Bulb Packets
Hopefully I’m not too late. The cliché “nothing ventured, nothing gained” is at work in my garden.
Today I planted nearly 75 bulbs, 50 Yellow Trumpet Narcissus and 24 Single Mix Freesia. The preferred planting time is November through December. We’re mid-way through January so I’m a teeny bit behind schedule. No matter. They’re in the ground now, a nice six inches below soil level. All these years of gardening and I’m still amazed that you can bury a bulb that deep. Their internal programming tells them when to pop up and where. If you plant one upside down, they’ll simple make a u-turn and grow up towards the sun anyway.
The narcissus will put on a show early to mid spring. They’re planted broadcast style in the curb garden. All that new, rich soil made quick work of the planting. It was nice to see earth worms in the mix too, always a plus. As a bonus, I unearthed my afternoon snack: half a dozen carrots that I missed harvesting last week.
The Freesia are early summer bloomers. I planted them in a curved row in the small triangle garden I created last year. The mix includes white, yellow, red, pink and purple flowers.
Rain
San Jose received a ‘trace’ of rain last week. It was enough to clear the awful air we’ve had, but nothing more. We’ve had 27 spare the air days this season days thanks to fires, illegal wood burning and lack of rain. Our five-day forecast calls for sunny skies and high temps. By Thursday, temps will be up to 72 degrees F (22 degrees C). January is typically our coolest month with an average of 58 degrees. I enjoy beautiful days as much as the next person, but it feels so strange to have winter skies, spring temps and summer ‘rain’.
Little Free Library
The Little Free Library is up and running a week now. Check back tomorrow for an update. I hope life is good in your corner of the world.
Gardening Nirvana 
So that’s where our summer went! I woke to a 4 degree morning and turned on the heaters! It has been horrid – with just one day of sun – since Christmas. The wind is strong and shrill, the days at best overcast and at worst bleak with rain – and now the winter temps have arrived!
Perhaps I should plant some spring bulbs too!
Aren’t they the most perfect harbingers of hope – I am always happy to see those first blooms. I never tire of seeing the daffodil fields or even just a bunch in a shop. Freesias have to be my favourite though – that wonderful scent…. I can smell them already. 🙂
Good job Alys – you will have much joy of them when the time is right…….
PS I posted your packet yesterday [Monday] morning. They say 6 – 10 days for delivery.
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Oh dear. We didn’t mean to take your summer. I’m stunned by your dreary summer. Is this also highly unusual for your area? I don’t know want ‘normal’ is any more.
On a happier note, yes, Freesia’s smell wonderful. They’re one of my favorites too.
I’m excited to receive my wonderful print. Thank you so much. Lucky, lucky, me.
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It is not usual for us at all. The nick-name given to this part of the world is ‘The Riviera of Antarctica’ due to our high sunshine hours and temperate summers……. alas – no more. Now we appear to be just a suburb of Antarctica. But on a brighter note, I guess the ski seasons will be longer now 🙂
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“suburb of Antarctica.” You’ve got me grinning again. I know it’s not funny weather, but it is a funny statement.
As for ski season, Lake Tahoe is now making artificial snow, as the fallout from our lack of rain flows to the ski slopes as well.
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I love the Freesia! We’re still experiencing winter here, so all I can do is dream of working out in the yard right now. I am so jealous! That’s why I planted two little red pepper seeds a week ago, so I can see something “grow”! I am itching to garden!
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I love that you planted those peppers.
Honestly, it is crazy to have this kind of weather. I was sweating in the garden in the middle of January! I keep shaking my head.
You’re spring will come soon.
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Oh Alys, we would not know what to do if we could garden in January! We do know that we would love it! When I had to put the garden to rest at the end of our gardening season, it almost killed me. It was so sad, really sad. You’ll have to keep an eye on what I have planned to “make” for us this summer!
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Oh I can’t wait to see what you do! Spring is eight weeks away. Can you believe it?
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Oh boy, we are counting the days! We are tired of shoveling snow.
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I can just imagine. That is hard, tedious work.
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Your new plantings should be gorgeous when they pop up through the ground when spring arrives, good luck.
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Thank you! It’s a nice thing to look forward to.
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You’ve had a very full garden day. It’s so awesome that you can enjoy this passion year round. I could putter in the yard all day long. I wonder what my new garden will look like? Lot’s of decisions 😀 Do you ever stand at the curb and go, “Wow, this really is working out great”. I think your landscaping is so smart with the decks on front and back and your new curb garden. So many good sitting spots to catch the sun or not, watch people go by, or not. I can’t wait to see all these beauty’s pop up. We could grow daffodils here but I’m not sure about the Freesia. But I love their beautiful scent too. They’re really expensive at the florists too.
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I could smell freesia all day long. It’s interesting how so many beautiful flowering bulbs have no scent and a handful are glorious. I suppose they do have a scent that attracts bees, but one we aren’t aware of.
I love thinking about your new garden. You’ll infuse it with the Boomdee charm and people will knock on your door and ask for a look. This is your year. I feel it!
