BULB SALE

I know it seems early, but Fall is actually the best time to order spring bulbs to insure availability of your favorites. It has been said that planting Spring bulbs is like making a contract with the future. Perhaps this seems like a sales gimmick, but I have found that thought to be very profound. If you are going to spend money on something for which you will receive no return for 6 months, it had better be good. Yet my wife and I buy into the fever every fall. We invest in “just a few more,” and anxiously anticipate the arrival of Spring. There is something about the promise embodied in fragile green fronds gingerly poking their way through a February snow bank that connects with the human spirit. Hope springs eternal. Life breaks forth. And it lifts my spirits in the dreariest weather of the year to see that hint of what is to come.

Having become captivated by the thrill of it, I want to share it with you. We have access to large quantities of professional grade flower bulbs. We can often buy, deliver and plant these premium bulbs for less than you can purchase normal size bulbs in the usual garden catalogs.

TULIPS: These popular flowers seem to be everyone’s favorites. But, there are two downsides you should be aware of. First, deer and squirrels love them. Squirrels occasionally take the bulbs and run. Deer eat the flowers as they appear. Secondly, in our tight clay soils, tulips grow smaller each year providing less flowering as time goes by. We treat them as annuals in high visibility places and remove them to plant summer flowers when they have finished blooming. You can expect the flowering to decrease by approximately 1/3 each year in less visible areas. In spite of these two risks, they are still a favorite and worthy of a place in your garden.

Standard Tulips: Cost of $1.10 per each planted (minimum of 25).

Tulips come in 3 bloom times: Early, Mid, and Late. Mid = most impact.

Early: Comes in white, yellow, orange, red, deep pink, soft pink, and lavender.
Mid: Choose from same colors as Early, plus apricot and purple.
Late: Choose from the same colors as Early, plus purple.

Specialty Tulips: Cost of $1.25 per each planted (minimum of 25).

Water Lily Flowered Mix: Flared Petals.
Rembrandt or Parrot Mix: Flamed or feathered color.
Peony Flowered Mix: Peony shaped flowers.

DAFFODILS: Although not as varied in color, these hardy flowers are not bothered by deer or squirrels. They actually thrive in our soils and expand to form large clumps over the years. Daffodils come in yellow, white, gold, and white with yellow cups and have bloom times of Early and Late. Most early daffodils are yellow and most late daffodils are white.

Daffodils: Cost of $1.10 per each planted (minimum of 25).
Naturalizing Mix: Cost of $0.90 per each planted (minimum of 250).

HYACINTHS: My wife loves their fragrance. I was skeptical about them, but have become a hearty proponent of them as they have proven to be very hardy. We have found a supplier that sells truly professional sized bulbs. Most I have seen are 6 to 8 inches tall, while ours have consistently been 10 to 12 inches tall and very full. They weaken with age, but ours are still quite strong at 5 years old. Consider me a believer. These professional grade Hyacinths come in white, pink, blue, lavender and purple.

Hyacinths (Professional Grade): Cost of $1.70 per each (minimum of 25).

OTHER BULBS: The following bulbs are the BEST OF THE REST, and most will naturalize themselves. My personal favorites are Chionidoxa, although you need a lot of them to get the effect, and the Grecian Wind Flower.

Chionidoxa or Glory of the Snow: $0.25 per each planted (minimum of 100).
Grecian Wind Flower: $0.25 per each planted (minimum of 100).
Muscari or Grape Hyacinth: $0.25 per each planted (minimum of 100).
Snowdrops or Galanthus: $0.25 per each planted (minimum of 100).
Wood Hyacinth: $1.00 per each planted (minimum of 100).

If you are interested in Spring bulbs, please call Michelle to place your order at 260-627-8342.

(Total Minimum Order of $100.00. If you are a regular mowing customer, or if you sign-up for a Fall clean-up, there is no minimum order required.)