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Category: Heirloom Bulbs for the South
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The Three-Shovel Crinum
I’ve dug Crinum many times over the years, and there is always a dead shovel involved. This particular dig involved Heirloom Bulbs that had been on my In-Law’s farm since the original German homesteaders in the mid 1800’s. The bulbs are hardy, healthy and stout. The flower bulbs growing in an open field were the only remnants of the early homestead. My Mother-in-Law researched the history of the farm and has a wonderful file full of backstories of Milam County. I love the history of old garden treasures….if only the bulbs could speak! Ah, the stories they would tell!
A few weeks ago I was asked to help move the old patch of Crinum over Thanksgiving, and of course my answer was an over-enthusiastic “YES!” I knew full well that the Crinum bulbs would be hauled off to my studio, which meant that my husband had to be on board. He typically likes to keep our car dirt-free, but unfortunately he married a female Pig-Pen. Surprisingly, he loaded two very large tubs into the back of our car.”You can take home whatever you can squish into these tubs”
That’s going to be a lot of squishing….
Saturday morning, in the 30 degree weather, 4 Fletcher men and myself began to dig. Within 5 minutes, the first shovel was already broken digging up the Cemetery Iris.
“One shovel down!” I couldn’t believe we were already breaking shovels, and hadn’t even started on the big boys. I worked on getting the first Crinum to “pop”, which is a sound commonly heard when digging Crinum. The “pop” is the release of the bulb from around the clump, signifying that it is safe to start pulling, yanking, heaving or what have you. Most shovels break before the “pop”. Pulling the bulb too early will result in a nice backache, while the bulb rests comfortably beneath the warm ground. Digging too hastily will result in a lack of root system, which most of us have done. It’s never fun to work really hard on digging up a bulb, only to pull it out without roots.By the end of the morning, Thanksgiving guests were arriving while we were still covered in dirt but the job was completed….3 broken shovels, a mountain of Cemetery White Iris, Heirloom Daylilies, Oxalis, and massive Crinum bulbs all stuffed into 2 large tubs. The Iris tub was filled 2 feet higher than the tub itself. The Crinum bulbs stood upright, as to not hurt the foliage, and all 50 or so big boy bulbs fit nice and snug. I also pulled out some Ellen Bosenquat Crinum that my Mother-in-Law’s garden friend gave her. It was a great Thanksgiving day!
If you would like a Cemetery White Iris dating back to the 1800’s, please email me. I have plenty to share. The old Crinum should settle in, and offshoots will be available next year. I’m also going to do a “Win the Crinum” contest, but haven’t decided what type of contest it will be. Stay tuned for more details to come. 🙂
Happy Gardening, my friends!
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Gardening Super Truth
There’s truth, and then there’s super truth. I prefer gardening super truths. Take, for instance, the super truth of the invasive Bermuda Grass, which contain root systems that grow straight down to hell. Or perhaps the super truth of trying to plant a peony in the full, blazing-hot summer heat during a Texas drought. Not gonna happen….Super truth. No arguing around the truth….it is what it is. It’s kinda like getting attacked by the “flower bulb bug” in your early 20’s and never recovering. There has never been a truer statement uttered out of my mouth, except for maybe “I do” spoken at the church 30 years ago. These super truths are ever present in my garden, but squishing in more flower bulbs into an already packed space is definitely a habitual ritual that borderlines a mental illness. Seeing garden space when there is none, and then thinking to yourself “If I only had a _________ and more_________, then the gardens would finally look perfect!” There’s no arguing with the ridiculous notice that “just one bulb” is needed to fulfill the space, because tomorrow another beautiful bulb will come along that I just *have to* have.
This morning, after posting this funny meme about bulbs, I received a lovely email from a gardening friend who had been recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Last year, her family surprised her with 450 bulbs from the “Bulb to Bloom” bulb sale to help create a legacy garden. My friend knows that Heirloom Bulbs are in it for the long haul, and that in itself is another gardening super truth. Long after the gardener says goodbye to their gardens, Heirloom Bulbs remain beautiful reminders of what was “once upon a time”. My friend has poured herself into the garden, squishing in as many bulbs as the garden can handle. The idea of “No garden can have enough flower bulbs” resonated with her as she continues to plant and spread inspiration to everyone around her. The truth is that she has created quite an incredible garden story for others to enjoy. Life isn’t easy, but it’s nice to keep our mind focused on the beauty of tomorrow instead of the hardships of today. Her bulb gardens exemplify hope in action. I even have some of her Heirloom Bulbs that I purchased at the bulb sale. If I was smarter, I would’ve put 2+2 together and realized that she was the same flower friend through email, but I’m not that smart (super truth) so I missed my chance to meet her in person. I plan to go to the bulb sale again next year just so I can meet such a beautiful gardening soul….and buy more flower bulbs. There’s always room for just one more bulb.
