tulips

These are the tulips coming up from my No Dig planting method -they were planted very late so they are a little short but nevertheless you can see how well they are doing -and what a sight the bright Oxford tulip makes en masse like that.

ponies in the tulips

These are some of the late planted tulips -it is Tulipa Ollioules and they are interplanted with Narcissus Allbright -a newer King Alfred type with a lovely big trumpet.  These are also planted using my PEPNOD -Patricia's  Easy Planting NOo Dig method!!n fact we ran out of dirt so these only have tree mulch!!!! The red tulips in the background are Oxford,

What a glorious way to lift your spirits -just meandering through a garden of spring bulbs is the best tonic!  You just have to smile.

Now though is the time to get those lilies in the ground and remember that all those gorgeous colored lettuce types available make perfect edging plants for the price of a packet of seeds -keep them well watered though after planting,  seedlings are so shallow rooted they dry out very quickly.

species tulips

Here are some of the little species tulips on my rock garden.  They look so delicate but are tough survivors -these are nearer the old original type tulips and make good perennials.  See them open totally as they bask in the afternoon sunshine then shyly close their petals for nightfall, conserving their energy for another day of beauty!  Some are tiny little jewels to be savored close up, but some are reasonably tall and still eye-catching when planted en masse.

English Mothers Day

English Mother's day tomorrow and a beautiful bouqet of lilies arrived from my son!!!

In the garden many of the early daffodils are now over and even some tulips!  Goodness they were so early this year.  The species tulips on the rock garden came back for their third year -they are just gorgeous and a pretty good perennial for this part of the world.  Some are really quite tall too though the flowers are smaller and more delicate looking.

Now is also the time to begin planting for the summer show.  we still jhave lilies.  Have you tried the wonderful orange double tiger lily it is just stunning.  great pick for those Clemson fans too!  Don't forget my own beautiful asiatic lily Patricia's Pride.  i will look out a picture for you tomorrow so you can see just how lucky I am to have such an awesome flower named for me!
Planted some Grand Cru lilies in the wine garden this morning. They are also eye catching in gold and red and they are paired with the white lily Muscadet for a stunning summer show.

Radio broadcast

 Just to let you know that the first radio broadcast i did with Bob Polomski the Clemson Extension agent will air on NPR 90.1 thursday 10th March check out the full program at  http://yourday.clemson.edu.

daffodils

Just a small addendum -I needed to add a picture of that 'host of golden daffodils -just to give a splash of yellow. 

fabulous flowers

Well it may be raining today -and a good thing too on all those bulbs planted earlier this year, but a look out the windows in any direction, shows gorgeous drifts of yellow and creamy white splashed with purple, pink and blue.  Daffodils of all kinds and sizes are peering through everywhere, every day, in an ever increasing crescendo of color.  Hyacinths, Iris reticulata, Ipheon and clouds of white apple and plum blossom make up the supporting chorus.  What a joy.  Even a few snowdrops have manged to come back for me and tulip leaves are everywhere, returning from last year.  The very first little pink and cream Kaufmannii tulip in a pot by the shed is actually opening -on March5?     Now check out these pictures:

 Cardboard and newspaper placed over the grass and watered, then covered with bulbs

 OK, so we have access to more bulbs than you but this works on a smaller scale too!

Cover the bulbs with dirt and mulch

So there it is - my 'PEPNOD'  -Patricia's Easy Plant No Dig method -Wow it worked getting the pictures up there! So now you can see how we planted thousands of bulbs in an afternoon! Also the shape is such that it is very easy to mow around, saving yet more time later in the season  I will keep you uptodate on their progress.  Now I do admit to using weedkiller around the edge for the first season, then in the fall when the ground is moist I will dig out around the edge for the future.  That apple tree on the left by the way is blooming its heart out right now.