Planting Bulbs and Garlic

A special friend of mine gave a talk this past Sunday on bulb and garlic planting. As he shared some of his favorite bulbs, he reminded me of how much they can remind us of our past. He always plants yellow crocuses because they remind him of his old homestead and his mother.

I too remember my grandfather's bulbs blooming each spring. He had one area of his yard that was more of a naturalized area where he would plant crocuses, tulips, grape hyacinth and the annual hyacinth plant we would always give him each Easter. We would walk down there each spring to see if the crocuses were blooming yet because it was a sure sign that spring had finally arrived. Those bulbs are still there today, some 100 years later.

My father still lives on a piece of that property and owns that parcel of land where my grandfather always gardened. He gave up a portion of his father's estate money so he could own that bit of land. He added a huge daffodil bed that contains thousands of bulbs. Last fall we dug up many of them to thin them out and I planted some of them at my new home.

My father also has hundreds of tulip bulbs along his sidewalk and driveway. What a sensational site to see each year. The few tulips that I have planted in my garden must be encased in deer netting to help them survive any attacks from these voracious visitors. But seeing my father's daffodils bloom in my yard last spring made me feel like I had a little part of him with me.

My friend told the guests at his lecture that he tells his own sons that some day they will come back to their homestead and remember planting all the daffodil bulbs and be amazed at how they have colonized throughout their woodlands.

All his stories made me think of my own wonderful memories. Not only did I leave with the ten daffodil bulbs that were given to each attendee, but I also purchased another fifty. There was only one small detail I that I did not really think about while taking my sentimental journey. I have to get out there and plant them all of them before the ground freezes. So much for memories.....back to reality.