Heirloombulbgirl

Tag: bulbs

  • A Crinum Named Ellen

    Ah, Miss Ellen Bosenquat. What a lovely name for an even lovelier flower bulb. When all the other summer flowers are laying limp on the garden floor, Ellen rises up after a little rain and stately declares “All eyes on me!” Ellen steals the show every time. She is a bright, striking shade of dark pink and is definitely a Crinum worthy of catching. This month I’ve decided to showcase each wonderful Crinum. Ellen screamed pink the loudest, so she is featured first.

    Ellen Bosenquat Crinum, as with all Crinum, are extremely low maintenance, and easy flower bulbs to grow. These old-time flowers will flourish in your summer garden long beyond your years in the garden. My favorite fun fact about Heirloom Bulbs is that they will outgrow your children’s Grandchildren. In fact, I lay awake at night wondering what I’m going to do with all these beloved bulbs. Heirloom Bulbs just keep growing, growing and growing…..multiplying like rabbits, while I keep growing older, achier and tired! Bulb gardening with large bulbs like Ellen Bosenquat is like having a cute little petting zoo with elephants. If I’m not careful, Crinum will soon eat the studio for an afternoon snack.

    Ellen is a hearty bloomer and is currently showing her stuff in Southern gardens everywhere. I enjoy planting my Crinum in places near Paperwhites, which are dormant in the summer. I also whimsical wildflowers to grow near the larger bulbs for a nice texture, as well as Frog Fruit, and other native ground covers to spread out around the bulbs. Another wonderful attribute of Crinum is the shade they supply to the ground where spring bulbs can be co-planted, just remember where you plant your bulbs so they won’t get lost in a sea of Crinum.

    It’s June. A beautiful time of year for Ellen. May your gardens scream pink as loud as Ellen does. There are plans in the works for a monthly “pop-up” shop at the Agape Haus Studio and Garden. Heirloom Bulbs, natives, wildflower seeds, vintage china and flower pots will all be available. The first “pop up” sale will be over Labor Day Weekend. Limited large blooming Crinum will also be sold….including Ellen. Details to come. 🙂
    Happy Gardening, my friends!


  • Old Churches, Cool Fences and Snowdrops with Snakes! Oh My!

    One of my all-time favorite places to dig is in the small, rural town where my in-laws live. I am always amazed at the unbelievable amount of flower bulbs that grow in this area of Texas. Even throughout remote alleys, filled with cluttered debris, Oxblood Lilies and Narcissus grow wild. The sandy loam is perfect, the trees are grand and my salivating glands go in hyper drive while driving around looking for demolished houses with unwanted bulbs. Typically, it’s an adult scavenger hunt…

    ”Excuse me…do you happen to know who owns this property?”

    ”My nephew’s Father’s brother, who is in prison, owns the house. But he don’t care about them flowers.”

    ”Oh yes. I remember Miss Margaret quite well. I saw her every day when I walked by. She sure did love her flowers. I miss seeing her smiling face after the fire.”

    ”Eugenia lived in that old house until she was 90. It was her parents who planted the original gardens.”

    ”The lady who lived there passed away years ago, and the house is scheduled for demo. She loved those Snowdrops. You should take some. No one will mind.”

    So I did. Gratefully.

    There is something about saving the flowers from these old homesteads that preserves the memory of the gardener. In some way, it feels like preserving their legacy. I do hope that one day, the flowers that I have pulled from these old homesteads will continue to live on in other gardens.

    This past weekend, my husband joined me on a rare “spousal” scavenger hunt. I had spotted some very old Victorian wrought iron fencing that had been ripped up and discarded into a brush pile. (I know! I couldn’t believe it either!) We went through four people to finally locate the owner of the empty lot. We finally found “Bobby” at a convenience store. We asked him about the fencing and he looked at us like we were crazy.

    “The stuff in the trash?” Yes.

    Then, my husband being the superstar that he is, asked if I could also dig some flower bulbs near the brush pile. (Again, crazy)

    ”Sure. Take them all.”

    Somehow we wrangled the 17 foot iron fencing panels into the trailer. I started walking around the brush to start digging and a snake slithered near my flip flop. After all these years, I still don’t dress appropriately for digging. You’d think I would learn. I offered my Mother-in-Law some of the fencing, which she said an unfortunate “Yes!” 🙂

    It was a very good weekend. The old church still remains. Someday, I might drive by, the same way I have for the past 30 years, and find that it has fallen down. I certainly hope that the community will step in and restore it to its former glory. Until then, I will continue to just keep digging, and tell the
    stories of old gardeners who once loved their old gardens.

    Happy Gardening, my friends.


  • 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!

  • 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!

  • 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!

