Heirloombulbgirl

Tag: bulbs

  • The Garden of Givers

    They say it takes thirteen years to establish a garden. Yes, you read that correct…..thirteen years. Establishing a garden isn’t just the fun purchase of your favorite new flower. To establish something is purposeful, hoping for permanence. The established garden is not a man-made forced moment of flower-perfection, but a beautiful habitat for all natural things, blooming for generations to come. These old gardens are givers. The heirloom plants are in it for the long haul. Many of the Heirloom bulbs I salvage are from homesteads that date back to the mid 1800’s. Can you imagine tearing down and ripping out those old gardens?!
    Tasha Tudor’s gardens are beautiful examples of an established garden. I long to see a day when my young little fledgling-of-a-garden begins to take off and fly on its own. I love to visit old homesteads that are preserved, and I marvel at the old rose varieties and the heirloom beauty that keeps on giving.


    Established plants within those old gardens behave differently than modern store-bought varieties. Take, for instance, the “Queen’s Wreath” Coral Vine, an old Southern favorite. Many gardeners (including my Mother-in-Law) have tried to get this beautiful vine to establish, with little to no success. This particular vine comes to mind because I recently relocated a very old clump that I salvaged years ago. The vine was easily 50 years old. While I dug, I discovered bulbs attached to the roots. I had no idea that Coral Vine was a bulb! After researching, I discovered that in order for a Coral Vine to establish, a bulb is necessary for the vine to survive. The bulb becomes the life line to the old vine….a giver. I find this extremely fascinating. Unfortunately, many old varieties of plants, including Queen’s Wreath, are lost with the modern “progress” of house tear-downs.
    *Side-note*……I’m curious to know if the vine can be split with multiple bulbs, but I’m not brave enough to try. If any of you know the answer, please let me know. 🙂

    As I dug the Coral Vine, I stumbled upon a little clump of bulbs near the Coral Vine. When bulbs are damaged during a house teardown, I stick them in any open spot in the garden, and simply hope for the best. If an Oxblood Lily is damaged, the bulb will actually revive itself through creating baby bulbs in it’s place. The parent bulb becomes “a giver” to preserve the bulb’s heritage. In this case, 15 tiny little baby Oxbloods. I love it. I love the fact that even plants take care of their own. I love the fact that old heritage bulbs will outlive you and I, and the beauty of the established flower garden keeps on giving. I love the fact that the preservation of these heirloom beauties is never in vain. When I’m long gone, these flower bulbs will remain, blooming happily for generations to come.
    Deep down, I think that most gardeners are givers, just like the Oxblood Lily, pouring themselves into the next generation of flower lovers. What a great legacy you are leaving. Keep on giving and sowing seeds of beauty.
    Happy Gardening, my friends.

    Love, Keenan at Heirloombulbgirl

  • Snowflakes in the Garden


    A few days ago, the delicate blooms of Summer Snowflakes began to appear. A nice part about present is the ability to see subtle changes throughout the garden. Bulb gardens are one of God’s little ways to keep our eyes fixed and focused on things that truly matter. If we get too busy in day-to-day life, we might miss a flower bulb that blooms just once a year. Imagine if you miss it! This moment by moment journey of a bulb gardener resembles what God desires from each one of us…..to be truly present, with our eyes fixed on Him. What a beautiful allegory.

    I received my first Summer Snowflake bulbs from a dear friend. Mia lived down the street from our family in a cozy little “Leave it to Beaver” kind of neighborhood. Our children grew up together, playing endlessly. The kids ran back and forth between houses, enjoying the natural world of a lovely tree-lined street with beautiful gardens everywhere. Mia was from Sweden and our parenting styles were very similar….natural. We had many bulb swaps and old-fashioned pass-along plant exchanges. Our little street was filled with elderly couples who raised their own children in the small 1950s cottages. It was a quaint and humble street. Mia and I were privileged to get to know the older generations on the block, and we enjoyed learning life wisdom from their unique perspectives. We sadly watched our cherished neighbors pass on, and the little cottages turn into McMansions. I truly cherish my memory-filled Summer Snowflakes from Mia, and think of those early-childhood days each time the Snowflakes bloom.

