Spring 2008: Experiments with Bulbs, and Other Flowers

We planted all our bulbs in Fall 2007, and weren't sure how they would turn out. We only knew that they would liven up spring, which is always a nice period because things are warming up after all the snow (see the picture :p), but can be just wet and slushy if you do not have pretty things to look at.

This, on the left, was the world in January / February 2008:

And then the pictures of the world it had transformed into by April..... do you ever wonder why we wait for summer here?!?

Anyway... the pictures are as follows: on the right, on top, Daffodils, tulips, Delft Blue and Gypsy Queen Hyacinth; and below it, Blue and Gypsy Queen Hyacinths. The tulips we bought at Wegmans, and the hyacinths and daffodils at a nursery on Clover and Jefferson Rd.

The grape hyacinths -- muscari -- are really nice as a beautiful blue ground cover. They also attract a lot of bees, as you can see. There are four different varieties here, all ordered from John Scheepers.

Finally, some pictures from the neighbourhood and campus.... the snowdrops - outside the neighbours' window - were hardly taller than the grass. This was the first time I ever saw snowdrops, which were always much taller in my imagination.

The red berries grow on an extremely thorny bush that Palash and I absolutely hate and are dying to dig up and throw away. Unfortunately, University Park rules do not allow us to do this... even though Joyce at the rental office does seem sympathetic. As long as that is the case, it is a wonderful thing that the bush has such beautiful red berries (even though they're maroon here). Somewhat compensates for having to live with it, and gives us something other than thorns to look forward to.

The forsythia (sp.?) grows all over the complex; I never realized before this spring that we actually have this bush around, and that it gets flowers. I think I always saw the yellow in the spring, but it never realized that they were flowers. Somehow, they seemed like leaves -- because the whole bush is yellow I guess.

Finally, the River Campus has lovely cherry blossoms in the spring. These pictures were taken within a few weeks of each other, at bud stage and then in bloom.

Updated to add :

Tulips, Irises and Glads are favourites of the squirrel. Alliums, Narcissus, Hyacinths, Daffs are not. So, if you want tulips or irises to survive, either cover it with chicken mesh or surround them with something that the squirrel cannot stand! We went with the former with our glads in a container, and the latter for everything else. Like a chakravyooh of sorts. -- Palash