A few months ago, a garden friend from instagram reached out about purchasing Oxblood Lilies. I had chatted with her a few times and enjoyed her pictures.. I always love to see Danish gardening ideas, especially since my family is Danish.. We decided to make an old-fashioned trade instead of exchanging monetarily. A few months ago, I received a beautiful package of bulbs. I’m not going to lie….it was Christmas morning as a 5 year old child, receiving a gift far beyond her wildest dreams. I was completely overjoyed.
Yesterday, the first adorable little Crocus bloomed from my Danish bulb collection. The bright and sunny disposition of an early flowering Crocus is hard to match. A Crocus bloom is equivalent to the Oxblood Lily blooming after a hard, drought-ridden summer. Both bulbs are a refreshing sight in the garden. In the past, my store- bought Crocus were a complete waste of time, energy and effort. I haven’t tried Crocus again for decades…..gosh, have I really been gardening that long? Decades? Feels *almost* like I should know what I’m doing……but I digress.
In the South, we have somewhat mild winters and extreme summers. Crocus do enjoy their wintery temperatures in order for a good bloom cycle. I’m quite sure Crocus are also not a fan of the 100 degree temperatures either. This is one reason Crocus can be an “if-y” bulb for Southern gardens (atleast from my experience). With my new Danish Crocus, I am quickly changing my mind. I plan on mulching the area during the summer months with hay, which really helps to encourage earthworms. Hay also retains moisture better than hard-bark mulch (also just my opinion). Gardening is a very personal experience. There are no “right or wrong”, hard-fast rules. Either you like what you do or you change it. Any type of mulch is good mulch…..except that disgusting fake-dyed black mulch. That is a hard-fast rule. Don’t use fake, painted mulch. Your earthworms will not appreciate the flavor.
Today is Garden Project day. The guys from the Special Opportunities will come help in the gardens. We are working on deer-proofing the back fence, and setting up the veggie garden. Yesterday, I moved a large Lantana and an equally large Lavender that had been dumped in a temporary place after the flood. Both plants split as I dug/ripped/yanked them up. I will be nursing those plants along over the next few days, just in time for the upcoming freeze to kill them. 😅 I should always check the upcoming forecast before I dig, but that would require some forethought to what I do. I also have been working on the back compost piles, which are in desperate need of flipping. And ofcourse, I will dig up more rock. Life is always good in the garden.
Happy Gardening, my cherished friends!