    My second batch of Snowflakes came from a much different set of circumstances. A moment of sheer motivation and determination to salvage beautiful bulbs from their unfortunate ratty existence. I think the thought in my brain was “Omygosh! I *NEED those bulbs!” and I quickly flipped a quick U-turn on the highway. My husband says that my “super-human power” is to be able to spot bulb foliage in random places while driving 80 mph. Yet, most days I can’t even find my car keys. Go figure!
    The bulbs were on the side of the highway, in front of a junky old fence. The owner was thrilled to give me a shovel and a bag to remove “the weeds” from his yard.

    ”Sir, those aren’t weeds. Those are bulbs.”
    “Whatever they are, just dig ‘em up!”

    So I did. Quite happily. It’s always nice to help someone out….AND salvage some Heirloom Bulbs!

    The Summer Snowflake bulbs happily resided in the gardens at the flooded house, nestled comfortably under large pecan trees. After the flood, all bulbs came to the studio, being dumped anywhere an open space existed. The poor Snowflakes ended up in a full-sun, barren piece of yuk. Needless to say, I had been too busy in my own frantic world to notice (or nurture anything) in the garden. I tried to be present, but I was still on “salvage mode”, a necessary place to be but not a good place to stay. We all have those “salvage” moments, whether by a rescued flower bulb or stray dog, a time-consuming casserole that burnt to a crisp (or in my case, blew up), a failed exam, or a family situation that is simply falling apart. We turn our brains into “salvage mode”, to save what we can.
    After a salvage, nurturing begins….and boy did my little Snowflake Bulbs need some love. A few weeks back, I dug up all the Snowflakes and relocated the bulbs to their “forever hone”. The bulbs now have morning sun with afternoon shade, avoiding the full heat of summer. The ground also has nice, rich soil that I have tended to for quite a while. A beautiful spot for Snowflakes in the garden.

    Spring is a time for renewal, and I pray that your eyes may stay focused on what truly matters. If you are in “salvage mode”, I pray that you may see the beauty that awaits on the other side.
    “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore, my heart is glad…” -Psalm 16:8

    Happy Gardening, my friends!
    Love, Keenan @heirloombulbgirl

  • An Oxblood Lily from Miss Margaret’s Garden

    I spent the last few days moving Oxblood Lilies. Typically when I salvage bulbs from a tear-down, I stick them anywhere I can find an open spot in the garden. Later, I might go back to “decorate” the garden landscape with the bulbs in their “forever homes” (or at least, their home until I get bored). Each clump of Oxbloods is unique due to the age of the bulb or the growing conditions. One particular clump of Oxbloods caught my eye. The original parent bulb was in the middle, warmly surrounded by a beautiful family of healthy bulbs….nine offshoot bulbs, to be exact. Some clumps look like the bulbs are being suffocated….but not this clump. It looked perfectly happy to share its life with the offshoots, and all 10 bulbs were happy and healthy.

    The sheer vigor and fortitude of the Heiloom Oxblood Lily is truly untouchable by other lily bulbs. Scott Ogden once said that the Oxblood is the hardiest of all Southern Bulbs, and I absolutely agree with him. I’ve seen Oxbloods grow through cement rubble of house tear-downs, compacted earth from bulldozer tracks, drought-stricken land, and the list goes on and on. Oxblood Lilies are survivors. Let’s face it….we all need survivors in our life. Over the years, I’ve learned a lot from the Oxblood Lily. Through seasons of drought, gardeners throughout the South are reminded of the redemptive beauty found after the first rain of Fall.

    Oxblood Lilies originally traveled to the United States by way of their German immigrants. These lilies can still be found growing alongside old homesteads throughout the South.
    It is simply incredible to see a flower bulb survive throughout the 1900’s. Old gardens become a direct link to the past…to the days of pass-along plants and quiet cups of tea shared among garden friends.

    This lovely Oxblood was one of the bulbs rescued from Miss Margaret’s former home in Rockdale, Texas. Years ago, I wrote an article about the house in Heirloom Gardener Magazine entitled Saving the Gardens for Miss Margaret. If I knew how to link the article, I would….but Sorry, folks. This is about as tech-savvy as I get. Needless to say, Miss Margaret’s lovely gardens are now a parking lot for the police station. The beautiful historic three story house was torn down to make way for the police station. The original stained-glass filled house was built in the 1800’s. After Miss Margaret passed, the house deteriorated beyond repair. Before the tear down, I dug countless times. I was able to preserve thousands of her treasured Heirloom Bulbs. It makes me almost physically ill to watch century old flowers like this end their beauty, trapped under cement lots. Unfortunately, that happens frequently through the modern progress of rural development. I’ve been determined to save as many Heirloom Bulbs from old homestead tear-downs as I can.

