Firsts

I am so pleased to report that I saw the first of the crocus popping out of the soil today. They might have been up for a few days but this is the first day in some time that I have felt like a well human being so I haven't been outside much.

Another first are these bulbs protruding from the ground. They look like they have been heaved somewhat. They sure are brave bulbs because they are showing some green. I think the 50F weather we had a couple of days fooled some of the bulbs. These naked ladies just can't wait to start showing off. They are the old fashioned, light pink variety.

Both of these are growing out front where we took out the Rugosa Rose this fall. Maybe they are just happy to have more sunshine and space to grow. Another first for the year are the bulbs I found at the local nursery. I saw a big sign that said 60% off of everything in the place. I am sure they wanted me to be buying some Christmas decorations but I fooled them. I had to go into their unheated garage to see what bulbs hadn't been sold. As you can see I found a few.

I bought 12 Red Riding Hood Tulips, 12 Kolpakowskiana Tulips, 12 Saxatillis Tulips, 7 pink Squamigera and 7 Yellow Spider Aurora Squamigera.

The Squamigera didn't have a price on them and I didn't get many because I didn't know what they would cost. I wasn't quite sure what they were either by looking at the pictures. Imagine my surpise when I looked them up on the internet and found that they are a fancy version of the Naked Ladies, or Lycoris. The pictures sure don't look like my old fashioned Naked Ladies.

I took a few of the tulips and a three of the pink squamigera and put them just outside my window. I want to be able to see these beauties when they pop up this spring/early summer. I planted them on the left side of the tree behind the feeder while I planted the Chionodoxa on the right side of the tree. It will be intersting to see a little color early in the year. The pink Squamigera are supposed to be much darker than the old fashioned variety. We will see.

It is supposed to rain tonight so I hope my little bulbs will get all snuggled in for a short growing season.
I kept one of the yellow Squamigera out of the ground and put it on my one bulb vase. It was trying its best to start growing. I sat it in the kitchen window with the rest of the vases. I have no idea if it will take to growing in a bulb vase but since it is already showing signs of growing I can hope. It will end up being awfully tall. This could be an interesting experiment.
I can't wait to get into my chair tonight with my new gardening journal and start the year off right with an entry about planting something. Whoooooo hoooooooooooooooooo... I am hoping this is a good omen for the growing year.