When Are You Planting Bulbs This Year?

Yes it can kill fish. Sonic wave blast. I would ask douglas first.

Jan's friend will still show. I have confidence.

ahem... dave, which kind do you have?

Weeping.

I have an artificial.

*blushing*
sorry i asked... that must be a difficult topic for you to discuss...

Do you spray for the natural scent Dave?

But it lasts forever and no messy droppings.

I would let others be the judge of that.

I really am one of the only 28% of DGers to have a real tree in my house. Did you look at this week's survey? I was surprised. And yes, mine is a balsam.

DH wanted to get a blue spruce in a pot, so it could be planted in the spring. Well we did not get it. Are we the only one with no tree or decorations at all?

What amazing tree stories. Tape? Rocks as anchors? Real vs. artificial? Isn't it grand that Christmas comes no matter what.

I always get a real tree from a lot nearby. At home we switched from real to artificial for years and I couldn't stand it. I would never get one.

Nothing is better than a real tree even one laying on the floor in a pile of shattered glass, as it still emittes that wonderful fresh fragrance that stirs my earliest Christmas morning memories.

In my home as a child, we put up a bare tree on Christmas eve and then went to bed. In the morning after lining up in birth order after do the stockings one item at a time, then eating a big family breakfast, and then dressing up, we were finally allowed to march into the Living Room to see the glory of a fully decorated ( a well hung) tree . That special fir scent would waft towards us while we stood transfixed at what Santa had done. Magical.

My parents would have stayed up all night, putting each strand of real and precious pre-war tinsel on so it hung just perfectly. We all helped take it down and it took hours to save all that tinsel (lead, so bad for us) When I reached my early teens, I was allowed to help decorate after my little brothers were sent to bed. I was dumb founded that it took so long to do. Patti

schickenlady - you are not alone.

Pirl and schichenlady, But today you can go anywhere and see beautiful trees. I lived in Oklahoma and we would make a special trip to see a big one in a park, but I don't remember seeing many in stores or restaurants. Of course most of these are fake, do to the fire laws. I had the fire Marshall come to my bookstore and make me take down all the real stuff one Christmas many years ago. That Broke my heart and nose, but it makes sense. I miss the big municipal tree bonfire that we would all go to around 12th night. We use the trees on Nantucket for beach sand reclamation or we out it outside for the birds to hang out in. They do love the dead tree. Patti

xmas tree? decorations? what are those?
i won't even look at those threads - it is too depressing.
(trying to get thru exams 1st, then shopping and shipping...)

amethystsm, Shopping and Shipping? Playing it kind of close. But I send my best wishes for great results on your exams. That is what is important now. Your gifts and thoughts can arrive whenever and still be loved.

It is a privilege to have the time to decorate and bake. I feel so lucky to be old enough to have that time now, but a little sad that I am on the down hill side of life's slope. But I will take many more runs, I hope, and no more dreaded exams ever! Patti

Nonsense, Patti! Anyone who would plant 50,000 bulbs can hardly be on the downhill side of anything (sanity is a different issue)!!!!

Good luck Amy - I'm sure you'll ace everything.

I was surprised too, Dave47. Except when I read the various responses, I can see that everyone had a good reason for their choice.

Bbrookrd, were your parents of German or Dutch ancestry? My husband (mother--German; father--Dutch; DH grew up in California) never saw the Christmas tree until Christmas morning, when it was completely decorated with lighted Christmas BULBS (see--I'm returning to the original subject of this thread, sort of) and glass ornaments.

Of course, I also suspect that both parents (frugal, Depression-bred) really appreciated the fact that the available trees were deeply discounted by December 24th! LOL

Anyway, I hope that everyone has a happy holiday, and that I get around to potting up those 20 amaryllis BULBS that are waiting in the garage. I also do finally have my blue spruce tree up, but presently only decorated with BULBS.

Sherry, I have no tree or decorations at all! Ooops, except I have one tree outside with lights on it. Well, nothing indoors.

I guess to each his or her own. We are naked! I should of got the tree in a pot.

CapeCodGardener, no my mom was from Detroit of English 1636 arrivals to the Boston area and the other side of her family is from Scotland arriving in 1862 in Canada. My dad's family was all English. Who knows why, but the tree was naked when we went to bed as young children and then as we got older and the poor parents had more stuff to put together and wrap, the tradition changed so that my DDad would put the lights on before dinner, but nothing else. I was happy to adopt my DH tradition of putting it up the tree a week before Christmas, that is soon enough in my world.

