It is that time of the year when we put our faith in the hands of mother nature and hope for the best come spring. It is fall planting season! This is my second year fall planting for spring, and believe me when I tell you— this IS a leap of faith for me.
Last year only two of my 50 bulbs I planted bloomed; the rest either did not or they only grew the foliage but not the flower. And I suspect there was also a critter partly involved in my tulip failure. But I am not giving up yet, and so with everything in me, I ordered 300 bulbs that I plated this weekend. Yes, I am a bit behind but work at the hospital and life have been busy.
Before I continue— a quick review of what I do when planting fall bulbs. First, I use garden soil combined with potting soil. This year I added perlite to help keep the soil lighter and aerated. I then added bulb food to the garden beds, which I get from Dutch Grown, the same place I get my bulbs from. Then I plant. I place the bulbs pretty close. The beauty of bulbs is that you can plant a big amount in a relative space. For me this is no problem because come spring, I harvest not just the flowers, but also the bulbs, as it helps keep the flowers longer.
You will notice that I have to size of bulbs. The bigger ones are tulips, while the smaller ones are allium. This is my first time growing allium, and I am super excited by the variety I am growing (more on that below).
Y’all, sorry for how dry my hands are, but I hate wearing gloves in the garden unless necessary.
Everything is planted and cleaned for next spring. Everything looks so empty and sad. :(
Now this year, I strayed away from my normal preferred palette of pastels and went with more dramatic colors. Still I did ordered two light ones. The first is tulip ‘Menton’. I saw this one last year and loved everything about it. It is the most beautiful and delicate pink color with hints of salmon on the edges. It was on the pricey side so I am hoping they grow strong and beautiful.
Photo credit: Dutch Grown
Photo Credit: Dutch Grown
This tulip, I will combine with another beauty I have wanted to grow since I saw it: tulip ‘Exotic Emperor’. This beauty of a tulip is just everything I love about flowers— lots of petals, feminine, but it’s true beauty is when it opens fully.
Photo credit: Floret— I love how this photo shows them opened.
Photo credit: Dutch Grown
But aside from this pink one, everything else I ordered is darker and looks, oh so deliciously beautiful! Next on the list is Allium Sphaerocephalon (Drumsticks). This beautiful allium is not the typical orb shape of the most commonly known but I loved the shape and the coloring.
Photo credit: Dutch Grown
Next is one that is near and dear to my heart—tulip ‘Queen of the Night’ or as it is known in our house as ‘The Honeymoon Tulip’. It is known by this name because three years ago, during a connection in Amsterdam on our way back home from our honeymoon in Norway, we stocked up on these babies. They bloomed one year, and the next nothing. We do not know what happened. Thankfully, we also gave some to my mother-in-law and I have been able to enjoy them in her garden. This photo really does not do it justice, because the color is darker and the petals look almost velvety. Super excited to have this one back!
And finally, there is this beauty that grabbed my gardener’s heart and did not let go, so I just had to get it— tulip “Rococco”. I mean, look at it! It is just so stunning!
And there you have it, my friends. Fall planting is done, and now, we wait until next spring. In the meantime we plan for summer! Have a wonderful week!
I may be found on one of these link-ups: In a Vase on Monday, Mosaic Monday, Home Sweet Home, Friday Bliss, Home and Garden Thursday, End of Month View(31st of the Month), Blooming Friday, Pink Saturday, Nature Notes, Dishing It & Digging It.