If you have never been to the Smith County Master Gardeners Bulb to Bloom sale, it is definitely worth the drive to Tyler, Texas. The sale is typically in October. My family and I went 20 years ago for the very first time, when old gardeners still raced each other and literally RAN to get the bulbs. Something out of a gardening Twilight Zone. Definitely a blog for another day! They now have an on-line sale the week prior so no one’s pride gets hurt. There *might* even have a few items left after I buy every bulb in sight. Ha! 🙂 The sale is for a worthy cause and a great way to splurge for your garden’s sake. Remember to splurge….it’s the only way.
Happy Gardening, my friends!
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The Repairer of the Breach
”The Lord shall guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones. You shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. Those from among you shall build the old places, you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.” -Isaiah 58:11-12
The Repairer of the Breach…
There are few phrases that stop me in my tracks and cause me to take notice more than this one. Not only are the words so poetic and lovely, but the beautiful imagery is exactly what I desire. What’s not to love about continual guidance by the Lord, spring fed gardens, waters that never fail, and promises of calm and safe streets to dwell in. The mere fact that we are called to become part of this beautiful verse overwhelms me deep in my soul. I love the fact that I, a little music-playing, flower-loving girl can be used for such a mighty calling as a “Repairer of the Breach”. It is said that the Lord takes the ordinary and enables them to do extraordinary things. Mighty indeed. In fact, the call to action before the poetic images seems almost insignificant compared to the blessings He will bestow upon us.
“If you extend your soul to the hungry, And satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday.” -Isaiah 58:10
Simple words with a huge impact….Extending ourselves to those in need. Seems pretty basic to me, but yet the need is overwhelming. Where to even begin? How do we repair the huge divide between people, and heal the brokenness? Not just the physical brokenness, like the Heirloom Crinum I was holding in the photo, but the emotional brokenness among people. To repair is to mend something, consciously and collectively, whether it be a broken relationship, a garden plot or even an Heirloom Crinum that had been run over by a bulldozer. In most cases, it is easy to sit back and let others do the repairing. It is hard and messy to get in the middle of a breach to begin restoration. I have to admit, buying a new Crinum might be easier than breaking shovels trying to salvage the old ones, but I really like watching the process of restoration. I love the idea of being a “repairer”. Sometimes the breach is too big, but repairing something that is broken is always worth the effort. Here are a few simple ways to be a Repairer of the Breach….
*Draw closer to the Lord….“There is a God who created man, and there is man who created their own gods through power, money and strength.” It’s good to know the difference.
*Affirm others’ dignity….“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. And Love your neighbor as yourself.”
*Speak words of encouragement….“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers.”
*Sacrifice selfish tendencies and place others’ needs in front of your own wants….Ouch. What a contrary statement to what our “me first” society preaches. Change starts with me. Michael Jackson’s song Man in the Mirror says it best. “If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change.”
The Repairer of the Breach. Lots of breaches out there to repair, especially during this Election Day. Remember, just like one salvaged Crinum will bring years of beauty, the repaired breaches can put real change in motion.
Happy Gardening, my friends. Be that change agent. -
Hollie’s Crinum Baby Bulbs
A few months ago, I collected a bunch of Crinum seed pods at my daughter Hollie’s graduation from Texas A&M. When I say “a bunch”, what I really mean is that my cup runneth over and flooded the potting shed. I honestly didn’t know just how many I had until it was time to start the growing process. This weekend, I finally got most of them planted. I’ve had a few gardeners reach out lately regarding the blog post with free Crinum seed pods, and wanted to give you a quick update.
As you might know, growing bulbs from seed is not for the faint of heart. Remember the fruits of the Spirit you learned about in Sunday School way back when? “Patience”, “Hope” and “Longsuffering”? Yep….Those fruits are put to the test when starting those little seedpods. Here is a small glimpse into the process of growing Crinum from seed pod (the average gardener’s way)….
First, you must pick the right amount of soil, light and water. Then wait.
And wait.
And wait.