    Each Heirloom Oxblood gives redemption to the garden. If you would like to have an Oxblood Lily from Miss Margaret’s garden, please let me know. I’m happy to share with you. Or you can order flower bulbs from Heirloombulbgirl on Etsy. All proceeds go directly back into the gardens. 
    Happy Gardening, my friends!
    Love, Keenan at Heirloombulbgirl

  • Bloom in the Freeze

    Another hard freeze came our way…just in time to wipe out all the Paperwhites that are in bloom. Nature is funny that way. If I had a dollar for every time a flower bulb was *just about to bloom* but nature stepped in and wiped it all out, I’d be rich. It’s hard to watch precious flower bulbs have set backs. It’s hard to watch people have set backs too. I suppose we all have moments in our lives when life’s uncontrollable events hinder our instinct to bloom. I read once that people are like stained glass. It is easy to be beautiful when the sun is out and everything is shining. It’s hard to actually shine in the darkness.

    For the last three years, Winter has delivered hard freezes at the exact same time my Paperwhites bloom. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that nature is trying to teach me something. This year, I got wise and covered many of the blooming bulbs with large plastic flower pots. Two days ago, I removed the covering pots to find the bulbs were happy and snuggly….blooms perfectly healthy. What I didn’t realize was that another hard freeze was scheduled that night. The freeze proceeded to wipe all the bulbs out. Nature is funny. Although the heirloom bulbs won’t die from a freeze, I lose the beautiful bloom that happens only once a year. What exactly is the moral of this story? Dig up the Paperwhites and throw them in the compost heap? Give up? Be like dingy stained glass, refusing to bloom in the freezing darkness?

    I don’t think gardeners plant flowers for the moments of perfection. I think most of us like to watch things grow. We learn about ourselves through nurturing our gardens. Our hearts delight in watching a prized cabbage rose bloom for the first time after a long battle with thrips, and our hearts break in the loss of a cherished heirloom bulb, eaten by gophers. Gardeners stay the course, for better or for worse and against all odds, simply to bring natural beauty to dark, technology-driven world. Gardeners are stained glass folks who *choose* to bloom in the darkness. Maybe that’s why I grow flower bulbs….I need to be reminded each and every day to bloom in spite of my circumstances.

    ”The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.
    His mercies never come to an end.
    They are new every morning.
    Great is Thy faithfulness, oh Lord.”

    This morning, the weather is in the teens. All Paperwhites have frozen back, but my heart is not defeated. My thoughts are already planning to rearrange the areas with Paperwhites, to make the covering-process more accessible. I am also gearing up for the Spring Bloom, hoping to order some more daffodils from Southern Bulb Company, and some heirloom dahlias from Old House Gardens. Life continues on and next year, I won’t be caught off guard for the surprise freeze.

    Happy Gardening. my friends! Keenan at Heirloombulbgirl

  • To Nurture a Garden


    There are two types of gardeners in this world……organized, neat and tidy, everything-in-symmetry kind of gardeners, and then there’s everyone else. If you know me, you already know which camp of gardeners I fall into. Let me just pull back the curtain of Oz a little bit more. I have no fewer than 25 unfinished gardening projects going on at any given time. The word “frazzled” is my middle name in Greek, and it fits like a ripped up, dirt-stained glove. I am the complete opposite of any type of “garden influencer” you might read about. In fact, there’s probably a psychological study that could be done on my gardening style, but that’s beside the point. Let’s just say that I am extremely fortunate to have these beautiful Heirloom Flower Bulbs that make my gardens worthy enough to talk about. If it weren’t for the flowers, I’m afraid I’d be forced to be the world’s worst golfer. Thank goodness for the gardens!!

    In honor of the New Year, I decided to toast to the fact that I most likely will not finish my gardening “to-do” list, or any of the unfinished projects that I enjoy muddling around with. But instead, my new gardening resolution is simply to nurture what I have already accomplished.


