Heirloombulbgirl

Tag: spring

  • The Backwards Garden

    “Mr. Privilege, It’s a Laramie… No, that’s not right.”

    ”You’re upside down, Sir.”

    The iconic scene in the 1970’s movie ‘What’s Up Doc’ is a perfect way to describe the gardens at the Agape Haus Music Studio. I am the first to admit that I did everything backwards. It is now the 8th Winter after the flood, and I am *still* finding, moving and discovering plants and bulbs that were hurriedly dumped at the music studio. Call it a continuous Easter Egg hunt for adult gardeners. I also like to move plants around like other people move their furniture, so no plant is safe from my shovel.

    I garden backwards…

    I’m upside down.

    I am the upside down gardener who creates nothing out of something, and I like it. I like the challenge of being completely unorganized and nonsensical. I like having a garden full of only foliage, questioning my own sanity at any given moment. Basically, I just really like my sweet little backwards garden. 🙂

    If you are up for the challenge, here are a few illogical steps to create your very own backwards garden. Trust me, it’s fun.

    1. Get some flower bulbs (the more the better) and plant them anywhere in your yard.
    2. Don’t mark your flower bulbs because that would be too logical. If you do happen to mark the random clumps of bulbs, make sure to use labels will either come off or get rubbed off. If your markers *do* last an entire season, invite the gophers to chew up your wooden markers (the ones that you hand painted). Spouses with weed-eaters work well too.
    3. Once you fill up your yard with randomly planted bulbs, the bulb foliage will go dormant. This is when the fun really begins! Make sure to forget where the bulb clumps have been planted. Now, you are able to dig in your yard and completely disturb your flower bulbs every single time you put your shovel into the earth.
    4. As you dig, debating about the specimen plants that should’ve been planted FIRST in your garden, you will accidentally hit some random bulbs that you forgot about. That’s normal when you’re upside down. Now you will have to wait an entire year until the bulbs come up. Thus, another year goes by without specimen plants. (You remind yourself that you should’ve marked those darn bulbs with appropriate markers, but you will do it next year with more useless markers).
    5. Always hand paint artistic gardening signs on surfaces that will peel. This is huge. Signs are best when you can’t read them.
    6. Most of your flower bulbs will be happy in their new home, but always second guess nature. Spend your time moving your bulbs here and there (randomly ofcourse), giving sun-loving bulbs plenty of shade and visa-versa.
    7. Enjoy every single moment spent in your much loved, backwards garden. 🙂

    Happy Gardening, my friends! I’m off to go dig!

  • The Multigenerational Family of Bulbs

    Just look at that! What a sweet family photo!
    Scott Ogden, in his book Garden Bulbs for the South, describes the growth of Oxblood Lilies perfectly…
    “No other Southern bulb can match the fierce vigor, tenacity, and adaptability of the Oxblood Lily.”
    After 30 years of rescuing, growing and preserving Heirloom Oxblood Lilies from old German homesteads, I have to agree. There is an incredible family unit that is found in each clump of bulbs that has been lifted.

    Scott Ogden came for a visit after our house was destroyed in the flood in 2018. I was in the process of moving all the gardens and bulbs to Agape Haus Studio & Garden. Scott had heard that I had lost my cherished copy of his book, so he and a gardening friend came and brought me a signed copy! We walked through the gardens, and I showed them my restoration goals for the scrappy, rock-infested land. I also showed them the beautiful old Live Oak trees with sandy loam conditions that were PERFECT for bulbs. They both looked at me like I was crazy.

    “That’s a lot of work”

    After all, I was a full-time working musician with a family to tend to.

    “Well, I *did* tear down an old ratty house next door, in between violin lessons, just to save that tree. Crazy is as crazy does.” 🙂

    I grabbed a shovel and dug up an enormous clump of old Oxbloods. This multigenerational family of Oxbloods had been featured in an article “Saving the Gardens for Miss Margaret”. Scott and Greg couldn’t believe how huge the clump was, and how many hundreds of bulbs were in that bulb family clump! They also couldn’t believe that I was “just giving” them these beloved bulbs. Yes, Oxbloods have a pretty high street value for fellow gardeners. In my mind, no one really “owns” their flowers…they are meant to be shared and enjoyed. We are all just care takers for the Lord’s creative beauty through nature and gardens.

    As Oxblood Lilies grow, the old bulbs get older and larger, babies bulbs grow and swirl around the parent bulb until they finally grow big enough to be on their own. These offshoots then split off and start their own little families. The baby bulbs grow into parent bulbs…hence, the multigenerational aspect of the Oxblood Lily.
    Yesterday I dug up a nice clump for donation. As I divided the bulbs, I counted 22 very large old Grandparent bulbs, not including the all the parent and littles.
    Old bulbs grow and multiply faster than smaller bulbs, but don’t worry, we all become our Grandparents’ someday! We just need to keep nurturing and watering during growing season.

    if you’d like to have some beautiful Oxblood Lilies added to your garden, simply email me, check out Etsy (it’s usually sold out tho) or come see me at the studio 1st and 3rd Fridays, by appointment.

    Happy Gardening, my friends!

  • Spiders in the Garden (part two)

    Fall in Texas is not defined simply by weather patterns. Fall in Texas is defined by the exquisite red blooms of the Oxblood Lily and the red Spider Lily. Few flower bulbs are as bold and vivacious as these flower bulbs are. These lilies are tough, surviving years of neglect, and provide a happy reminder of good times to come in the Southern garden.

    My first Spider Lily was found at our little home in Dallas. The lily grew in a crammed flower bed next to our sidewalk. I tried multiple times to retrieve the bulb, but I’d pull out only chunks of the bulb…only to have more Spiders in the garden the following year. The house was a 1950’s cottage style house of 1,100 square feet. People were a lot more content with simplicity back then, and cherished their flowers. The folks that lived in the house after the original owners let the garden beds go. The Spider Lilies were the only flowers that remained. I fell completely in love.

    Normally I am not drawn to “fancy”, but Spider Lilies are different. Their fanciness comes from a place of the heart. The bold flower is so vivid, it can be spotted from anywhere in the garden. One single Spider can rise tall and demand attention from onlookers, but humble enough to allow other flowers to bloom beautifully the rest of the year. Spiders aren’t like Bougainville, which take over the conversation. Spider Lilies are content to shine for a few weeks, then let others do the same. Spiders compliment other plants without stealing the joy.

    A single Spider is noteworthy, but I have found that flower bulbs do enjoy being a part of a family of bulbs. I always plant my flower bulbs together in groups of 5 or more, spaced loosely, but close enough for roots to touch. Spiders thrive planted in families. Spider lilies also enjoy afternoon shade, knowing that a Texas Summer is brutally hot. Protect your flower bulbs from the extreme elements. Planting native ground covers or gentle perennials are also helpful. More of under-planting and over-planting in subsequent blogs. For now, if you can get your hands on some Spiders, they are a great addition to any garden. Try Southern Bulb Company, Old House Gardens or the Tyler or Rockwall Master Gardener Bulb Sales. All great choices 🙂

    Happy Gardening, my friends!

  • 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!

  • 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