Yes, many are labeled. Promise to catch up soon. It is a good winter project.
This should be 'Shirley' I am on my wrong computer. It started out more white and colored up as it matured. I planted more of them in the same spot for this year too. Patti
I love Shirley and have some of those planted here. I first planted them years ago when an aunt of mine, named Shirley, died and they were a memorial to her. They died out so I've planted more. I thought I recognized them. They're a lovely tulip, changing color as they mature.
They are lovely. I wish I were willing to grow tulips. In the front of the house, where I don't water much in the summer and so the bulbs might not rot, the deer eat them quickly. In the back they'd only make it one season, and I prefer bulbs that will last longer . . . ..
We have a major deer problem here, so we only plant in the deer fenced off part of the property those things that are more prone to their grazing. But the rabbits eat through the deer fence and especially eat my tulips and lilies. It is always a battle. DH sprays beginning in March and he also walks the fence each morning to repair holes. We need to put up more wire rabbit fence along the lower 3 feet as we did that for a stretch last summer and it seemed to work.
I planted a narcissus called 'Shirley Temple' this fall. It was an expensive one for me from Old House Garden, 3 for 18.50. They said it is now called 'Snowball' but was name originally 'Shirley Temple' -
With an ivory ruff of outer petals and a center rosette that seems touched by sunshine, it’s informal, refreshing, lightly scented, and increasingly rare. 4 W-W, 18-20 inches, late-middle blooming
Shirley Temple 1937 4/double W-W late-mid 18-20
Patti, looks a professional botanical garden in The Nederlands. Lord have Mercy! What beauty!
I forgot to say I planted a few of those little species bulbs like Lilac Wonder and they came a 2nd yr but not thereafter. I could have been that the area was overwatered by a faulty sprinkler system or it could have been my area is too hot. I have some clusianas that I planted last year. we'll see if they return.
You are too kind. But I guaranty there are some less then tidy times and places as we do all the work except mow the lawn. I just avoid showing them. I do get help with mulching it in the spring. It took 25 yards last year. That is a big expense.
I hope my species tulips continue to spread. We don't water the lawn and it turns brown by August and we only water the gardens when we absolutely need too. So they are always on the dry side unless Mother Nature turns on. We have a well, so I am tight with the water. It would have been better to have installed an underground system in the beds, but too late now. Patti
I must be slow but I never even thought of an auger. I have been planting my lily bulbs by digging a big trench and then filling it in. My daffs I just dig a hole with the shovel and plant a clump of them and move on to the next location. Never planted thousands though I would like to.
I did order a new and supposedly improved one in Jan. Here is the new red one along side the backup which has not been used ever, but it is just like the one we used to plant the bulk of the 7000 bulbs in 2008. The new one is suppose to cut the roots that sometimes get tangled up. We couldn't do without one. The bulb show has begun here. Patti
Patti:
That looks a lot like the same one I used this past fall to plant around 1000 bulbs.
While I will admit for things like daffs that will spread and need plenty of space between them, it was a lifesaver, but for tulips, especially ones that might only give one good show, I found that digging a hole and plopping several bulbs in at a time is giving more pleasing results, and really, was less work in the end. (Even with the auger it's still alot of work in hard, unworked soil..and rather hard on the wrists and shoulders.)