And then wait some more.Finally, after you accidentally forget about the seed pods, they decide to sprout. You get mad at yourself because some of the cute little pods dried up and died. You do a quick scientific analysis of the problem. Probably too much water, but actually not enough water. Along with too much sunlight and not enough sunlight at the same time. You feel much better knowing that you still maintain the “average gardener” status, and didn’t sink down into the level of “killing-everything-in-sight gardener” (that status is reserved for your houseplants, which are on a day by day life expectancy).
You quickly give the surviving seedpods a blast of water and then go about your week until you accidentally forget about them again.Please tell me I’m not the only absent-minded gardener.
Anyhow, this dead-almost-dead drudgery carried on throughout the summer. Luckily, Heirloom Bulbs (even as seedpod babies) are way smarter than I am. Heirloom Bulbs are survivors, so about 400 plus little Crinum babies survived my ineptness. I am happy to report that I have planted about 25% of the bulbs in pots. Then I got impatient and planted the rest in an empty veggie garden raised bed. I still have about 25-50 little bulbs left if anyone out there wants some. The good news for you is that I’ve already mentally muscled through the hard part of seedpod planting, so all you need to do is stick them in the soil. 🙂
The greenery will freeze in the Winter and bulbs in the pots will freeze too. Keep your infants inside and keep them growing. The bulbs grow quickly and in a few years, they might even get to be of blooming size. Remember, Heirloom Bulbs will survive your Grandchildren’s Grandchildren. These bulbs are in it for the long haul. To me, it is glorious to have these old gals take root and share their blooms year after year. Email heirloombulbgirl@gmail.com if you’d like your own little Crinum.
Happy Gardening, my friends!
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The Fallow Ground
Fallow ground….A long period of just nothingness in hopes of restoration.
Apparently, it is a good farming technique that allows the land to rest and recuperate after numerous hard farming seasons. Waiting on fallow ground to recover can actually take years. Those are hard seasons to wait upon.
I don’t like those seasons. I honestly don’t like to wait. I wanted my Tasha Tudor gardens planted “now” (or yesterday). But, in my studio’s case, the fallow ground was all I had to work with.
I grumbled, complained and begrudgingly stuck salvaged flower bulbs anywhere I could, completely avoiding eye contact with the land of nothingness. But things changed after the flood. ALL the gardens at the flooded house had to be relocated. I had to look eye to eye with that piece of fallow ground and begin restoration.
Restoration of the fallow land was indeed a lofty goal. Quite frankly, I wasn’t sure if I was up to the calling. The long “wait” was just too long. The Lord was actually trying to do good things in the fallow ground, but my heart was too hardened to take notice. I needed more time in the “wait”. Maybe I’m just stubborn and didn’t have eyes to see what He was doing. Maybe I was used to grumbling over the imperfections, or maybe the Lord just wanted me to look upon stillness for a bit to watch the restoration unfold. Whatever the case, I was stuck with a whole lot of nothing. Literally…..a house lot of nothing but stickers, rocks and thorns.To the gardener, fallow ground gives the field a chance to rest. Over planting and plowing, (or in my case, chicken and duck grazing) causes stress to the earthly balance of nature’s ecosystem. The delicate world of microorganisms is destroyed and the soil becomes depleted. Letting the earth simply rest allows restoration and balance to simply step in, and work the soil back to heath naturally. The “wait” is the hardest part.
Here are a few steps I took to begin the restoration of the fallow land.
Step one….I had to be ok with the fact that my garden was not Pintrist-perfect. This sounds so silly, but my mental game was the largest hurdle I had to cross (just ask my husband). I struggled when I walked into the back part of the studio grounds and saw nothingness. “I remember when my other gardens had rich soil full of earthworms, but *this* land is_______” I had a lot of choice words that I could fill in the blank. The conditions of the land played a negative mental trip on me. I didn’t like the ground I had to work with, so I simply gave up on that part of the studio. I had to step back and rethink my vision. So, step one is simple…a much needed attitude adjustment in the mind of the gardener.
Step two….let the wild things grow. After stepping back from my negative attitude, I began to see the fallow ground in a different light. Little native flowers were appearing out of nowhere. My favorite flower to come on the scene was Stork’s Bill, a beautiful purple flower to emerge in early Spring. The seeds are fascinating to children and truly do look like a stork’s bill. I even had adorable little, native rain lilies appear like they owned the place. Why had I never seen them before? I slowly encouraged the good natives to grow as I pulled up the stickers and thorns that had choked out the flowers and overrun the land. What is it with thorny things that love delapitated conditions?!