  • 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

    ””

  • Oxblood Lily Give Away

    In an effort to continuously beautify the world, or at least a flower garden or two, I’m giving away Oxblood Lilies to well-deserving, bulb-loving gardeners. 🙂

    If you’d like some lilies, simply send me a email at heirloombulbgirl@gmail.com about what you love best about the Oxblood Lily (or any Heirloom Bulb). If you aren’t familiar with lilies, just tell me what you love about gardening. I will send you 2 lovely Oxbloods *free* (shipping/handling will be around $8.00). If you live close, come on by to the studio and get your lovely lilies without the shipping charges. Once your Oxbloods arrive, put right into the ground, water in and wait for the first heavy rainfall of the Fall….and Voila! A beautiful red Oxblood Lily.

    Oxblood Lilies are powerful reminders of the redemptive process throughout the garden. When droughts and overwhelming heat bear down heavily on the soul, the Oxblood Lily becomes a beautiful reminder of renewal and hope.
    Every garden needs an Oxblood Lily.

    Looking forward to hearing from you!
    Happy Gardening, my friends! love, Keenan

  • The Texas Horticultural Society Garden Tour 2024

    Sometimes, a brick is worth a thousand words. In this case, my old salvaged brick was worth about three packages of old bulbs that Boone Holladay gifted me at the garden tour. Boone was one of the amazing horticulturists that I met at the recent garden tour. It was so enjoyable meeting such talented gardeners who are passionate in their specific fields. A huge thanks to Lisa Whittlsey, the driving force behind the conference.

    I can’t even begin to share my thankfulness and gratitude towards all those who helped make the gardens look beautiful. I was reading through last year’s journal about “working hard to get the gardens ready for something”, but I was completely unaware of what that future “something” would look like. Old journals remind us of how much things have grown. We can look back and see all the prayers that have been answered, and the dreams that have come true…..even the simplest little garden dreams.

    I would like to personally share my thanks to Faith Bridge, an adult Sunday School class at the Church of Horseshoe Bay. Faith Bridge has been instrumental in supporting the Agape Haus through their generous scholarships towards children’s lessons, instrument repair, music and garden supplies. I honestly could not do all that I do without their help and support behind the scenes. A lot of prayers go into a project such as the Agape Haus Studio and Garden. In fact, a few years back, Dwight and Jamie King helped turn the studio into a LLC. Dwight used to ask me what my dreams were….not just any dreams, but the big dreams. Dwight has been a constant encouragement along the way. Jamie, his lovely better half, volunteered her entire morning the day of the tour, polishing up the Studio itself, and spreading mulch in the Native Gardens. We had about 8 members of the class come to the gardens before the actual horticulture garden tour, and they were able to enjoy the fruit of their support.

    Family and friends also came to the studio to help out the cause. My in-laws put up the historic fencing from the former Higgabothom Mansion, as well as tree trimming, weed pulling, Iris planting, and overall general encouragement. My parents helped with snacks for the Sip and Stroll and enjoyed getting to know new friends. My dear friends and fellow musicians Doris Messer, Aileen Horan and Martha Rowlett put together some lovely handouts, decorated the Agape Haus beautifully, made the amazing “rack cards” and painted the barn and doors….because one should always start projects that can’t be finished right before a garden tour.

    Perissos Winery donated 4 cases of incredible wine for the tour. My husband, who has helped out at the winery for years, was in charge of the wine tasting and the Sip and Stroll. I figured if people were sipping on amazing wine, they wouldn’t notice all the weeds or gardening mishaps that I had throughout the gardens…..my assumption was correct. I think everyone had a lovely time. 🙂

    At the end of the tour, I was asked only one question….which variety of heirloom bulb is my favorite. I thought for a few moments….

    ”Definitely, the Oxblood Lily.”
    Honestly, the redemptive quality of this amazing flower bulb is unmatched by any other flower. I’ve seen Oxbloods grow up through the rubble of a tear-down and grow up from the compacted earth. The Oxblood is symbolic in the South of cooler temperatures after a long, hot summer. There are a million more reasons I love Oxbloods, but I simply concluded with the fact that every garden needs an Oxblood Lily….so I dug up a bunch of bulbs and shared. It was a good day.


    Gardeners are the kindest and best part of humanity. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the 2024 garden tour. Happy Gardening, my friends!

    love, Keenan @heirloombulbgirl

  • The Little Garden That Could

    In three days, the Texas Horticultural Society will be touring my humble little studio during their 2024 Conference. Needless to say, I have a lot of work to do. In fact, I am reminded about it every time someone hears about the distinguished guests coming for a visit. My family and friends all appear to have the same movie script.

    ”Do you understand what a big deal this is?? Keenan, you have A LOT OF WORK TO DO!”

    It’s always the same facial expression as well. Eyes bugged out of their heads as they look at the overwhelming amount of poppies that need to be dried, wildflower herds that need to be thinned, weed seeds that need to be cut, hay and mulch needs to be spread, dried bulb foliage that looks scrappy and the half painted barn that I decided to repaint because I don’t have enough to do. But hey, I’ve got this! Gardens always rise to the occasion.

