This snow and cold business here in 2013 “Spring” Twin Cities is getting kind of OLD. Mother Nature seems to be taxing us for the magnificent, best of all Springs, which occurred just one year ago when Spring arrived on March 15 and ruled until the beginning of Summer in late June.
Eranthis, Snowdrops, and Siberian squill all began bloom last week in our grounds. They are still in bloom but completely unnoticed under ten inches of recent snow and ice. Last year they woke up by the 18th of March.
The major problem with spring bulbs is one must plan and plant in October….when Spring rarely comes to mind. Another problem…..rabbits eat tulips, both foliage and bulbs. Yet, tulip blooms offer the widest variety of colors probably of any plant ‘group’ around. Narcissus, that is daffodils in the vernacular, are much more permanent in the home grounds…for NONE are eaten by rodents. If you aren’t terribly fond of yellow or white blooming exclusively in the spring grounds, you needn’t bother being tempted by these rabbit and mouse proof garden additions.
Tullps are usually identified by spring season in which they bloom…early…midseason….late. If winter con tinues for another week or two, which is likely before the grounds are free of snow and ice, Spring will be abbreviated and the tulip season of bloom will become less distinct. They will still bloom in their inherent order, but there likely will be more blending of their programmed time of bloom, yielding to overlaps.
Check out the retail counters or notify us at Masterpiece now or any time of the year if you would like to express Spring more colorfully, more ‘springlike’ with bulb plantings in October….There are dozens and dozens of species and their cultivars many of