Step three…pull out the stones and rocks that weighed the potential gardens down. Nothing grows in stone. Even people avoid stony personalities. After digging in the fallow ground, I found piles of underground stone that had been dumped onto the land. Apparantly my studio grounds had once been a dumping ground for unwanted rubble. How apropos. I dug the little pieces of rock and created a pathway throughout the property. The more I dug, the more little native flowers appeared. The larger rocks were used to create garden beds. True fallow land is complete rest, but I felt the nudge to “just do something” in the long wait.
Step four….just keep digging. The road to restoration was long, and for many days, I was tired. I was tired of filling up my bucket of stickers after violin lessons. Tired of my hands hurting. Tired of digging and finding only rock. Tired of looking at nothingness. Just tired. But the Lord stepped in, as He always does, and quietly whispered “Just keep digging”. I’ve realized that the restoration of the fallow ground wasn’t just a destination, but a journey. Every day, I watch the redemptive process in the land I once called fallow. Every day I wake up excited to see new flowers. Every day I hope to find more worms in the earth and butterflies in the air. Every day is a journey.
”Break up your fallow ground and do not sow among thorns.” Jeremiah 4:3
The beauty of the Lord’s doing wasn’t intended for hardened hearts or thorny ground. I had to wait, during the process of restoration, to remove thorns and rocks that only choked out the good things to come.
Happy Gardening, my friends. Even in the fallow ground, the Lord is ever present, doing a great and mighty work in the land. -
Growing Oxblood Lilies by Seed
Isn’t this the coolest? I am obsessed! Some Oxblood Lilies are still in bloom, while others are in different of the seed process. Some Oxbloods don’t produce viable seeds at all. For some odd reason, I find this utterly fascinating. I have chronicled the last few weeks of Oxblood Lily seedpod development on my Instagram/FB accounts, which has brought me ridiculous amounts of fun. I have managed to figure how to put music to reels (huge step into this techno-century). Even my daughter laughed at my latest dorky song choice….I laughed too. I’m still laughing. The absurdity of gardeners who love their plants is immense, and yes….borderline psychotic, but in a joyfully good way. I think we all need good diversions in life that bring us joy. For me, it is watching my lilies go to seed.
If you Google “do Oxblood Lilies go to seed?” most sights will say no. About 15 years ago, I had a hunch that mine did. I spotted way too many rogue Oxbloods throughout the yard. The relocation of lilies by Squirrels and small children were a distinct possibility, I decided to do a little science project. I did the whole “seed in paper moist paper towels” thing, and much to my joy, they sprouted. I did plant them as they grew and quickly lost track of my seed babies. Now I’m more savvy. I’m not knee-deep in violin concerts alongside peanut butter and honey child-rearing. My littles have all grown up, I have a somewhat of an empty nest and a lot of Oxblood Lily seeds to cultivate. The last 15 years, I have allowed nature do what it wants to do with the lily seeds. This year, I’m more intentional. I’m collecting the seeds and germinating them.
Lily seeds enjoy a moist environment. I have half of my seeds in the moist paper method, and half my seeds in tea cups placed all around my music studio. No, I don’t have a greenhouse so I have to take a chance that my young violinists won’t throw the cups at each other while my back is turned. So far, so good. It’s been a few days, so I happily wait for green little sprouts. Patience is a virtue in which I apparently need. That’s the only real explanation on why this process is so thrilling for me. I have offered up free seedpods to folks to try their luck at growing Oxblood Lilies by seed. I’ve never sent Lily seeds via mail before, so if you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear them. 🙂 Remember, I’m not a botanist, I just play one on Web MD.
Happy Gardening my friends!
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Oxblood Lily Season in the Fall Texas Garden
Thank you for visiting this little flower blog.
Gardens restore the soul, and let’s face it….we all need it.The Oxblood Lily is also know as the Redemption Lily. The hot days of Summer are over. The refreshing rain and cooler temperatures bring the Oxblood Lilies to full bloom. The soul of the gardener is restored and renewed.
Happy Gardening, my friends.
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The Flex of the Tropical Spider Lily
If Tropical Spider Lilies could speak, there would be a lot of flexing going on with the other flowers in the garden….
”Really? Is that all you got?”
”You know what they say about bulbs with big blooms…”
”I remember blooming like that when I was just a wee baby bulb.”
