“If you don’t like the weather in Texas, wait a few minutes…..it will change.”
That phrase never made sense to me until I started gardening in Texas. One day, it’s 80 degrees, and the next day it’s snowing with a chance of a hard freeze. It’s completely nonsensical, like something out of a Dr. Seuss children’s book about weather.
Luckily, Heirloom Bulbs can handle just about anything. These flower bulbs have already ‘been there, done that’. Heirloom Bulbs have seen the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, World Wars, drought and floods. They just keep on growing and keep on blooming. This year of drought, flood and freeze will be no different.
I’ve had a few minor set backs this year. The late freezes have confused most of the Daffodls and Iris. Consequently, I either had frozen blooms or no bloom at all. Luckily, late freezes will not kill the bulbs. A freeze will just disrupt the bloom cycle.
Gardeners in Texas need to be tough. In areas with wild weather, one must be prepared for just about anything. I’ve had hail pummel my spring gardens, winds that break gorgeous rose trellis’, freezes that halt blooms and droughts that try to destroy the gardener’s soul. Every day is a new day, and if you don’t like the weather, just wait a few minutes…..
So why even bother? Why even have a garden?
I can think of a billion reasons off the top of my head, but my favorites are Birds, Bees, Butterflies and Bulbs. I simply can’t imagine a world without them. As our society ‘progresses’, we steal habitat from nature. Our wildflower fields becomes Big Box retail. Old homesteads are bulldozed down, and cherished heirloom bulbs are lost forever. I choose to provide a safe haven for these displaced beauties. Come Spring, Fall, drought or freeze…..I garden for a bigger purpose.
It seems fitting that today is April Fools Day. A perfect day for imperfect weather. Tomorrow will *probably* be normal again…..but then again, what’s really ‘normal’?!
I will be boxing up five orders of bulbs, and getting ready the Llano Master Gardener’s Plant Show on Saturday, April 6th. If you are local, I will have Sternbergia, Oxblood, Iris, Large Prarie White Rain Lily, and some other goodies available by donation. All proceeds go to The Garden Project.
Happy Gardening, my friends. May you not be fooled by this April Fools Day winter weather…….Just wait a few minutes, and it will change. 🙂