I stayed up late last night {midnight!} going through all the different bulb combinations before finally hitting the “order” button for next year’s spring bulbs.
It feels so good to have that task checked off my list. And I’m pretty excited about the varieties I ordered.
The most unusual bulbs I ordered were a bulb called Crunchy Cummins. They’re so unusual, and kind of homely too, I thought they would be a great addition to the garden.
Fritillaria Persica Ivory Bells
I also ordered Fritillaria Persica Ivory Bells. I’ve never grown these before but I thought they {kinda-sorta} looked like foxgloves and I thought they might go well with the whole cottage vibe I’m trying to create.
Have you grown these before? Did they grow well in your garden? I’d love to know.
Gardening seems to be taking up a lot of my time lately. Not that I’m complaining {I’m not} but there is SO MUCH to do in such a short amount of time that some days the garden feels a little overwhelming.
Which is sort of funny because it’s not like we have a huge garden. It’s just a new garden and well, those always take a bit of time to get to set it and forget it mode.
Yesterday I pulled up one of the chive plants to see how they were doing since planting them in Pro-Mix two weeks ago and holy cats man, they’re going nuts!! I can’t wait to get a HUGE row of these planted out front by the fence.
Today’s big project is to get the tomatoes, peppers and leeks planted in the raised garden beds. And to direct sow green beans, Christmas lima beans {they can grow 10 feet tall!} sunflowers, beets, turnips and radishes.
I’ll start the zucchini and cucumber seeds in pots {they seem to do better that way for some reason} and I still need to find a spot for the packet of zinnia seeds I bought.
That’s the latest garden news from here in Maine. How about YOU? What’s going on in YOUR garden lately? Curious minds want to know.
~ Mavis
Nancy Settel says
Well since we now live in a highrise apartment building there is no gardening going on with me. I usually do 3 very large pots at the entrance way to the building but for the last 2 years the front yard hose has been broken and the handyman here doesn’t seem to think it is a priority to get it fixed (probably a 10 min. fix) and my husband was carrying 6 big buckets of water from inside each day. Now I am living my “garden” through you. I love what you are doing and cottage gardens have always been my style.
Rosemary says
So far I have picked 10 cherry tomatoes, 47 green beans, 9 banana peppers, 1 eggplant. 12 zucchini and 6 radishes. Waiting on the big boy tomatoes, regular tomatoes, bell peppers, corn, cucumbers, pumpkins, cantaloupe, onions, beets and watermelon. Things are pretty busy around here!
Mavis Butterfield says
I love that you are counting your green beans! 🙂
Susan Williams says
In the PNW – We just got back from a 2-month trip in our travel trailer so I’ve gotten a very late start on gardening. I planted peas & beets but without any water (other than rain) and the beets are tiny but existant. And there are 3 pea plants.
Since getting home, we’ve planted dahlia and ranuncula bulbs for my step-daughter’s wedding in August. We have several seed packets to get planted for the wedding as well.
We had a friend who started some seeds and I picked up plants from her Monday that I need to get in the ground (tomatoes, peppers, dill and a calendula). We have volunteer potatoes and tubers. And have some asparagus coming up. The berry bushes throughout the yard are flowering and the fruit trees have been pollinated and fruit has started to grow.
I’ll go through the rest of my seeds today or tomorrow and get things in the ground.
suzanne says
I grew fritillaria about 15 years ago. It was going strong when we sold the house. You may like pineapple lily bulbs as well. They come in green and purple. Although an annual Bells of Ireland are a must have for a cottage garden and smell lovely IMHO.
Richelle says
The eucomis (pineapple lily) in my Tacoma WA garden return each spring, and bloom until it frosts. They’re beautiful and interesting and one of my lowest maintenance plants. They divide easily, too. A winner all around.
Joyce Dvorak says
I love your crunchy cummins tulip. Weird plants make me smile. Your green fritillaria is nice, too. It’s got me rethinking the bells of Ireland plants at the nursery up the road from me.
I put in a rose and some liatris today. Need to get in some strawberry plants and veggies next. We live north of you, so we’re a little behind in planting. Grateful that we’re in spring, even though we’re in the forties st night.
Ruby says
We moved from the PNW to Colorado a few years ago and the learning curve for gardening in this new zone has been steep! Our big addition this year is two beehives, which has been fascinating and so much to learn! Unfortunately the squirrels ate all my bulbs before they flowered, so my hopes that they would be buzzing around lovely spring flowers did not come true. I just planted sunflowers and I’m afraid they will be eaten by squirrels and birds, too! If anyone has had luck keeping squirrels out of the garden I would appreciate the help!
Carla says
Here in Michigan I’ve planted most things in the last week or two. I still have a few more potatoes to get in the ground and then I have to hoe in all my aisle covers to keep the weeds down. I use cereal boxes and then cover them with grass clippings from the lawn. My peas have popped up and a few beans too. My tomatoes are in the ground, but I don’t think they’re growing much yet. I’ll have to give them some banana water to encourage blossoms. It’s a bit of a waiting game now.