Wednesday, April 23, 2014

April Gardening Stories

 

 

 

Way back in October, I planted some bulbs and scattered some flower seeds hoping, as all gardeners do, that in the spring, I would have blooms. After a long cold winter, with nothing green in sight, finally seeing green shoots and leaves and later actual flowers come through the ground, is truly a miracle. Every day or so, I wander through my yard and flower garden to see the progress and enjoy the process. Aren't these hyacinth buds beautiful? I planted these in a grouping around some rocks and I love the vibrant colors.

 

 

This lovely green sight, growing every day, is from the wildflower seeds I planted in the fall. To tell you the truth, even though I followed the company's directions to sow the seeds after the first frost, I didn't really believe anything would come up in the spring. I will be keeping an eye on these - they seem delicate, but are probably a lot hardier than I think, considering they are growing in quite a harsh spring. I am excited to see what flowers I will have to enjoy.

 

 

And then there are my tulips. Thanks to a fat bunny that lives in my yard, though they came up beautifully and were close to blooming, I discovered they had become a lovely green snack. No tulip blooms at all this year and so disappointing! I did a little research and will try a few rabbit repellents next spring, including scattering coffee grounds around the first leaves that surface.

Happy spring gardening!

 

Linking with Between Naps on the Porch and Savvy Southern Style

 

12 comments:

  1. What a bummer on the tulips! I better check mine! Hyacinths are my favorite. They smell so springy! lol..

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  2. Dog hair has always worked well for me; when I brush Lily (our goldendoodle) I scatter the cast-off hair around anything I don't want the rabbits eating.
    We have radishes, spinach, and peas coming up, yay!

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  3. If the rabbits don't get the tops the squirrels will get the bulbs. I don't plant tulips anymore...just daffodils....though I love tulips.

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  4. The hyacinth buds are beautiful and I bet they smell amazing.

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  5. Oh girl......have really been enjoying your posts these days. I get in email and when I open my mail first thing in the morning, your words and pics always put a smile on my face. Love your girlfriend stories and of course, seeing your sweet daughters with you! And yes, my boys are 29,33,34 and they still get Easter baskets AND an egg hunt!! (try explaining to their toddler children that they cannot find daddy's eggs!!! hahaha...we have a blast)
    Wish we lived closer....we seem to enjoy so many of the same things....I just spent an hour walking around my fleur gardens checking to see new shoots coming up with glee!!!

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  6. So sorry about your tulips...but I think a bunny is much cutter than the slugs that ate my hyacinth blossoms! Isn't it wonderful to see new growth, especially from seeds you planted in the fall~~~

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  7. The hyacinths look pretty, Vicki. So sorry about your tulips! One year deer ate mine off shortly before they were to bloom. I spray them with Deer Fence or Deer Off (works for rabbits too according to the label). These are organic products made with rotten eggs, garlic, etc and are not harmful to the environment or to pets. Enjoy your spring!

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    Replies
    1. I'm wondering if it will keep the squirrels out of my flower pots - they are always digging out the pansies.

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  8. Oh no, bunnies will eat a plant up in no time. I have your bunnies cousin four times removed eating my salvia. I walk around waiting for blooms too. My amaryllis bloomed today. The hyacinth is pretty.

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  9. It's so wonderful to see green after this horrid winter - my hyacinths and daffodils are blooming right now. And I can't wait for the tulips IF the bunny who lives under our deck doesn't eat them all first. Of course, he'll have to beat the squirrels to the job.

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  10. I adore Hyacinth ~ the fragrance is lovely and I always force these indoors after the holidays pass. I can relate to the tulip incident. We have deer AND bunnies that make gardening a challenge. I am so looking forward to getting outside. Currently our property is a frog pond (not kidding!). We've just moved onto new property to start a building project and the area needs drainage desperately. We need to wait until it stops raining before we can do anything .. what a mess.

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  11. And my neighbors laughed when they saw me 7 am one Sunday morning running out into my front yard yelling something like "No No No bad bunny! I'm gonna turn you into a very soft table runner if you don't stay out of my garden"...lol They stay out of the garden now but I always have the feeder full of squirrel food and that may help. There is also a pepper, red pepper and water mixture I have heard works too....Love the hyacinths before they got nibbled...I'm sorry you didn't get to enjoy them longer!

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