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Home > Flower and garden articles > The Magic of Bulbs
The Magic of Bulbs
 One of the great joys of being a gardener is that you constantly travel upon the road of discovery. Having been seriously addicted to gardening for some time, I was delighted to have the opportunity to create a new garden from scratch some seven years ago. The thought of a bare canvas to work with was very exciting, and I was thrilled with the idea of not having to work around someone else`s left overs.
This is where my own personal road to discovery turned into a six-lane highway of learning. Having dealt with the nightmare problems of builders` rubble and subsoil, heavy clay and appalling drainage, and gangs of galahs looking for a good feed and stripping out my newly planted seedlings, I persisted and battled through adversity (and the elements!) to create a very individual garden which has blossomed into a source of great delight.
As I stumbled my way along this garden journey I searched for plants that would give me wonderful results for minimum effort, and this is when I encountered bulbs for the first time. And with each type of bulb I came across, I was both surprised and delighted to learn that these little blokes can handle just about any sort of garden situation that you throw them into. Better yet, just about every type of bulb that I have planted in my ever-developing garden has flourished, almost to the point of excess.
Now, in my mind, the fact that these secretive little things, which appear to be totally uninspiring when you look at them in the palm of your hand and try to decide where on earth to plant them, have the uncanny ability to burst forth from the soil and flourish into an amazing array of spectacular creations, well..... it`s astounding!
So nowadays, I wander in the garden at my leisure and bask in the knowledge that my garden is now generously laden with a wonderful array of flowering bulbs for all seasons, having spent many hours grovelling on my knees in the dirt, carefully placing these precious jewels into just the right spot. And there they will stay, and delight me for many years to come.
One of the best things about these gardener`s secrets is that when they burst forth and flower magnificently, you can show them off to all your visitors and neighbours and say “Look at these!“ But a word of warning.... it is quite possible that some of your neighbours might actually stop talking to you!
The joys of bulbs are many, and they are experiences that all gardeners should enjoy because there is a bulb for every season, and for every little nook and cranny of the garden. Tiny Crocus, Spring Star Flowers and voluptuous Tulips abound in Spring, bright Gladioli and glorious fragrant Liliums show off in Summer, elegant Nerines and Naked Ladies make their appearance in Autumn, and sunny Daffodils brighten even the dullest days of Winter.
The choices are almost endless, and the time and effort that a gardener invests in planting bulbs is rewarded a thousand times over as the bulbs put in yet another delightful appearance each year.
I have travelled this road of discovery, and experienced the many pleasures of bulbs. If you have yet to make this gardeners journey yourself, don`t delay in taking the first step, I guarantee that you will never want to turn back!
Jenny (- when she`s not in her garden !) works in our mail order office.
by Jenny Waldock.
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