Tulip-palooza

Thankyou Veseys for waiting until the end of September to send my bulb order (to my sub-arctic yard). Thankyou Canada Post for taking nine days to get that order to our local post office (our health system may be okay, but the Americans sure do have a superior postal system).
I went to that local post office twice a day for the last two days, anxious to get the parcel. Resident-lawnmower-man also had the (actually very helpful) post office staff double check and see if the parcel was with the unsorted parcels a few days ago. Fortunately, the bulbs and a peony root arrived yesterday and I planted the bulbs this morning. Yes, on a cloudy day at 3 degrees Celsius (37 degrees F) with stuttering fits of snow falling from the air. I don't even own thinsulate-lined garden gloves!

Temptations of the Advance Spring Catalog

I planted fewer bulbs than last year, but combined with the previous year's bulbs, I've probably put at least 1500 bulbs in the ground in this yard. Somehow, word about this hasn't gotten out to the bulb-eating rodents and I hope they aren't reading this blog!

Today, I planted some minor bulbs (Chionodoxa forbseii, White Muscari), some large yellow trumpet daffodils, Double Late "Blue Diamond" Tulips, Allium "Purple Sensation", Allium "Gladiator" and a pink double flowered peony "Bouchela". The Alliums are possibly not hardy, but I got them for a "value" price from Veseys and I'll be thrilled if they do well.

A Convallaria majalis that I DON'T HAVE:



Veseys also sent along an advance spring catalog with the promise of $25 off my next order. You must see this catalog. True horti-porn. My eyes bulge at the delectable new plants I MUST HAVE, or forever dream about. These people know how to market plants. Take this "New for 2008" Lily of the Valley that "is a real conversation piece", with its "pristine white fragrant flowers" which apparently "dance merrily among deep green leaves striped with creamy white veins". Of course, I tell myself that paying $52.95 for 3 pips is totally justifiable for these reasons:
(a) I don't have one of those
(b) now that I read this, my novelty pink "Rosea" Lily of the Valley isn't so cool anymore
(c) it grows in zone 2 and hey, they just aren't many of those

Then again, I'll probably agonize over the catalog for another two months trying to decide which plants I really must have, considering there are so many deals and hot new plants. And these are the months of dreaming and planning...