Tulip

Tulip2

It is always nice to try something new. Just to see if you succeed or not.

In the autumn I bought few tulip bulbs and planted them to a pot. I left the pot to my balcony and took it in after Christmas. Just before it came too cold outside.

Tulip bulbs do not care if the weather goes below the freezing point. But when in a pot minus 25 Celsius is too much for them. Luckily managed to take them in just before the cold hit the north with its full fury.

After a month I am now able to enjoy the results of my experiment. First blooms have opened. Four months before the ones planted outside are starting their show.

PS. It is simply too warm for the tulips inside. I would take them out but unfortunately it is too cold. Having them outside would make them bloom longer.

Tulip1

flower, gardening

Amaryllis

Can it be too early to have Christmas flowers? Is it nearly the time? Or am I a bit ahead of the season this year?

Once again I was weak and could not resist the temptation. This seems to happen to me too often.

Saw the bulbs in a shop and ended up having winter’s first two amaryllises at home.

I am fond of large and spectacular flowers. Something that cannot go unnoticed. This makes amaryllis a perfect choice for me. Large, luscious blooms that are full of color.

Now I am just trying to resist the urge to buy some more.

PS. Do not water amaryllis too often. It just ends up growing a long stem.

flower, gardening

Casa Blanca

I do not know what it is with the lilies. It seems that I managed to buy many new varieties in the spring without even realizing what I was doing.

I guess it is that they last several years and are easy to maintain. They come in so many different forms and colors. You simply never going to have enough of them.

Casa Blanca was the one who made the largest blooms this summer. It sure is a successful cross between speciosum lily of China and auratum lily of Japan.

Now have them in my balcony but going to take them to the summer cottage before the first frost.

PS. Bought the bulbs from Amsterdam Tulip Museum and regret that I only bought two. Should have taken a larger amount.

flower, gardening

Red Flavour

As long as I can remember my grandmother has always had tiger lilies. Orange ones under the window. Those lilies must have been there more than 60 years. In the same spot and blooming each year.

She is now long gone but still some of the lilies grow each year reminding me of her and all the summers I spent in the farm as a child.

So many good memories. So many happy summers.

When I saw a red variant of the lily, Red Flavour, I simply had to have it. Just to continue the tradition but also to add a flavour of my own to it.

Now the red ones are blooming for the first time. Hope that they bring joy to someone when I am long gone.

PS. Bought the Red Flavours from http://www.viherpeukalot.fi.

flower, gardening

Pieton

It seems that I got a bit too exited in the spring. When I look into my balcony I just wonder how have I managed to squeeze all these plants in it. Now that everything has grown to full size it is a lot.

Well it was a long winter, and a long wait. So I may forgive myself over doing all the planting.

Anyway I am now on a two week vacation and my sister has promised to water the flowers. From the experience I can say that I will have less plants when I return. Not that she does not do her job but some of the pots I have are simply too small to have a long dry period.

It is autumn already up here in the north and less than a month to go for the first frost. It is inevitable that I must let my flowers go, eventually. Just want to prolong the goodbyes.

While I say the farewells to them I enjoy the bright colors of the Pietons. A lily which I planted way too late in June to the last empty pot I still happened to have, which I simply could not leave empty and unused.

PS. This lily seems to enjoy the direct sunlight and does not bloom well in a shade.

flower, gardening

Sweet Rosy

Sweet Rosy is my first double lily. Never tried to grow them before.

I planted two bulbs to a pot in my balcony early April and finally they are starting to bloom. Just love the structure and complexity of the bloom itself.

My plan is to move the bulbs to the summer cottage in the autumn and see if they are able to make it through the winter. I bought the bulbs from Amsterdam so do not know if they survive the cold season up here in the north.

PS. I bought my bulbs from the Amsterdam Tulip Museum http://www.amsterdamtulipmuseum.com. They mentioned that these bulbs are also available in http://www.fluwel.eu in Europe and in http://www.colorblends.com in the US.

flower, gardening

Lollypop

This year the Lollypop lilies were the first ones to bloom. I planted them in the spring and they seem to enjoy the cool summer weather.

Lilies are easy and do not need much attention. Perfect flowers for summer cottage where you cannot be all the time. They tolerate the cold winters and are reliable bloomers.

This year I planted many new varieties and all of them seem to do well.

Now I am just waiting the others to start their show. Unfortunately it will be another three weeks before I can visit the cottage again.

PS. Bought the Lollypops from http://www.viherpeukalot.fi.

flower, gardening

Tete-a-Tete

Sometimes you just get lucky! When gardening you never know are you heading for a success or for a total failure. This time I accidentally managed to plant something beautiful.

During Easter I always end up buying daffodils. They last few weeks in a pot and then you need to decide what to do with them. Last year I took mine to the garden and just stuck them next to a stone and forgot their existence.

This week I remembered them when Tete-a-Tetes started to bloom. Small and delegate but so easy for my eyes.

PS. If you have a possibility plant the bulbs that you have bought in a pot. You never know. You might get lucky as well.

flower, gardening

Easter

Daffodils Time to relax a bit and enjoy life. Planning to visit my parents and spent some time with them next weekend.

Here in the north it is still too early to plant anything but Easter is anyway a good excuse to buy few flowers.

Managed to find a beautiful pot of daffodils from a flower shop near me. A variety that I have grown for years in our summer cottage. Once they have stopped blooming I will plant the bulbs and enjoy them also during the forthcoming years.

Wishing you a great Easter! I hope you have a possibility to enjoy it with your family and friends!

PS. I keep the pot in the balcony while I am not at home. Coolness simply makes daffodils bloom longer.

flower, gardening

Pleione

It is still one month before the first spring flowers start to bloom up here in the north. So in my search for spring I ended up booking a holiday trip to Amsterdam where the flowers are just starting their colorful show.

When walking around the city I bought Pleione bulbs as a gift to my friend. This small pink flower is completely new to me and I have no idea how to take care of it. It just looked like something my fried would appreciate and because Pleione is just 10 centimeters high it seems to be perfect for terrariums.

Your friends usually know you and receiving a flower from one is something I cherish. It simply brightens my day. Now back to the city. I simply have to buy something for myself. Just to make sure that I have enough to plant when the ground finally melts.

PS. I bought my bulbs from Amsterdam Tulip Museum.

Gardening in the North

This blog is about gardening in the north.

Tag Archives: bulbs

Tulip

Amaryllis

Casa Blanca

Red Flavour

Pieton

Sweet Rosy

Lollypop

Tete-a-Tete

Easter

Pleione