It has been quite some time since I have posted here. Made it through the winter, although it wasn’t much of a winter. I was able to keep busy with the Amaryllis, which did really well this winter.
I bought several new ones from Easy to Grow, and I had several of my older ones produce nice blooms.
This south / east facing window was the perfect spot to grow them
I also went into a local big box store and rescued a few that were in bad shape, but the bulbs were nice. They really looked dreadful, but I knew there was hope.
The yellow butterflies/ flowers are a sticky trap for the gnats, which always seem to be in the potting soil. The shorter bloom is the rescued bulb. It did send up another bud and the bloom was great.
I also kept the winter blahs away with a few other inside flowerings. I forced a few daffodils and I did force tulips for the first time. I tried two different methods with the tulips. I placed a few resting on stones with water in October and put them in the chilling room, then I placed a few of the same tulip bulbs in a brown bag and placed that bag in the refrigerator, which I potted up after 16 weeks of chilling. The refrigerator chilled bulbs were a bust, but the ones that were in the stones and water did really well. They also had 16 weeks of chilling.
Now I am ready for spring. I have a new project that I have spent the winter planning for. I have installed three metal raised beds. It took some doing, but they are almost ready. I started with cardboard, and then layered in shredded leaves, compost and good topsoil. I also added bags of planting mix and raised bed soil. There was no need for any chicken wire on the bottom, as these are sitting on at least a few inches of gravel. This was a parking spot at one time, that was taken over by grass that I ended up having to mow all the time. This is a great solution.
They get a minimum of six hours of sunlight here which should be enough. It was really the only space I had left to place them. The plan is to plant vegetables for the summer and I already have the seed I need. However, the big and real plan is to have two of the beds filled with tulips and the third one will have daffodils. This of course will be planted in October well after the vegetables have finished. I spent the winter planning which bulbs and from which suppliers to order from. I will plant 1,200 tulip bulbs in the two beds. They will be jammed in there which is fine, as the plan is to pull these tulips for making bouquets. I have already placed two orders, and I am watching for two more suppliers to start taking on line orders for fall planting. I will be planting more of the specialty tulips, such as the doubles, fringed and the parrot tulips.
In the garden, the Tete a Tete daffodils are in full bloom. They are an early blooming, miniature daffodil that increases really well. The Ice Follies daffodils, another early bloomer, is likewise putting on a show. Everything seems to be running two weeks ahead of last year’s blooming times.
It is just a matter of time now, for Spring to be bringing it on.
I also have the solar eclipse to look forward to on April 8th. That will be quite the show, and I will be in an area of totality. I have my viewing glasses ready. In the meantime, the sunrise can provide an awesome show. I caught this sunrise as I was leaving for work. It made my day.
It will be a spring of Happy Gardening. Bring it On!!
