15 available, but since they don’t hold up well in storage we’re shipping them through Monday only. They may not be cheap, but they are extraordinary. (Apr. 2009)

Are These Cannas on Steroids?

        Nope, but our good customer Ruth Riegel of Casey, Illinois, was impressed with them anyway:
        “I got three Canna indica from you this past spring, and one of the clumps I dug up yesterday is over two feet across. Amazing for not-so-well-drained clay soil (though I do add lots of horse manure). Oh, and the ‘Cleopatra’ canna went berserk with three different foliages – green, bronze, and variegated – and flower colors. What fun!” (Dec. 2008)

Dahlias: All in the Family

        Dahlias you grow yourself can be better than any you buy, as 0ur good customer Theodora Alves of Nevada City, California, discovered this fall:
        “Did I mention that your dahlias were used in my daughter’s wedding this year? Her florist had brought some in, but they were . . . well, how can I be kind . . . they were ‘poopie.’ She ended up not using them, and the ones from my garden just stole the show. Thanks again for your very personal attention to your customers. I love doing business with you. It’s like we’re all in the family!” (Dec. 2008)

If Javelinas Roam Your Garden, Plant Iris!

        Though we didn't include bearded iris on our recent list of animal-resistant bulbs, our good customer Louise Coulter of Payson, Arizona, emailed us to vouch for them:
        “In my area which is at 5,000 feet in Arizona’s northern section there is an animal called javelina or wild pig. With cloven hoofs, tusks, and large foraging families, it devastates unprotected bulbs in gardens – except for iris. Seems they can’t eat iris. So at thousands of homes here, where the yards are unfenced, iris naturalize and are ubiquitous. Seems the local nurseries obtained a limited color palette of them each year, so one can almost tell how old the bulbs are by their color. For years one could only get shades of variegated purple and a lovely pale salmon.” (Nov. 2008)

Black Beauty Lilies Thrive in Zone-8 Florida

        Our good customer Judy Little of Cantonment, Florida, writes:
        “When I ordered your ‘Black Beauty’ lilies a few years ago, you warned me that they might not do well in my zone-8 garden. They have done fantastic! Now I can't wait to try the new lilies I’m ordering. Thanks!” (late Oct. 2008)

Blog of the Month: Southern Living’s Grumpy Gardener

        “An outstanding mail-order nursery,” that's what Southern Living garden editor Steve Bender calls us in a recent posting at his blog. Steve calls himself the Grumpy Gardener, but that’s because he can't call himself the Really Funny and Also Expert Gardener. Though he tends to tone down his humor in his magazine writing, in his blog you’ll see more of the Steve who cracked us up in the modern classic, Passalong Plants.
        His praise-filled review of “the Old House Gardens difference” spotlights several of our best bulbs for warmer gardens including our true Byzantine glad which he describes as both “gaudier than Liberace at the Moulin Rouge” and “a single-malt Scotch for your garden.” Don’t miss his blogs titled “Squirrel Problem? Fire Away!” and, right in time for Halloween, the “Toilet Paper Miracle.” Like gardening, laughing is good for you. (late Oct. 2008)

Another Southern Voter for ‘Gravetye Giant’ Snowflakes

        Our long-time customer Peter Schaar of Dallas writes:
        “I’ll second Richard Devine’s praise of Leucojum aestivum ‘Gravetye Giant’ for hot, stressful climates. Mine that I got from you have been my most reliable and productive spring bulbs, reliably blooming in late February regardless of the weather. Hooray for GG!” (Oct. 2008)

Hurricane Ike Survivor: ‘Rubrum’ Lily

        Our condolences to all of you touched by Ike’s devastation! Here’s one happy report from our good customer Stephanie Murrey-Alonso who lives in Pearland, just south of Houston:
        “One of my ‘Rubrum’ lilies had just started blooming a day or two before Hurricane Ike hit us, and the next morning when I walked out there was one flower on the stalk still untouched by the Cat 2 winds. It was the most beautiful thing to see after such a ferocious storm. Your lilies are the best, and hurricane resistant, too!” (Oct. 2008)

