The glories of spring blooming bulbs are striking and many, but there are drawbacks too which keep me wary. Even the hardiest and most stalwart among them – the Narcissus and pictured Muscari for example – last for a bit, but eventually die out instead of multiplying as they are supposed to do. I’m not sure why, as they are allowed to go brown and fortify the bulbs until the foliage dies away, and I feed them during the growing season and allow them rest in their dormancy. Whether it’s the critters (lots of underground work by chipmunks and squirrels and rabbits) or the soil, bulbs simply don’t do well in the long run in our yard, so I’ve tended not to grow them.
That doesn’t mean I don’t love seeing them in bloom everywhere else, especially in the first flush of potted and pampered specimens as seen here. The local markets and greenhouses are filled with spring bulbs now, taking pride of place and leading the Easter bunny brigade. It’s a happy end to winter, a promising start to the new season, and I am here for all of it.
