Ode to a Tulip

Little red tulip
Waiting under the cold snow
It is almost time.

Okay, so I am no poet. That was a humorous attempt to write a haiku to a tulip. The sentiment still stands though, no? 

I've been wondering all winter what my bulbs are doing. My readers might remember that last November I planted 450 bulbs. Are they putting out roots? Are they starting to grow? Are they sleeping? Do they feel the sunshine? Will the snow ever melt? When will I be able to assess the fruits of my labor? When will it be summer? I have really been looking forward to summer life: working from home, and research and writing, and with any luck -- running again. But, I digress.  

I found this little graphic and timeline about the life of a tulip online. It is very useful! 


Can you see the numbers beside the bulbs? We are apparently in stage 4, which is called the "Growing Period." This will roughly last through March and then we will enter "Bloom Time." I have some old, forgotten bulbs that seem to be "early bloomers." Pun intended! Our first fall in Amesbury I planted bulbs in front of our house. They were very successful the first spring, but not so much after that. Our house sits right on the street. We have about 24" between the house and the street; it is hard to keep this area free of dirt and leaves, so I have basically let it go. But, the area gets early morning sun and is close to the foundation which provides added warmth. As a result, every spring some bulbs come up and remind me of the hope and promise that I felt when we first moved into our home on the Powwow in Amesbury. To my great surprise the other day, I found these delightful tulips exercising their right to spring, sunshine, and the passage of time. How sweet it is!


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