Tulipa clusiana Returns Happily for Mississippi Gardener

        Our good friend Felder Rushing shared this email with us from one of his Mississippi Public Radio show listeners, Karen Lee:
        “A few years ago you had a fella on the show from Old House Gardens with news about his having procured some clusiana tulip bulbs from an old farm in the Netherlands. Well, I contacted that guy and bought some. This is their second spring here in my [zone 7b-8a] Alcorn County garden. I think they love it. My neighbor and I say they look like a raspberry parfait.” (Sept. 2008)

Wisconsin Garden Writer Falls in Love with ‘Schoonoord’

        Although she “shied away from bulbs” and had never planted a single tulip before, garden writer Linda Brazill of Madison, Wisconsin, finally “took the plunge” and ordered several dozen from us last fall. She planted them “willy-nilly, purely as experiments,” and the results were “so fragrant and so stunningly beautiful” that she’s already ordered more.
        Writing in the Capital Times she raves about our ‘Willem van Oranje’, T. acuminata, and ‘Generaal de Wet’ (“I could smell it almost as soon as I stepped out the door”). “But the showstopper,” she writes, “was ‘Schoonoord’. . . . It’s a flower that I never want to be without now that I’ve grown it. The green- and yellow-striped buds opened into lushly double white flowers touched with gold. Anyone who saw them in a vase thought they were peonies. ‘Schoonoord’ drew me out into the garden day after day in every light and weather to enjoy its changing beauty. Luckily, I ordered enough bulbs that I felt free to cut as many as I wanted to bring indoors.”
        To read Linda’s entire column, click here. She may inspire you to “take the plunge,” too! (Sept. 2008)

Blue-Ribbon Winning Historic Daffodils

        Congratulations to our good customer Raymond Rogers of North Brunswick, New Jersey, who writes:
        “I won five individual blue ribbons at two American Daffodil Society shows this past spring, as well as Best Historic, Best Vase of Three Historics, and Best Collection of Five Historics, with Beersheba, Mary Copeland, and Queen of the North, all from you. Keep ‘em coming! “ (Aug. 2008)

Blog of the Month: “Delirious About Bulbs” (and ‘Hyperion’ Daylily)

        First up is a recent blog by Pomona Belvedere at tulipsinthewoods.com. “OHG bulbs are the top of the top of the bulb world,” she writes, “big, fat, healthy, and bursting with (often) multiple blooms.” She calls our catalog “fun” and “clearly written by people who are delirious about bulbs, and don’t care who knows it.” (She’s right!) And “for those who enjoy diversity,” she adds, “shopping at Old House Gardens is a way to support people who preserve it – and to do a little preserving ourselves.”
        Don’t miss Pomona’s blog about ‘Hyperion’ daylily, too, in which she praises its graceful shape, fragrance, and willingness to bloom with just a few hours of sun. Then take a look at her “Heirloom Plants” and “Bulbs” categories, and if you’re like us you’ll find yourself reading on and on! (Aug. 2008)

An Unexpected Tote-Bag Testimonial

        Our brand-new Heirloom Bulbs Tote-Bags are getting rave reviews from some very demanding critics: our staff. Twenty-something Renee Hytinen, for example, found a couple of unorthodox uses for it on a recent weekend trip to Lake Michigan.
        First she filled it with ice and beer and lugged it down to the beach. That worked so well, she told us with excitement, that later on the ferry ride to Manitou Island when the waves got rough and she started feeling green at the gills, she kept it close at hand, confident that it would also make a leak-proof – and elegant – barf bag. (Jul. 2008)

Customer Raves: Another Glad-Hater Converted by Our Heirlooms

        Last summer, Kerry Hoffman of Clara’s Meadow Flower & Herb Farm in Watsontown, Pennsylvania, wrote us in excitement:
        “Just wanted to tell you how absolutely GORGEOUS the glads are that I planted this spring. I’m a cut-flower market grower, and I stayed away from gladiolus because they were just too big for my bouquets and, truthfully, rather gaudy looking to me. But your heirloom varieties are stunning! They’re an absolute hit with my customers, too. ‘Atom’ was the first to bloom last week, and everyone wanted to know its name. I love you guys. I will buy from you faithfully forever and ever and ever.” (Apr. 2008)

