Juana reminds me that we could use a line of bulbs along the fence that was extended late Summer. Outside the fence is now inside.
All of the local stores are out of daffodils filling their spaces with Christmas effluvia, but great deals can be had from mail order companies. I am able to get a 40 percent discount from one of my favorite vendors and (unlike prime planting season) the 300-daffodil-bulb order arrives at my house in three days. It’s never too late to dig in bulbs for the following Spring. As long as the soil is not frozen, daffodils, hythesins, and other bulbs can go into the ground. But not wanting to tempt fate, I look to plant the next day.
A morning frost skims the soil with a thin icy crust. But it is rocks (or Connecticut potatoes as Juana calls them) that thwart a quick and easy dig. Adding to the difficulty is an old asphalt drive that used to extend from the street around to the back of my yard. It had been removed decades ago, but chunks still remain.
Tossing them aside, I slowly dig holes that will hold between 10 and 20 bulbs. It feels like I am pulling more stones from each hole than the bulbs I am adding. Juana and Olivia come to supervise me and help plant a few bulbs. Their company makes the job go faster and soon I am finished, ready to go inside for a hot drink.