    Nurturing is a gardening concept that is rarely allowed in the mind of a busy gardener. There are so many garden chores to do that nurturing a single flower seems like a complete waste of time. Gardeners tend to focus on “important” tasks such as flipping the compost pile or spreading cardboard upon a weed-infested area. Garden tasks give us a sense of purpose, a feeling of success and a cool “badge of honor” among our gardening friends. Our society is driven by work, and that drive to work is carried over into the garden. To nurture something feels…well, less adequate. What does “naturing” even mean?

    Nurturing becomes the quiet, still moment of committing yourself to the growth of something beyond yourself. Ralph Waldo Emerson describes success as “Leaving the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition.” True success is the ability to nurture life, and to be able to look at oneself and to see that you are connected with all of nature, including humankind.
    Nurturing a garden looks a bit different to each gardener, but the end goal is the same….to leave a little piece of the earth better than when we found it. Some gardeners focus on growing plants by nurturing seeds, while others focus on creating and nurturing a habitat for wildlife, such as Butterfly Sanctuaries. To nurture is to see beyond the hurried moment, and take the time to instill love and goodness into something with complete selflessness.

    Over the years, I have learned a lot about nurturing through rescuing flower bulbs from tear-downs. I have pulled bulbs to freedom out of rubble, and have enjoyed the redemptive process in watching each unique bulb grow strong enough to bloom. I have found chewed up remnants of bulbs, completely destroyed by their unfortunate events, redeem themselves to full beautiful glory. In fact, my favorite group of bulbs, my “survivor bulbs”, managed to grow out of the compacted ground of bulldozed flood debris. I lovingly dug out each remaining bulb from the hard earth, not for any other reason than the bulbs’ sheer will to live.

    This year, I decided to step off the hurried, frazzle-bus, and commit time each day to simply nurturing my flower bulbs. I am being intentional about where to plant flowers. Bulbs need to be visible and present while blooming, but non-invasive to the gardens when growing. That’s a lot to expect for any flower, but bulbs are worth it. Foliage can be a continued bother to many non bulb-loving folks. Lining garden paths, house foundations, driveways or creating specified areas within the garden will help bring an organized look within the carefree growing garden. Some bulbs, like Paperwhites, need a lot of water and sunlight while growing. Other bulbs, like the Oxblood Lily can flourish in any environment. Heirloom Bulbs are tough, but each variety of bulb has a different personality with different growing needs.

    Happy Gardening, my friends! May you find a beautiful balance in your garden between the moments of hard work, and the quiet, still moments to truly nurture what you love.

  • The Many Seasons of the Texas Gardener

    Feast or Famine.
    That’s what life is like in a Texas garden. One day, it can be 115 degrees with every plant in the garden sadly drooping, on the verge of death. The very next day, a delightful rain replenishes the parched earth and fills the garden with hope. Gardeners in Texas need to be tough, and so do their gardens. I can’t tell you how many times I threaten to throw in the shovel, and then….just like that, the weather changes (so does my attitude).

    Seasons in Texas are minimal….we have Summer.
    Light Summer, Heavy Summer and every other variety of Summer you can possibly imagine. Occasionally, we have a quick change of seasons, but if you blink, you might miss the change. Instead of moaning and groaning over the lack of seasonal change, I began associating seasons with the blooms of Heirloom Bulbs. My Texas Seasons have become Oxblood Lily Season, Crinum Season, Rain Lily Season, Paperwhite Season….well, you get the drift. 

    Flower Bulbs are truly a gift to the Texas Gardener. Bulbs rest quietly under the earth, sleeping peacefully through extreme weather conditions. I’m always surprised by the Fall showing of Oxbloods and Spider Lilies after a brutal summer. I honestly don’t even know how the bulbs survive, but somehow they do. I tend to be a garden “naturalist”, so I like to invest in Native Plants and Heirloom Bulbs that are proven winners. Over the years, I’ve wasted way too much money on forcing flowers to grow in wrong zones, just because of garden nostalgia. As much as I love Dutch Tulips, they simply won’t come back in Texas. Lucky for you, Lady Tulips will naturalize in our area so if you are desperate to plant Tulips, there ya go!

    Seasons change….not so much in Southern Gardens like Texas. Invest your time and energy into plants and flower bulbs that will bring a smile to your face and joy to your gardening heart. Seasons don’t have to be minimal and boring. Just ask any bulb enthusiast. 🙂

    Happy Gardening, my friends!
    Love, Keenan at Heirloombulbgirl