When Perennials Aren’t Enough: A Husband’s New Love

        Can the right flower strengthen your marriage? Maybe! Our good customer Audrey Kilgore of Akron, Ohio, writes: “My husband is new to the ‘Dahlia Affair’ – for what else can you call loving dahlias? He said none of our perennials lasted long enough and he wanted something tall that bloomed all summer into fall, so I thought about it. The only plant I knew that was easy to grow and filled this need was dahlias. I planted two tall ones this past summer. They were beautiful, and he counted the many butterflies and bees that visited them. He is hooked!” (March 2008)

Praise of the Month: ‘Thomas Edison’ Dahlia

        Our good customer Kathy Winkelman of Sacramento, California, writes:
        “I just wanted you to know how great my ‘Thomas Edison’ is doing in its second year here. I have flowers six inches wide and it’s been blooming continuously for months. I share with my neighbors, and they just can’t get over how big and beautiful the flowers are. And our warm days of over 100 degrees have not seemed to bother it. It’s framed by my big window in our family room, so it’s the first thing I see in the garden every morning. I tell ya, it’s a beauty!” (Nov. 2007)

Combo of the Month: ‘Andries Orange’ and Sizzling Partners

        Our good customer Becca Brown of Worcester, Massachusetts, writes:
        “Just a note to let you know that my dahlia ‘Andries Orange’ is thrilling me and everyone else who beholds him right now in my garden. I have him planted in front of a purple-leafed cotinus with perilla at his feet, some hot colored zinnias in front, and aster ‘Alma Potschke’ (hot cherry pink) about to burst forth beside him. Also in the mix nearby: geranium ‘Rozanne’ and hot spots everywhere of neon-orange Emilia (tassel flower). Life doesn’t get much better than this! Thank you, thank you!” (Sept. 2007)

Campernelles and Heaven

        Known since colonial days as the “large jonquil,” Campernelle narcissus are memorably fragrant — as our good customer Jan Ayers of Plano, Texas, makes clear:
        “When I saw the Campernelles you offer, I knew I had rediscovered my first childhood love! We had a whole row of those in our yard. I believe that if I can smell them as I die, I’ll go straight to heaven.” (Aug. 2007)

Kind Words of the Month

        At GardenWatchdog.com recently, Maggie Brown of Ridge, NY, wrote:
        “I planted bulbs from OHG when I lived in Maine and the cut flowers were ALWAYS the talk of my officemates. Then I moved to New York. Sigh.
        “Let me just say that getting a box of bulbs to plant from OHG has made the transition so much more enjoyable! What a great group — and who can beat a personal note from the owner himself?!?
        “Say it with me: Yay for old bulbs! Yay for Old House Gardens! Keep the bulbs of old alive — bring horticultural history to a garden near you!” (July 2007)

Idiot-Friendly Bulbs: One Beginner’s Story

        “Bulbs want to grow.” That’s what we say around here when our bulbs thrive despite impossible odds, and Yvette Figueroa of Green Bay, Wisconsin, knows exactly what we mean. She writes:
        “I ordered in the fall and planted all of my bulbs right away. This was my first foray into gardening and the day after I planted them I had to go out of town for my grandmother’s funeral. During the month-long trip I learned from my mother that I planted them all UPSIDE DOWN! By the time I came back there had been a frost and I tried to dig them up to turn them over. I couldn’t find most of them and some I accidentally roughed up with my trowel.
        “Well, guess what??? I have about ten green sprouts showing already! I couldn’t be happier. I realize I may not see them all, but I learned three very important lessons:
        “1. Your bulbs are very “idiot” friendly.
        “2. Plant them with the pointed side up.
        “3. Mark where you planted them!” (June 2006)

She’s Awed by Our TRUE, Hardy Byzantine Gladiolus

        Our fall-planted Bulb of the Year is NOT your ordinary glad. For a start, it’s perennial through zone 6, and we have true stock! Our good customer Tamara Bastone of Chesapeake, Virginia, writes:
        “Yes, without a doubt your Byzantine glad is the real thing and worth every penny to boot! I ordered one last fall and when it bloomed alongside of the other Byzantines I had grown for years (of course thinking they were the ‘real’ thing but wondering why they didn’t look like the ones in English gardens), I was in awe of its beauty. The color is a deep magenta and it is taller and sturdier. Plus, it’s a good investment for it will multiply over the years. Trust me, you are the only ones offering the ‘real’ thing. Thank you!” (Sept. 2006)

