I hope the Easter bunny was good to you all and your baskets are overflowing with chocolate eggs and peeps. We had a sunrise dog walk with all of our canine friends and their humans and enjoyed far too many peeps far too early in the morning. Our favorite peep was the Sparkly Berry, or something like that. All that sugar gave us lots of energy to do farm work today. Yay!
The snow has finally melted in the cutting garden and to be honest, it is a little discouraging to see the amount of rodent damage in the beds. Don’t worry, there are still plenty of spring bulbs, but they did dine well on many of the perennials. I know it is early yet and things are slow so I am not worried, nor should you. You know the adage. An empty space in the garden means PLANT SHOPPING, and new things to try to offer you all the best and most interesting cut flowers out there. Let the challenge begin!
So what is happening on the farm. Well if you didn’t know, Tulips. I will have tulips on Friday, it could be just a few, or…. with the forecasted warm weather, could be a bunch more. The in-ground tulips are looking good. I have been watering them but one just never knows and I have very little control over these tulips. The forced tulips are much easier. I more or less know each week what I will have for you, but the in-ground ones? Mother Nature rules on that one and we all know how that goes. So, as usual, pay attention to the newsletter that should come out the night before or the morning of the open flower shed to keep you up to date.
Speaking of tulips, I have just placed the order for next year’s tulips. Let’s just say that was a brain cramping job. How many for each week? Do the colors blend, are they interesting…then do that again for the in ground tulips, but add Mother Nature into the timing. Oh yes. My brain was cramping. Only 9 months before we know how well I did with my choices. I mean it’s tulips in the dead of winter, how bad can my choices be? Don’t answer that.
This week coming is a big week. The first batch of sweet peas are going to be planted, along with all the perennial seedlings and the second batch of cool flowers into the garden. First the beds have to be prepped. Irrigation hooked up, weed mat down, then plants in, watered by hand for a number of weeks, the hoops for sun and cold protection. That will about do me in I figure. But it is all good. Those flowers should be starting to flower by early June, fingers crossed. Sweet peas, snapdragons, cool crops, the perennials and a new lavender that I am trying. It’s an annual, was grown in a British flower grower’s garden so what the heck. Just a packet of seeds and my time really.
Instead of showing you photos of what’s to come, everything is too tiny, I will leave you with two pics of last week’s bouquets.
Until next week, may you dream tulips and the floral possibilities. Allie