A Race Against the Rain

Here in the Pacific Northwest, fall usually means a return of the rain. Heck—sometimes it just starts raining and doesn't stop until the following summer. We had an unusually dry summer this year, so the rain is welcome.

Fall is also the time to plant spring-flowering bulbs. Just as the bulbs arrive, the rains start. We ordered over 800 bulbs this year to plant in our completely re-done front garden, and they all need planting now.

We're now playing a cat-and-mouse game with the weather, darting outside whenever the rain slows to a sprinkle and plunging more bulbs into the dirt. So far, we've planted 380, with four beds remaining to be planted.

Of course, the more rain we have, the wetter the soil becomes. It's become a race to get them all planted before the garden is just mud.

Here's what we're planting this fall:

Narcissus 'La Belle'
Narcissus 'Avalanche'
Tulipa batalani 'Bronze Charm'
Tulipa 'Tinka'
Tulipa whittalii
Allium aflatunense 'Purple Sensation'
Allium christophii
Chionodoxa forbesii 'Blue Giant'
Crocus flavus 'Golden Yellow'
Eremurus (Spring Valley Hybrids)
Galanthus elwesii
Iris reticulata 'Harmony'
Leucojum aestivum 'Gravetye Giant'
Lilium 'Red Hot'
Muscari latifolium
Muscari 'Valerie Finnis'
Triteleia 'Queen Fabiola'

Pictures next spring!