‘Little Darlings’ Offer “Heavenly” Perfume

        Our good customer Emmy Morrison of Davidson, NC, writes:
        “My N. jonquilla ‘Early Louisiana’ have multiplied and are heavenly. Three stems in a vase scented our entire kitchen. I call them ‘Little Darlings,’ a name I picked up in Natchez.” (2006-07 catalog)

Dahlias for the Hungry

        Phyllis Valle of Milford, Michigan, has been buying bulbs from us since 2000. Here’s one good reason why:
        “My friend Andrew Berry is an avid gardener, and he especially loves dahlias. I give him your bulbs for his birthday every year. In the summer he takes bouquets to his church every Sunday and they auction them off to the congregation. The church is First United Methodist of Birmingham. His wife Jayne says he averages $60 a week, all of which goes to the church’s mission for the hungry.” (March 2006)

More Success with Dahlias in the South

        Here’s some more good news about growing dahlias where it’s HOT from our good customer Della Smith: “One of your ‘Bishop of Llandaffs’ is alive and well in zone-9 Houston, Texas! My daughter, who is a Master Gardener there, has had it return for three years now. She just leaves it in the ground over the winter and in the spring it pops back up. I was there last July, sweat box city, and it was gorgeous. I think that drainage is one of the keys for success there. It is planted in a raised bed.”
        And Judy Blackwell of zone-7 Benton, Arkansas wrote to say: “Dahlias thrive in my yard, so much so that when I inadvertently threw some away when cleaning out pots in the fall and they ended up in a nearby drainage ditch, they grew the following spring. No fertilizer, no mulch, no nothing. They bloomed all season.” (Editor’s note: Naturally we don’t recommend this technique!) (March 2006)

Can the Queen of Autumn Take Southern Heat?

        Dahlias, we’ve always said, like it cool. They bloom best in the fall, they come originally from high mountain plateaus in Mexico, and they’re great favorites in northern states like Minnesota. So for years we’ve been warning Deep South gardeners away from them. But our customers are constantly teaching us (thanks!). For tips from five who garden in zones 8 and 9 – including expert John Kreiner of the Dahlia Society of Georgia — click here. (March 2006)

Busy Mom Discovers Dahlias Hardy in Zone 6

        We aren’t making any promises, but our long-time customer Janet Atkinson of zone-6 Sleepy Hollow, NY, writes:
        “Your dahlias are TOO HARDY!!! 90% of the ones I got from you last year came back, which on top of this year’s collection, created quite a dahlia jungle. I’m not really complaining, but I think I may need to curb this bad dahlia ordering habit I’m developing. I always want all of them!
        “I left all of them in the ground. Lots of good intentions, but once the kids’ soccer season starts, there’s never as much time for gardening as I would like. The ones planted against the house have come back for two years now, but last year the ones in a more exposed bed came back, too, hidden by hollyhocks so that I didn’t realize until they had swamped my oregano and mint. They look pretty fabulous though! Thanks.” (Dec. 2005)

Boxer Puppies and Fragrant ‘Elegans Alba’

        Our good customer Jeananne Forgey of Swayzee, Indiana, wrote us last spring:
        “‘Elegans Alba’ just bloomed in my garden and it is the most elegant tulip I have ever seen. I rarely sniff tulips but I picked this one because we have a new boxer puppy who loves the taste of tulips, and I kept wondering after I got in the house where the wonderful smell was coming from and it is that tulip. Wow! I am always thrilled by the wonderful bulbs I order from you, but looking at this particular tulip is like looking at something that is too perfect to be real. Thanks!” (Oct. 2005)

One of Our Biggest Fans Writes

        This just in: “Dear Scott, I walked out to my garden and almost gasped when I saw beautiful purple gladiolus blooming. That is the fun of the ‘Intro to Heirloom’ samplers. I never know what to expect. With love, Mom” (Aug. 2005)

Erna Says: Plant Some Tuberoses This Spring!

