Monday, April 12, 2010

The Surviving Tulips

The theory was, plant lots of tulip bulbs and you will get a display like this come spring. A lot of tulip bulbs meant a really big display throughout a good portion of the garden.



Problem was the varmints found them and it seems the varmints can't eat just one. They have not managed to eat them all though. They missed some bulbs from years past. The tulip display is rather sparse like this throughout a good portion of the garden though.



Or the tulips are entirely gone and a new planting of dianthus and Gerber Daisies was planted to fill the void. I sure hope that rabbit has enough fresh green lawn to keep it busy.



In theory we should be seeing very large drifts of tulips in a rainbow of colors. The purple ones are left. Now I could surmise that the varmint does not like purple tulips. The reality is more likely that the varmint just hasn't made it over to this side of the garden. I have a bad feeling about the remaining tulips though.



I was seeing some suspicious signs in the flower beds and a near to bloom tulip keeled over at ground level. That bed across the driveway at the base of the evergreens should have about 400 yellow tulips blooming in there now. I think there are two. This varmint is not fooled by poisonous daffodils being planted close to the tasty tulip bulbs. It just snacked around them. I think it may also have scarfed up a few lily bulbs in the dining frenzy.



But hey, every single daffodil bulb I planted last fall is here and counted for.



The question now is, what do I do next fall? Plant the tulips with a stern warning to Client #1. Stick to daffodils, hyacinth and crocus until all the tulips are gone. I can think about that next fall.

6 comments:

Kitty said...

Chicken wire under the topsoil but over the bulbs?

Siria said...

I vote for daffodils, hyacinths and crocus. Is Client #1 opposed to that? Has he seen the beauty of your bulbhilla?!

Christopher C. NC said...

Kitty, Gardy don't go there, especially with the beds filled with existing perennials the bulbs are tucked in among.

Siria unfortunately they were out of town and took a rain check. I think when the rhododendron are in full bloom would be a good time for them to visit. He doesn't dislike daffodils. He just loves his tulips.

Siria said...

I love tulips too, but after seeing your experience with them on your property (and more importantly at his property!), AND seeing the results of planting daffodils year after year, I am sold! I remember going to your place last year when the rhododendron were blooming and coming around that curb on 209 and seeing the "blast" of blooms. Yes...have them visit then! :)

Lola said...

I'm sorry about your tulips Christopher. That was a lot of hard work down the drain. I go for the daffodil, Hyacinthe & crocus also. To me all in the mtns are pretty.
Of course you could put them in cans like I was informed to do when in N.C. Never lost another tulip after that.

Darla said...

Any Tulip that blooms is just beautiful....varmints aren't supposed to like Daffs so you should be safe there. We spray with garlic/pepper oil and it seems to help a lot..