In the Garden #1

Almost a year as one who tends a garden and the goal is still to just not mess it up. There’s a joy in stewarding something so well-created. I continue to be thankful for the hard work that was done to the beautiful landscape. I thought that the daffodils would be the last of the surprises in my yard, but boy was I wrong.

ENTER TULIPS.

A year and half ago I didn’t like flowers. They were just going to die and need to be thrown away. They were an extra chore. And now I’m incredibly proud of these purple bits of magic springing up from the ground.

Here’s what I’ve learned so far about them:

  • There are 150 species of tulips

  • They don’t last long. The flowers typically only last about a week, but if the temperatures are cooler in the spring they’ll stick around a few weeks

  • Purple represents loyalty

  • Tulips, like lilies (they’re in the lily family), can be mildly toxic to humans and pretty toxic to animals

  • They’re perennial bulbs, so they’re coming back each year and will need to be thinned out every few years. They display best in groups of 10.

  • Tulips can be any color but blue

  • Plant in full sun and prune mid-late summer when the leaves start to turn yellow

What plant has surprised you in your yard?

sara dixon