"Black" Tulips

The "puny" tulips (plants) are producing some mighty nice blooms! This morning I had to visit them with a watering can before I could take their picture (pollen!). Strangely enough, the ones in my backyard are darker than the ones in my front yard (same variety!), but who cares? They look good!

Puny Tulips

All ten of the tulip bulbs I planted last November have come up (I had feared that the fall and winter rains might have done them in), but they are pretty puny looking. The blooms should be open soon. This photograph was taken March 28, when it was still cool. Today it's 81F/27C and tomorrow's forecast is for 84F/29C. It seems as if we've gone from winter to summer with nary a pause for spring.

Black Tulips - 2 - The "Beds"

Take that "beds" with a grain of salt. Unlike the acres and acres of flowers one sees at the Keukenhof and other famed Dutch bulb gardens, these "beds" hold five tulip bulbs each. The bottom photograph shows a spot in my original backyard border. Flanked on the left by garlic that shot out of the ground within days of the cloves having been planted and on the right by a sizable clump of Dianthus 'Bath Pink', I expect to see, and document, these tulips from my patio as they emerge, grow and bloom. The top photograph depicts the northern end of my western border, where the tulips will be accompanied next spring by Dwarf Nandina (spectacular color, this time of year!) on the left and an Azalea on the right. The Violas and Pansies that edge the bed now may or may not still be there when the Tulips show their blooms. Till March or so, then!

Black Tulips - 1

The bulbs arrived today; as soon as the soil is dry enough I'll put them in the ground and then we wait, and wait, and wait . . . :-)

Favorite Colors

My preference is for a “cool” palette in my garden: white, pink, lavender, blue. But this time of year, a warm, bright splash here and there is a welcome addition. That’s why I like the Swamp Sunflower and the Pineapple Sage. This year, unfortunately, we had an early frost, which obliterated the latter and did the former no favors. Both have now dropped their petals and the only remaining color in my garden comes from 3 Gaura that don’t seem to want to give up. They have recently been joined by Pansies and Violas, all very cheerful (and mostly in cool colors!).

Soon, after clean-up is finished, the last bed has been mulched – and that one tree has been moved to a new location! – 2009 gardening will be finished and dreams of “next year” will begin.

I wonder how black flowers would do in my garden. I don’t have any yet (and, seriously, I am running out of space!), but after becoming acquainted with Karen Platt and her books, I am at least intrigued. So, I have just ordered 10 ‘Black Hero’ tulips. Check with me in five or six months and I’ll let you know what the results have been!