Mystery, thy name is flower circles

Mystery, thy name is flower circles

bulbs Humor lawn

Flower circle 
Mystery, thy name is flower circles.

In early spring, in the lawn, circles of flowers appear in some areas, especially those areas where gardeners have gone to some trouble to plant bulbs and corms in their lawns for spring flowers.

The mystery is therefore not the appearance of flowers. They obviously come from the bulbs planted by gardeners

The mystery is the appearance of

Flowers in the Lawn

Flowers in the Lawn

bulbs lawn spring

Glory-of-the-snow in the lawn

Would you like to have flowers in your lawn in the springtime?

Of course you would!

And you can.

It's easy.

Just order some corms for crocuses, Crocus tommasinianus is preferred over other crocuses, and some bulbs for glory-of-the-snow, Chionodoxa luciliae.  I like to order them as soon as they start selling them in late spring, early summer.  I usually don't

Rocking the bulbs in the lawn

Rocking the bulbs in the lawn

bulbs lawn

This is a rockery trowel

People ask, "How do you plant bulbs in the lawn?"

I answer, "With a rockery trowel."

They nod knowingly. Of course, they should have thought of using a rockery trowel.

As if they knew what a rockery trowel was.

Show of hands... who knew what a rockery trowel was before reading this post?

A rockery trowel is a trowel with a long skinny head which allows me to

Wildflower Wednesday - Flowers in the Lawn

Wildflower Wednesday - Flowers in the Lawn

lawn wildflower wednesday

Pretty little mystery flower in the lawn

I've spent time the last three evenings on my hands and knees and sometimes on my butt planting bulbs for Glory of the Snow,  Chionodoxa gigantia (also known as Chionodoxa lucillia), in my back lawn.

I bought 1,000 bulbs of Glory of the Snow, which doesn't take as long as you might think to plant. I timed my first 300 bulbs.  40 minutes.  Not bad.  

Dr Hortfreud: On Mowing in the Rain

Dr Hortfreud: On Mowing in the Rain

dr. hortfreud Humor lawn

Hello, Carol

Hi, Dr. Hortfreud. It's been awhile, hasn't it?

Yes, Carol, but I sense you need a session with me now.

Oh, yes, I do. Always.

Well, it looks like rain, so why don't we meet in the sun room around the house plants.

Oh no, Dr. Hortfreud, I would like to have a mowing session with you. Besides, if you look to the west, it's sunny out.

But if you look to the east, Carol, it's

You can't stop me!

You can't stop me!

fairies Humor lawn

Magnolia stellata

It occurred to me this week.  When the star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) blooms, it is generally time to mow the lawn.

Now that I know this, I won't have to actually look at the lawn to decide when I should mow it for the first time. I'll just mow whenever the magnolia blooms.

I'm kidding.

I will look at the lawn to decide if it is ready for the first mowing.  But I won't

My garden has never been more ready for winter

My garden has never been more ready for winter

gardening lawn winter

Columbine seedlings in the leaves

Elizabeth Lawrence, the famous southern garden writer, had one for her garden.

So did the writer, Eudora Welty, who spent a lot of time in her garden, fussing over her camellias. She wrote in her gardening letters during World War II it was hard to find a reliable one.

I never thought I'd have one, but I do.

Yes, I have a guy I call to come out and help in