Full Circle

Well, the tulips have gone and done it. They've won my heart, for starters. And my respect too.

Oh, yes, I'll admit it: the bulbs were a chore to plant.  It was a little cold at the end of October, and I was over yard work for the season, plus the bulb planter is a bit awkward. (Right?!)  There was certainly no instant gratification involved, like there usually is with gardening. (pause while all the millennials check out) The thing is, tulips take their slow, sweet time, morphing into something spectacular in the dark, dirty depths of the winter garden. Six months, to be exact, from planting to bloom. Sturdy little devils, no?

It's hard to say what I like best about the whole tulip cycle. Not the Planting of the Bulbs, for sure. But. The anticipation, after those first little green shoots appear is pretty delicious. The trek out to the garden everyday, marveling over every minute growth spurt; also exciting. And then, at long last, the blooms! And blooms, and blooms! Maybe I doubted them, because I was actually surprised when they finally exploded into full, glorious bloom. 

Tulips, it appears, are about planning, planting, and waiting. And waiting.

Did I mention waiting? 

And, then….Cue angel choir singing...

Be still my heart. This.is.perfection.

Once they started blooming, I filled every vase I owned with tulips, and then I filled other people’s vases. It turns out they last almost as long as cut flowers as they do in the garden, which is approximately 3 weeks. Three glorious, glorious weeks. After a Chicago winter, three weeks of blooming tulips will change your life.

I cannot overstate their pure, fresh beauty. I found myself out there in the front yard cutting and admiring almost everyday. (My neighbors are accustomed to my idiosyncrasies, y'all. I cut my own grass, for Pete’s sake. That makes me certifiable here in the Chicago suburbs.) But the tulips - oh the tulips. I could not get enough of the tulips. I've never grown them before, as you probably know from my Tulip Envy post, back in October. South Louisiana lacks optimal conditions for tulip-propagation; namely, an actual winter. The Midwest, however, is prime.

I was inspired, you might recall, by the gorgeous and prolific gardens of Charlie McCormick of Dorset, England. Charlie, effortlessly managing his gardens in the most quaint and English possible way, made me a believer. Now, I've come full circle, from admiring, to doing, and finally, to reaping the reward. I speculated, back in October, that, as with all things garden, the reward would be worth the effort. I was wrong. This reward exceeded my efforts - and expectations - by a country mile.

Tulips don't require replanting every year, as they are a bulb and bulbs just stay in the ground and perform on cue. But, I'll do it again. In fact, I'll do it again this year, because I'll be planting tulip bulbs in a different garden this year,  at a different house. But that's a post for another day. Today, I'm savoring the memory of my first (bumper) tulip crop, and coming, blissfully, full circle. 

Curious? Here's more on the history of tulips, and a link to the Amsterdam Tulip Museum.