        Our good customer Erna Hassebrock of Hot Springs, Arkansas, writes:
        “I was very pleased with your ‘Mexican Single’ tuberoses. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the folks who produce those fabric softener sheets could copy this delightful fragrance? I smelled it every time I went to the back of the yard and again when I returned. Thanks, thanks, thanks! I am old enough not to get very excited about plants but this one really surprised me and fulfilled its description.” (March 2005)

One Customer’s Vibrant Bedding Plans

        Our good customer Diane McCue of Wethersfield, CT, wrote in response to the Victorian bedding plans we offered in our last newsletter:
        “My summer garden plans include a giant circle planted with tall cannas in the middle, then dwarf Mexican sunflowers, and then about 40 dark-leaved basil plants. Another circle will be peach-colored cannas in the middle with ribbon-grass bunches around the outer rim. Last year the giant circle was red and bronze ‘Roi Humbert’ canna in middle surrounded by a shorter canna, then some spider plants (Cleome), and then large yellow marigolds. Every year it’s different!” (March 2005)

Judy’s Husband Used to Laugh at Our Bulbs, But Now . . .

        Is your spouse anything like the husband of our good customer Judy Sanders of Montgomery, Texas? She writes:
        “My husband kind of laughed at me a couple of years ago when I planted the first bulbs I received from y’all. I was so excited and would go check on what had sprouted and later what was blooming. Well, now he’s as enthusiastic as I am. He often gives me a bloom update before I even have a chance to look out the window. Sure brightens our dreary winter days. Thanks for the entertainment.” (Feb. 2005)

Did You Know Fragrant Tuberoses Make Great Cut Flowers?

        Our good customer Judy Sanders of Montgomery, Texas, writes:
        “I cut several stems of tuberose and they lasted a full two weeks in the house. Every few days I’d trim a bit off the stems and refresh the water. And, as outside, the fragrance was stronger in the early evenings. We really enjoy this bulb!”
        Big bunches of freshly-cut tuberoses are sold today in Mexican street markets, as they probably were in Aztec street markets long ago. Plant your own this spring and you can enjoy a fragrance prized by gardeners for a thousand years. (Jan. 2005)

A Winter-Hardy Canna? Test It Yourself!

        Our good customer Lenora Larson of Long Lips Farm in Paola, Kansas, writes:
        “I notice that you no longer sell ‘Roi Humbert’ canna. Pour quoi? I ordered mine from you nine or ten years ago, and it is my very favorite canna because it reliably survives our zone 5/6 winters, modestly (not extravagantly) mulched. Of course I always save some inside just in case.”
        Good news, Lenora: we’ve returned ‘Roi Humbert’ to our website along with fellow classics ‘Richard Wallace’, ‘City of Portland’, and ‘Stadt Fellbach’. We haven’t tested its winter hardiness here, but we plan to! Readers, will you join us? (Feb. 2004)

Tender, Family-Heirloom Rain Lilies Thrive in Zone 4 Wisconsin

        Although pink rain lilies, Zephyranthes grandiflora, aren’t hardy beyond zone 8, Julie Monroe has been enjoying them in zone-4 Wisconsin for decades.
       Her bulbs came originally from her Great-Aunt Irene and before that from Irene’s grandmother. “They thrive on neglect,” Julie says. “The only thing I am careful about is to take the pots inside before the first freeze.” She stores them dry in pots in the basement all winter, brings them back outside in the spring, and they just get better every year.
       For the whole story and Julie’s tips, or to try a few rain lilies yourself, click here. (Jan. 2004)

Tough Little ‘Atom’ Survives Two Years in Storage

        Sandra Pickett of New Castle Indiana, writes of our best-selling glad:
        “Two years ago, I dug up my gladiolus bulbs and put them in a crawl space to store. Last year, I completely forgot about them. This year, when I discovered them again, they were dried up, and not so healthy looking. I decided nothing ventured, nothing gained, so I planted them. Imagine my surprise when my ‘Atom’ appeared, the first glad of the season. Talk about a survivor!!! Your bulbs are wonderful.” (Dec. 2003)

Love That Lincolnshire Tulip!

