That was a special dig.
Dont get me wrong, every flower bulb I dig is special…..but the gardens at the old house that once belonged to a woman named “Miss Margaret ” were just different. Maybe it was the sheer number of bulbs that existed on the property. Maybe it was the old historic house that was scheduled to be torn down. Maybe it was the way an old gentleman lovingly told me about the keeper of the gardens, Miss Margaret. Whatever caused the sentimental attachment to this dig, these flower bulbs remain some of my most beloved flowers.
Miss Margaret loved her flower bulbs. Her entire property was filled with Oxblood Lilies, Star of Bethlehem, Iris, adorable little Daffodils, Paperwhites and Spider Lilies. The overgrown, neglected clumps belonged in a bulb gardener’s dream. Massive clumps that took many, many truck loads to save. Gardners from the entire county dug before the scheduled tear down. The Historical Society tried to salvage everything they could, but watching a piece of history fade away breaks the heart.
The Spider Lilies were planted against the house. I had to lift fallen house debris and overgrown poison ivy to lift the bulbs out. Each clump I salvaged, my love for the old place grew deeper. That’s what happens when you combine hard work with something you love……The result is an appreciation that simply can’t be measured.
This season, one of Miss Margaret’s Spider Lilies went to actual seed. This is incredibly uncommon (atleast it is for me). I’ve seen this happen just one other time in the 29 years of growing Heirloom Bulbs. I watched the seed pod develop over two months. I put a protection barrier around the foliage so the deer couldn’t feast. After two months of waiting, the pod produced two beautifully perfect Bulbs babies, black as night, The small, round mini Bulbs have been placed in a tea cup on my piano. They should receive warmth from the window, but shade so they can germinate. I have no idea how long this will take. Crinum produce little (big) bulb babies that lie on the ground for months, germinating. I’m excited to watch things unfold. I think Miss Margaret would be pleased.
For information about receiving your gift of an Oxblood Lily, please email me at heirlombulbgirl@admin
More information on Miss Margaret and her gardens can be found through Heirloom Gardener Magazine on the web…Saving the Gardens for Miss Margaret.
Happy Gardening, my friends!
Keenan