Wednesday, 4 April 2012

Home Grown Tulips - Before and After


My tulips before...


And my tulips after last night's snow...


This morning we woke up to this:


Look, there is even a little snowdrift on the bathroom windowsill.


I know it's not that unusual to have some snow at Easter, but it feels really wrong after the hot and sunny weather we had last week. This is why English people talk about the weather all the time - it changes so much!

Anyway, tulips. I love them and they are my favourite flower in the whole world. For the last few years I've been planting them in tubs and pots in the Autumn and leaving them till Spring, when I drag them onto the front steps and by the french doors and other places where I can see them all the time. When they have finished and died down I pull up the bulbs and store them in a cool dark place until I replant them later in the year. (I realise it would make more sense to just leave them in the tubs, but our garden is tiny and space and pots are very limited.) They haven't been looking so great this year, a bit brown and spindly and droopy. I wondered if you can continue using the same bulbs indefinitely or do they only last for so long? Or maybe I should just plant them in the ground and leave them alone and let nature do it's thing.

I picked the best ones yesterday to put in a jug on the coffee table, and I'm so glad I did! I will admire them from the warmth and comfort of my sofa with the fire lit and a cup of tea.


I hope you are all warm and dry wherever you may be.

18 comments:

  1. No snow here but very wet! I love spring flowers - daffodils always make me smile. Theank goodness you brought some of your lovely tulips inside yesterday. I imagine your children were very excited to see the snow!! What crazy weather we have at the moment. Take care - keep warm Lozzie x

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    1. Me too, and I love how cheap daffodils are! The kids were excited but it's all melted by now so no snowmen. xx

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  2. Grey and cloudy here in the lovely South West. Poor tulips!
    Ellie
    x

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    1. Grey and cloudy is preferable. Another reason why I need to move south! x

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  3. It's very warm where I am today, but will be cool and rainy tomorrow. I live on the East Coast, NC to be exact and the weather is always changing here, too! So glad you picked a few lovely tulips before the snow...they are also my very favorite flower! Stay warm!!

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    1. I have never been to NC. Virginia is the furthest south we ventured and it was hot even in the Spring! Bet you have hot summers... xx

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  4. Poor tulips. Spring flowers are my favourite, but we live in a new build and the last few years have been up and down for us and we haven't got round to planting any bulbs. This year I will

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    1. I am no gardener but can just about cope with planting bulbs because once they're planted, that's it! :-)

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  5. I cannot believe you have snow! We had hail today....roll on camping ;) xxxx

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    1. Again...you're mad!! ;-) Unless you're talking "camping" in one of those massive static caravans with heating, electricity and running water in which case, can i come too? xx

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  6. It is quite unbelievable this weather! Your poor tulips. Stupid snow. We've had rain all day...it's just rubbish. The weather always turns just when the schools are off. HUMPF! On the plus side, we get to have the fire lit again - hurrah! x

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    1. Rain...boo. It's true about the school holidays. We are off to the local soft play centre tomorrow to let two giddy children run around like lunatics.

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  7. Poor tulips - my primroses have been destroyed - just hope all the plants I put in last week make it.

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    1. Me too - I want to see this border you're planning, it's going to be gorgeous (crazy british weather permitting). xx

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  8. Oh my god! Look at all that snow! Please don't let it come here. Keep warm x

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    1. It's nearly all gone now...crazy British weather... Stay in France where the climate is so much nicer! xx

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  9. it seems like everyone is having crazy weather right now! i hope your garden isn't too shocked.

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    1. At least the garden has had some much needed water!

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