Now that I am fully into the preparation—as opposed to mourning—role for fall, it is time to pick up bulb bargains for last minute installation and forcing. Most bulb merchandisers, large and small, are eager to get rid of surplus inventory and settle in for the winter. Gardeners can reap the benefits. First the good … Read more
Popular magazines live and die by lists. Stand for more than two minutes in the supermarket check-out line and you will see at least ten different compilations of life-changing tips announced in screaming headlines. With titles ranging from “Sixteen Fabulous Ways to Transform Your Holiday Dinner” and “Top Twenty Hollywood Divas,” to “Five Easy Ways … Read more
THE TROUBLE WITH TULIPS Several friends who were more diligent than I about ordering their spring-flowering bulbs have already received their bulb shipments. I await mine, which should arrive any day now. Once again this year I have made every effort to order enough tulips for a stunning floral display next April. I know … Read more
Bulb planting in my garden is always a race against time. I invariably order more bulbs than I can reasonably expect to put in the ground and get hit by a spell of frantic activity about the time the bulb boxes arrive. The bulbs necessarily languish in a cool place for a few weeks, while … Read more
When it comes to gardening, there is one constant in my life—I never buy enough tulips. I don’t think animals eat or move most of them, nor do my bulbs have an uncommonly low success rate. It is just that the bag of bulbs that seems so large in the fall when I am digging … Read more
