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| Tulips are delicious. Ask mice, squirrels, deer. |
The reliable daffodils are in bloom. When I see them pop up before the garden is truly green, I repent of my vow never to buy hardy bulbs again. Ranger Bob noticed I had early, tall, robust blooms in various places of the garden - more than the rest of the yards.
After I dug some new ones in, last fall, Mrs. Ichabod said, "Someone was digging in the garden!" I said, "Yes, I was, with Howard helping. For me, fall gardening means cover everything with leaves and dig in some bulbs."
Ranger Bob came over a short time afterwards. He said with alarm, "Something has really been digging in your soil." I grinned at him and said, "Your Osage heritage is strong. We dug some bulbs in, this week."
Norma Boeckler endorsed Asian lilies, so I bought a few of those bulbs, plus some glads for us and Ranger Bob.
We are enjoying some occasional rains, unlike the super-soakers of last summer. Creeping Charlie, a mint and often called a weed, is spreading in the garden, showing off tiny purple flowers. That is one of the reasons we enjoy so many birds, beneficial insects, bees, and hummingbirds. Each creature has its favorite food sources and secondary ones. Tiny flowers are necessary for tiny insects, and early blooms are appreciated for their pollen.
Roses should be pruned once the frost season is over. That spurs growth in the roots and branches. Rather than slowing down the rose, pruning energizes it. Removing dead wood is also important all summer for keeping the plant awake. Neglected, most roses will leaf out, bloom a little bit, then rest all summer.