        Our good customer Bill Howe of San Francisco emailed us in April: “‘Lincolnshire’ is stunning: thin, silky, deep-red petals that when the sun hit them seemed transformed into stained glass. And their sturdiness belies their delicate looks. Here they’ve endured a heat wave followed by a cold snap, and several rainstorms, and they’re still blooming now, after three weeks. Indestructible? Maybe. Wonderful? Definitely.” (Oct. 2003)

First Blooms of Spring: Our Customers Write

        Many thanks to everyone who shared stories of their first spring bloomers!
        Scott Thigpen of Sumter, SC, wrote: “Having grown up in Florida where we really don’t have a spring bloom, I get so excited when I see the first daffodils blooming here. They are usually our first change from brown and dead to color and life.” The earliest – starting February 1 this year – is “an abundant stand of small yellow daffodils” naturalized from an old homesite. These are N. pseudonarcissus, often known as the Lent lily and cherished since colonial days.
        Doug Ruhren of Belmont, NC, has flowers blooming all winter long, but he also wrote of the Lent lily: “I saw the first one yesterday, 2/7/03. It appeared freshly open. The gardens here were started in 1989, but these clearly are from an earlier inhabitant. They are mixed with “Scrambled Eggs” [‘Van Sion’ or ‘Butter and Eggs’] around an ancient Yoshino cherry tree.”
        Debbie Windoloski of Hadley, MA, said she especially enjoys the early bloom of her double snowdrops, and Cynthia Van Hazinga of Hillsborough, NH, offered a great tip for enjoying snowdrops inside: “I can’t tell you how much I love snowdrops, always the first blossoms of spring in early April. Of course I can’t bear to pick them but sometimes I dig up a clump and put them in the middle of the dinner table (in a tray) to worship. Then I put the clump out again in a different place so the naturalizing can go on and on.”
        Mary Ivers of Ann Arbor reminded us that siting can make a big difference: “My first bloom of spring is one that was here long before I was. Our house was built in 1866, and there’s a small single yellow crocus growing right next to the brick foundation at the southeast corner that blooms before anything else. I don’t know who planted it or how long ago, but it’s my sign that spring is on the way.”
        And then there’s Alexis Shaw with a suggestion for REALLY early spring blooms. “I live in coastal Maine and can’t wait for the garden to thaw out, warm up and bloom! So I enjoy forcing many pots of bulbs. Don’t you know those so-called ‘vegetable drawers’ in the refrigerator are great for small pots? Your family might object to what they regard as unsanitary pots of dirt in the fridge, but you must be firm.” Now that’s a gardener who has her priorities straight! (March 2003)

Four Thumbs Up for Spring Planted Bulbs

        Last month, we asked you to tell us why you do or don’t plant spring-planted bulbs. To all of you who responded, thank you! Here are bits of what you shared with us.
        “My gardening passion is spring-planted bulbs!” says Rebecca Roddy of Walhonding, Ohio. “I love that I can re-use them year after year and they get bigger and better. . . . On the patio I move their pots to make different arrangements or to catch the exotic scent of my tuberoses. They create a ‘tropical air’ in a relatively inexpensive way.”
        “Cannas are a wonderful addition to the summer garden,” says Marybeth Hawn of Aylett, Virginia. “They add an upward dimension, stunning color, and a stark contrast to the little hummingbirds who visit them regularly. This year mine outdid themselves despite the drought.”
        “I always plant dahlias, which take the exact same amount of care as tomatoes, which of course are worth it in every garden everywhere,” says Leslie Swartz from Hollister, California. “I always plant a few glads, too, because they are foolproof – no feeding, no extra watering, planted in unamended adobe clay soil.”
        “We lived in a condo, and I found that dahlias and glads did very well in containers,” says Kae McDonald of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. “Dahlias occasionally have a short blooming season depending on the first frost, but I have been known to cover them at night for a month to keep them blooming . . . . Starting them inside helps, too.” (Jan. 2003)

Jane and Henry: Falling in Love with a Flower

        Jane Hearne of Johnson City, Tennessee, has joined the long list of customers who write us in praise of our true, Southern-heirloom Campernelle narcissus. She writes:
       “The Campernelles I ordered from you . . . are exquisite. I am so taken with them – their beauty is so delicate. And to think they have endured for centuries.
       “I wanted to share a quote from Henry Mitchell with you: ‘I’ve seen in other gardeners a tendency to gaze at some flower as if glued to the spot and unaware of anything else. At first the gardener has the queasy feeling he’s falling in love with a flower. But as years pass he sees that some common flower has turned magical to him.’
       “That’s how I feel about my Campernelles.” (1999-2000 catalog)

For articles on other topics, see our main Newsletter Archives page.