Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The Little Tulip That Could

What was I thinking when I planted tulips in the front bed where the deer could get at them?! They didn't even get three inches high before they looked like this:We have some ravenous deer around here! Still, a few tulips that were closest to the house managed to hide. Here's my first tulip of the season, looking ready for anything.


"I thought I could!"


I didn't have my act together enough to participate in Garden Bloggers Bloom Day this month -- of course everything worth showing chose to bloom a couple of days after the 15th.










What will I do with all this bamboo??
My next door neighbor cut a bunch of his canes down, and was all too happy to divert them over the fence when I asked. I thought I might use them to make teepees or a trellis or two. I'm was inpsired by this post at My Little Vegetable Garden, where they were used as a support for other hanging plants. I thought I might be able to anchor them in the tree branches somehow.

I finally got a hellebore and it looks like I got some muscari after all! They were so late in coming I thought they had failed.






My vegetable beds are in, but only one of them is filled in with soil. It's now planted with peas (bush variety), lettuce, spinach, and carrots. Here's a picture of the raised bottle bed - I'll be putting herbs here this year.


The magnolia are at their peak. They're fun to take pictures of.






This dandelion is charming me right now. Should I let it live? Or will I live to regret it?

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

OMG Deer in your font yard! The moles ate most of my tulips, but I'd rather have a few than none at all. Beautiful magnolia photos! I love the idea of a bottle bed, that's so clever.

Joanne said...

Your tulips look like my zinnias looked one year. A pesky bunny kept chomping off all the new blossoms! Beautiful flowers going on here, but let me warn you about that pretty little dandelion ... it's all a ruse, designed to mesmerize you with its happy color and cheerful disposition. Don't be fooled, for the love of your lawn!

tina said...

Love it! I will have to add a link to this post because of the bottle bed. Okay? I plan to do one sometime but am afraid they'll get broken. I think it so neat you made one!!

Hey little tulip, hang in there!

Squirrel said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Squirrel said...

lovely blossoms
I gave up on tulips--this fall I want to plant more daffs/

our friend Ben said...

Your spring garden looks fabulous, Jen! And oh drool, that raised bed. The soil looks good enough to eat!

Squirrel said...

After reading this post I found one coral tulip in my backyard! the leaves were chewed up, but they didn't get the blossom. I still want to make a bottle bed--Maybe next year after a winter of heavy wine drinking. Good plan.

Louise @ Buddy Garden said...

I love this time of the year when the magnolias are blooming. There's pink everywhere and it feels very romantic!

JGH said...

Izyjo - sorry to hear about your moles. I don't know what's worse!

Joanne - thanks for the tip - I'll be sure to keep the zinnias on the deck away from the bunnies. I do plan to yank the dandelion before it turns to seed.

Tina, no broken bottles so far and i did put a few in before it snowed this year.

Ben, please don't eat my soil. But you can plant in it anytime :-)

Squirrel enjoy your one tulip! Happy to help you gather materials for the bottle bed.

Louise, the magnolia are kinda romantic, aren't they? I should confess that it is my next door neighbor's tree that hangs just far enough onto my property!

Anonymous said...

They won't eat daffodils--so get you some. The ate my heirloom irises.

You ask me about hollyhocks on my blog==yes, they are easy to grow. in fact, they were the easiest. They don't need a warming mat to germinate the seed. Plant them just under the soil and keep them watered. I start mine in pots so the deer aren't tempted. Once they get high enough....nothing usually bothers them.

Anonymous said...

It all looks great, Jen. Thank goodness some tulips were spared by those hungry deer. Like Tina, I am quite interested in the bottle bed. Did you fill the bottles with sand to make them stronger? Seems like I read that somewhere and wondered if it would work. Your raised bed that is planted makes me hungry! :-)
Frances