"The tulips were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of Easter blooms danced in their heads...."
A week ago yesterday, my friend James and I planted over 850 bulbs: 100 Menton, 100 White Cubed, 200 French Rose Blend, 200 Ivory Floradale, and 100 Dordogne tulips. (All bulbs from COLORBLENDS, here)
We topped off the tulips with 25 Allium Christophii, 25 Allium Purple Sensation and 100 Blue Squill (my first attempt at blue squill; I firmly believe that to keep the excitement alive in your marriage with the garden you try something new each spring...)
Spring just wouldn't be spring without pansies and violas...this year only nine flats in hues of yellow and purple-violet-white...colors I used last year and wanted to repeat.
James convinced me as to the merits of using a Tomahawk pick axe (find one here) to plant annuals. Its heft and easy handling makes short work of planting pansies in moist earth (more muscle required, of course, in rock hard clay.)
The pointed end easily penetrates the soil to dig the hole, and the flat side scrapes and backfills the dirt, no problem.
James and I gift tools back and forth, and he wisely gifted me one of my own...so as not to keep stealing his, no doubt. It is now an indispensable
weapon in my planting arsenal.
On more occasions than I can count, I have wanted to hurl it at a squirrel... or two, or three...
(I am woman hear me roar...)
But my aim and arm ain't so good...and James talked me down...
He was, after all, working in the vicinity.
~~~ I would HIGHLY recommend a Tomahawk axe/pick as an, ALBEIT STRANGE, stocking stuffer... ~~~
(just a thought....)