Thanks for all your lovely words about our garden. A professional landscape architect made all the difference, blending seating and the garden with the ramp we needed. I love all of it. I’m still hatching plans to reduce the grass. Baby steps
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Thanks sweetie, I hope you’re right about it being our year. LOL, when strangers knock on my door downtown, I get nervous but thank you for the encouragement. I’m going to copy-cat all my friendly favourite gardens out there. I finally found ‘County Gardens’ with Stacey’s amazing garden on the cover. WOW. I think it’s going to be fun gardening in the city. You can get materials delivered so much cheaper and the whole watering thing at the lake was misery. We had a pump that went in every spring and then having to purge the whole system in the fall. I relish the idea of just turning on a tap….sweet 😀 xoK
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I can’t imagine the day to day labor of living there, not to mention the commute and your full time jobs. It was so pretty and had many pluses, I’m sure, but I can also see how you could tire of that.
I hope I’m right too!
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Nailed it! I guess nothing worth really having is without an effort. Be it a nice meal, long cherished friendships or a home you love. Time and distance helps smooth the rough edges of those long (but enjoyable) days of yard chores. Funny, when I was MUCH younger, I couldn’t imagine living in the city, but at some point you can’t wait to hand over the reins to the strong, young and hung-ho kids…LOL.
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That is part of it, too. I’m realizing even now how things are slowly getting harder. My joints don’t work the way they once did. That’s discouraging. I’m trying to keep moving every day and hope that I don’t seize up like an old engine. 😉
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I was looking at a couple of empty pots next to my French doors yesterday wondering whether to chance planting any bulbs. I suspect I won’t make it into town now for at least a week so it may be too late. It will be interesting to see how yours fare. The freesias mix looks great. Good luck!
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Thanks, Eleenie! I’ll need it.
I wonder if you can get bulb starters where you live? If the bulb is partially open, it won’t take as long. Is that possible?
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Love those mixed freesias, Alys. Hopefully they’ll catch up and flower beautifully for you! Gosh, the strange weather happenings around the globe are worrisome – it sure doesn’t sound like it’s winter in San Jose. I don’t ever remember the weather being “out of sorts” when I was a kid. Each season seemed to behave as it was meant to, but perhaps I was too busy being a kid to notice, or I could be looking back with rose-coloured glasses on. xoxoxoxoxox
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I think these extremes are more recent, and I’m certainly reading about them everywhere.
We would occasionally have the odd day with unseasonable weather, but nothing like this.
I’ll let you know once the freesias are up (and if they survive the foraging squirrels.)
xoxoxoox
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I used to love planting bulbs in the fall, but haven’t updated or added to my existing flowers because of the weird spring weather. It will get warm and up pops the flowers only to be dashed with an end of the season snow storm…
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That must be disappointing. It’s all in the timing with bulbs, it seems. I’m amazed when I do see them emerge. We had a strange early frost (five days running in November). That is almost unheard of in California.
My friends in Colorado occasionally see snow in June!
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It is because years ago they bloomed so lovely…now they are short and wilt quickly!
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Hmmm. Might be time for some new bulbs, or possibly amendments to the soil. Best of luck either way.
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Yes, it has been over 15 years – lol
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Wow! Well then I think you’ve really gotten some mileage out of those bulbs.
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I’m doing a rain dance for you!!!! Wish I could send some of our moisture your way!
Hmmm … If you were to plant bulbs in my back yard where nothing survives the ^*#* deer and ^@#* bunnies (sorry for swearing), what would you plant? I know you are busy ,., no rush to answer!
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Laurie, here is a short list to get you started: http://www.gertens.com/learn/Animals/deer-rabbit-resistant-plants.htm
They always stress ‘resistant’ because they may just up and eat something of this list. I don’t know what your planting zone is, but your local nursery will have plants native to your soil. If you narrow it down to planting zone and critter resistant, you’ll have a nice, short list. I see Iris on the list. They’re beautiful and quite varied. That might be a place to start.
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http://www.gertens.com/learn/Animals/deer-rabbit-resistant-plants.htm
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A day in the garden is like no other day but really, this weather is so weird. My question is, how do you keep the squirrels from digging up the bulbs and eating them? It was 32 here this morning an has warmed to a lovely 34 degrees with the fog finally lifting. Come on rain and warm! My house plants have not done well. I have to start over with several. Little bugs that just would not go away.
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Those rascally squirrels helps themselves to all sorts of treats in my garden, so I’ve learned to plant lots of bulbs, with the hope that they can’t possible cart all of them away.
My neighbor one house over feeds them fistfuls of peanuts which they bring to my yard for storage and consumption. I often find a cute little pile of shells behind the Daphne. I’m not sure what is special about that spot.
Last year I had remarkable success with tulips, so I’m thinking they must not taste good. I see several of them starting to break ground now, but sadly, many of the greens are eaten. We’ll see what grows.
Burrr…32 is cold. Our lows are in the high thirties to low forties, but temps for the next three days are sunny and 71. Crazy weather. I feel like winter is quickly passing us by. We’re officially a drought state as of Friday.
Sorry about the little bugs. I’ve had that happen before with plants, and found there is nothing to do but toss the whole thing. I have heard of some success at sealing the entire plant in a plastic bag. The greenhousing gives the plant enough moisture, but destroys in infestation. You could try it, or just toss the plants, sterilize the plants, and maybe wait a bit to see if the bugs are living in the rug. Good luck! It’s disheartening, I know.
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