    This past week, my Uncle-in-Law and his lovely wife Brenda brought the 150 year old picket fencing from the original Higginbothom mansion in Dublin, Texas. The house no longer exists, but the fencing had been salvaged yeas ago. When Brenda and Uncle Don heard about the special garden tour, they felt the fencing belonged at the studio. The fencing arrived on Tuesday, and gave them a quick tour of the gardens. Uncle Don’s facial expression was basically the same as all the others as he looked at me and said (in his matter-of-fact way) “Seven days? You’ve got a lot of work to do!”

    Don’t worry everyone! I’ve got this!

    Heres a little reminder of the past history of Agape Haus Studio and Garden, just to remember how far the little garden has come…

    *Purchased for $25K in 2014. Holes in walls were no extra charge.
    *Barn restored and chicken coop created.

    *Ratty chain link fencing torn down around beautiful Live Oak Tree and first garden planted.

    *Purchased the drug house next door for $15K and tore the thing down in between violin lessons. Found a falling down shed shell and had it moved by a neighbor and a bunch of football dudes. The wood used on the Potting shed was salvaged from the old tear down.

    *Llano Flood in 2018. All bulbs were moved from our flooded house to the studio grounds. Dug bulbs every day for much needed soul therapy. Remember, never leave your bulb babies behind.

    *Covid 2020. My Covid isolation project was eliminating the sticker-heaven in the back lot, while restoring the land. I pulled a large bucket of stickers every day, while digging out rock to create a path through the native garden, which was created in 2022.

    *The last chickens to survive the predator attacks were given away to a dear friend, and the coops were turned into potting sheds in 2023. Land began to restore and wildflowers began to bloom.

    *Two years back to back hard freezes, hard droughts and record-breaking temperatures. All Antique Roses were lost, and the gardens suffered. A dear friend stepped in a got Agape Haus a solar-paneled well storage tank. What a game changer!

    *Finally, Five large Invasive trees were removed last year (thanks to my hubs and son), the Veggie Garden established, the Large back Live Oak garden established, the Cut flower Garden created, Luciano’s meadow was created, and finally….I followed a landscaping company that had an enormous truckload of good dirt, and had it dumped to create the Lavender Garden….all in the last 2 years.

    *April 21-28….Do the Hustle! Fencing, snail-picking, Iris-planting, Weed-pulling, Prickly Poppy-cutting, Goldfish brought in, Lavender planting, and paint mishaps….all in a week.
    Thanks to my amazing friends and family who have supported me in this adventure.
    I’m truly excited to see what the little garden will look like in 3 more days. As always, it is only by the grace of the Lord and His guidance that any of this is made possible. It makes no sense. Honestly, how can a little violinist tear down a house? The Lord simply enables ordinary people to do extraordinary things. This garden is nothing without Him….I am nothing without Him. It is the Lord who whispers quietly “Just keep digging “, and so I do.

    The Little Gardens that Could. And I am so humbled and proud to be a part of the Texas Horticultural Society garden tour. Happy Gardening, my friends! Love, Keenan @Heirloombulbgirl


  • Coming Soon, To a Garden Near You!

    A few years ago, I saw the cutest plant stand while on vacation in Colorado. I thought the idea of “plants by donation” was totally charming. I had an old picnic table and an old farm door, and with the help of some teenagers, put together my first plant stand. It was blown over within a week. Wind and storms in Texas can get brutal! I nursed the poor little plant stand for a few months until it completely fell apart….then I was on to another project. It has been about five years since the original “plants by donation” idea was pressed upon my heart. Now the idea is back in full force, thanks to my husband.

    My husband and I rebuilt and moved one of the compost piles in front of the studio driveway. I’d actually love to close off the driveway completely, and let it be a shaded picnic area under the large old Live Oaks, but that’s for another day. Anyhow, the ugly compost heap got a nice new face lift with some very old 12 foot long carriage house doors that serve as the backdrop for the compost. I put a potting table on one side of the compost, just because it looks so cool. I stacked a lot of the old terracotta pots on top of the table, and Voila! just like that, I saw my future *unbreakable* plant stand! My children and husband had built a cutting garden last year at the studio. I’m thrilled to get some bouquets available for unsuspecting music students. I’ve also been moving Paperwhites to the cut flower garden, so the entire bed won’t be so lonely when all the flowers die back. This week I plan to seed all the Zinnias and other cut flowers. I will also offer heirloom flower bulbs in adorable vintage china teacups and vintage bowls.


    Our small little town does not have a garden shop. Gardeners have to drive for 45 minutes to get to the nearest organic garden shop. Our grocery store carries seasonal veggies and annuals, but nothing really interesting for the garden. There is a non-profit in the works called Keep Llano Beautiful. The plant stand should serve this noble endeavor well. I’m hoping gardeners from all over will add their extra plant babies as well. Take a bulb, leave a bulb. Pass-Along plants for everyone!

    I’m going to get to work on potting up some Heirloom Iris, Oxblood Lilies, Spiderwort, Texas Naives and other hard to find plants. Hopefully, “if the Lord is willing and the creek doesn’t rise”, the little plant stand will be open by the end of April. I will keep you posted.
    Happy Gardening, my friends!
    Love, Keenan at Heirloombulbgirl