TIP TOE THROUGH THE TULIPS

It’s autumn – my FAVORITE (and I mean FAVORITE) time of year.  Yes, I like autumn more than even summer when my garden is in full bloom.  Walking through Monument Valley Park or Garden of the Gods while crunching orange, red and yellow leaves beneath my boots, with just a pinch of coolness in the air – sipping hot cinnamon spice tea while eating a slice of homemade pumpkin bread (did this just last night!) – enjoying a fire in the fireplace in the evening – lighting candles again because the days are getting shorter and you can actually enjoy the warm flickering flames – and watching my garden prepare for a long winter’s sleep.  Oh.  And tulip bulb planting - yes, tulip bulb planting!

Well, it’s been a bit of a challenge to get the bulbs in this year but I was finally able to do so this past weekend.  I also planted a few bulbs at Genny’s house, with the help of my little gardening buddy, Hannah.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE that Hannah likes to garden and am hoping this is not just a phase she is going through.  In fact, I am looking forward to years of gardening with this precious granddaughter of mine.

When gardening with Hannah, I try to incorporate lessons, like reading the instructions before placing the bulb in the ground.

I ordered these bulbs from an Old World Gardening house and had a few delivered to my other gardening buddy, my niece Christie.  These are heirloom bulbs, most of which are progenies of the late 1800 and early 1900 Victorian Gardens, although some bulbs harken back to the 16^th Century.   I ordered one rare bulb (and I mean just one because it was kind of expensive) that is a 1780 progeny.  It is a Dutch Bizarre from the Hortus Bulborum, and if it comes to life next spring, it will have a swirl of dark chocolate brown petals.  In Colorado, I always use the word “if” with tulips because a spring blizzard can take out everything.   I also planted Black Parrot, Irene Copeland, and Florentine (dates to 1597) bulbs. 

Along with the tulips I planted hyacinth, narcissus, daffodil, and peony.  Just in time before the snow is predicted to hit on Weds.

And with the snow, there goes autumn in Colorado.  The trees will be stripped of their leaves and left bare.  Fall is such a short, brief, beautiful season here.  Ahhh . . . but I like winter, too, because along comes Thanksgiving and Christmas, snow encrusted branches, Jack Frost, homemade potato soup and corn muffins.  There is always something to appreciate in every season, isn’t there?  We grow where we are planted . . . and sometimes, where we are transplanted.

HAILING THE SEASON GOODBYE

September usually is a great harvest month in Colorado and having just recently returned to gardening after a two-year absence providing cancer care, I was really looking forward to bragging this season.   I was going to post pictures of a beautiful abundance of ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, peas and beans, as well as show off late season blooming flowers.  But like cancer treatment and care, sometimes the best laid plans must be set aside.  Versatility is what is required, especially here in Colorado.

As you can see, the pictures posted below do not boast of a bountiful garden.  Instead, they depict the beginning of the end due to a month of hail storms.  The last one in late August took out what remained of the garden and also shredded and destroyed several beloved perennials.  I’m a bit ambivalent about it all.  Yes, I worked hard this year to bring the garden back to life after two seasons of neglect.  But I didn’t cry or throw a fit as I helplessly stood at my patio window, watching Mother Nature batter her own children into the ground.  Really, what could I do anyway?  I’ve been altered over the last two years – I’m just not the same person in so many ways.  This is what the cancer of loved ones has done to me – it’s made me calmer, quieter, more accepting of things I cannot change.  Cancer has made me appreciate the brief beauty and small harvest my garden did offer this season.  And as I watched the garden go under, I knew in my heart it would regenerate next year.  That is the way of life.  Come early spring, I’ll be gung-ho and anxious to mix my hands in manure and dirt.  For now, I’m back to getting manicures again.

And now off to autumn, which really is my favorite time of year.  I’ve ordered fall bulbs for both my niece and me from an heirloom center where all the bulbs are handpicked.  They’ll be delivered in October, at which time Christie and I will get back into the garden, however briefly, until spring arrives.

Runoff from the late August hail storm directly in front of our house.

The retention pond next to our house began overflowing and we were under an early warning for flood evacuation.  Thankfully our basement did not flood and Mother Nature calmed down just in time to prevent us from having to hike up the hill to get to drier ground.

There was so much hail in the retention pond the ducks had to walk on top of it.  Ha ha!  

Our yard was covered in hail

No, it's not Christmas -- it's just August in Colorado!