”Oh, how sweet. You decided to bloom a cute little flower.”
Come to think of it, even gardeners with Tropical Spiders flex among other gardeners. Take, for instance, my family friend “Bonnie” (name possibly changed to keep her bulbs safe from bulb diggers like myself). I received a private message the other day with a “Look what I have blooming.” Basically, an “in your face!” picture of a magnificent clump of White Spiders.
“Where did you get those lilies?!”“You gave them to me.”
”Well, I want them back. I’m coming right over to dig them up!”
Too bad she lives 3 hours away. She knew her bulbs were safe. I could hear her little chuckles through the typed words of her messages. I bet my Mother put her up to this….My Tropical White Spiders bloomed about a week after the infamous flexing message. Then my phone broke, which was probably a result of the bad words I had considered using when my Spiders had STILL had not bloomed.
So I gave them a hefting watering. Twice. Then magically, just like that, my Tropical White Spider Lilies bloomed.
If my phone hadn’t lost all my contacts, my little garden flexes to Bonnie would have been rampant.
”Mine are bigger than yours.”
”Here’s what a *real* Spider Lily looks like!”
(And my favorite) “Anything yours can do, mine can do better” sung in the style of the old musical Annie Get Your Gun.
Every now and then, some flowers in the garden simply stand out among the other peasant plants. Tropical White Spiders just demand your full attention. The blooms are large, captivating and completely over the top gorgeous. A perfect flower for a little playful banter with your friends, and a little flex among the other garden flowers….if only Tropical Spider Lilies could speak.
Happy Gardening, my friends!
Love, Keenan @Heirloombulbgirl””
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The Superpower of Bulbs. Finding Faith by “Dodging Death by Dormancy”
Here we are, sweating hot and grumbling in 105 degree summer heat, and the Crinum be like “Nope. Not havin’ it. I’m going back to sleep.”
I want to have that superpower….the ability to simply remove myself from heated situations or troublesome times. I want to magically take myself out of a hot environment, cool off and simply wait for some rain to bloom beyond anything else in the garden. What an incredible superpower to have!Crinum are indeed a special bulb. Most of the hot summer, they sway back and forth between a green clump with a gorgeous lily, and a haggard-looking pile of death. Last summer, during the drought, the Crinum looked like they were all at death’s door, merely stubs of crispy brown remnants of foliage. Ah, but they weren’t dead at all. Not even close. The Crinum were just saving their strength and resting in the cool of their little sanctuary below the ground. Dodging death with an incredible ability to remove themselves from the heat and just wait for their perfect opportunity to re-emerge with a boom.
There are many bulbs that sleep quietly and hide out underground during their dormant seasons. I find this attribute utterly fascinating. For instance, how does a bulb determine it’s specific season to grow and bloom? How does an Oxblood Lily or Spider Lily not get fooled by the summer rain, only to wait quietly and bloom like no other in the first downpour of the Fall? The mere fact that flower bulbs have unwavering fortitude to wait in the hard seasons, blooming beautifully when the rain comes is nothing short of the description of faith….the ability to believe in things that are not seen, hoping for things beyond their circumstances.
Crinum are my summer reminders of faith. Crinum give me hope through the heated struggle of gardening in a Texas summer, when everything appears to die before my eyes. When times are tough, Crinum simply retreat to their quiet place….a sanctuary. They are restored, renewed and recharged. Crinum don’t fight their circumstances with yelling, screaming, debating or grumbling. Crinum simply find their quiet place, believing beyond the 105 degree weather that “this too shall pass.” The weather *will* cool off, the rain *will* come and the beautiful Crinum *will* share its bloom again….believing in things not yet seen, hoping for things beyond their circumstances. I need flower bulbs like Crinum to remind me where my true source of power is….not in myself, or a perfect environment, with perfect people in a perfect world. On the contrary, my superpower is my faith in Him, Who created it all….seasons of great beauty and seasons of wait. I rest in the quiet of the sanctuary of the Lord, fully knowing that He is the true power source of all…even the little Crinum.
”O God.
You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary;
To see Your power and Your glory.” -Psalms 63:1-2
It is another hot summer afternoon. The garden is showing off it’s many shades of crispy brown foliage, but the Crinum are all in wait…..their season is coming. Remember, your Heirloom Bulbs aren’t dead….they are simply cooling off below the earth, dodging death by dormancy. 🙂
Happy Gardening, my friends! Love, Keenan @heirloombulbgirl
Heirloombulbgirl 