Victor, now, now I am not that insane. After reading your total, I did do another recount plus added in the bulbs not yet here and the final total will be 6999. I may have to buy one more Fritillaria imperialis to round the total off, as that is the only bulb I can think of that comes as a single. I know where to get one tomorrow when I head up to Boston to pick up my 92 year old mom. Country Gardens in Hyannis had some last week and I wanted to stop there anyway to get some little mini white cyclamens for the dinning room table. I am going to be very dramatic with a Silver, Black and white Christmas eve dinner party. But the star will be my DH popovers and yule log.

I did get a few more bulbs planted today and am awaiting my eBay order from Bulbmeister. Too bad my DM has no interest in planting anything or I would have her out there with my electric drill and auger. This lady has no aversion to power tools and knows how to use them. She will arrive with her cell phone, digital camera and portable computer and way too much energy. And an opposing political view. Bit my tongue. Patti

Harper and shickenlady: we also have no undecorating to do. A blessing of sorts.

Patti - you're amazing. You may not agree with your mom on politics but you do take after her! Buy two bulbs so you'll be over 7,000.

Pirl, Did you really mean only two? What was that add about "bet you can't eat just one"? Perhaps Frito's bulbs! I need to finish the bulb thing asap. It is becoming obsessive. And what if they don't come up?

I should be wrapping, but I am over Christmas already or at least until I get to open something. Greedy me. I am really counting on good old mom giving me a check for plants this year for the endless stream area. Ferns galore. I like to e-mail her pictures so she can see what I am up to with her gift money. She would like that Aster Hill of Pirl's. I went to visit Boojum this fall and her aster inspired me to add some too.

Back to the wrapping room. But I will be done (mostly) by tonight, so I can be a good hostess to DM. Undivided attention, and no talk about politics or religion or anything negative. I do have to cut a bunch of greenery from the yard and the wilds to swag with a dozen Pomander Balls thanks to carrielamont's nice article. I thought it would make the living room smell divine and as I used lemons and oranges, I think it will be pretty. I used a little Philips head screw driver to punch all the zillions of holes in the fruit. Kind of like planting bulbs. Patti

I'm all done wrapping!

Now I get to put together a play kitchen for my grandson, a toddler. Such fun!

Yes, Patti, buy two bulbs. You have to leave some for other people!

Patti, sounds like the holidays will be fun at your place. Can I borrow your mom?! Please!

Uh, Victor, what're you gonna do with her?

Give her an auger and a shovel. And maybe a pike.

Oooh, a pike! Victor, I'll be sure and not use mine to break ice in a pond. He he... It is heavy though, right?

Quite, and goes through ice very well.

Yup!

Victor, She is real good with a canoe paddle, but I don't know about a pike. Here she is last year at 91 when she went to see the tree that did not fall down. She is carrying a box of her very potent homemade rum balls and the Xmas checks that bought me most of my fall bulbs. You can see I am delighted to see the envelopes. Greedy me. Thanks mom. Patti

mmmm... rum balls... mmmm.

finished my last exam at 4. drove frantically all over the d*** state for mom's gift. got home at 10:15. it will go express on saturday. many other gifty things in progress. things will ship priority early tomorrow - it should be fine.

thanks for the encouragement, patti and victor!

Amy you are a trooper. Where does she live? I love getting the gifty things, not many people do that any more. We give away a lot of jelly that my DH makes from beach plums and to some it is a yawn.

My mom is easy, books, anything with ginger or dark chocolate, fun jewelry and nice bath items. Doing her stocking is fun. I will get a few more things tomorrow for her. My 3 brothers are not so great in the gift department, but two are hugely supportive of her in other ways. The middle one is...it is the holidays, so I won't say. Night all. I am now officially wrapped , so its a wrap. To Bed. Patti

Patti - you've brought us all much joy through your experiences. Thanks!

I was relating very closely with Patti when she mentioned being on the downward turn of life. But then, I read all of her other posts and realized that she is NOT on the downward turn. Far from it! Anyone with as much zest for life and gardening as you have, Patti, and your DM as well, is gonna be around for a long, long, time. Thank you for being such a good example for me.

Amy: I'm glad the exams are over for you and you can get down to the business of shopping and shipping. Maybe next year someone can get you a Personal Shopper so that all of your holiday gifts are ready to go before Thanksgiving?

Patti, I love your Mom's expression in that photo! God bless her! How do you think her political views would go go over when you lend her to Victor?

Congratulations Amy! I"m glad I'll never take another final exam.

Wow, is she into go-go too, Patti?!! What energy! Congrats, Amy - get some rest now. The greatest feeling in the world was finishing the last final!

Patti, I believe you had visions of bulbs dancing in your head! By the way, did you ever say how many gallons your pond / stream will have?

(the greatest feeling in the world will be finishin all this Xmas stuff - up till 6am last night getting stuff done to go out priority today - family stuff will go out -gulp- express tomorrow - well, once it is wrapped and packed that is...)

Wow - that must be expensive.