Garden Surprises

Last fall, on a particularly chilly and windy day I carefully opened the tulip bulbs that I had gleefully purchased at Mills Fleet Farm...well the "glee" came after the clerk stared at me blankly as I asked for the tulip bulb whereabouts and she inquired if I thought they would be near the regular light bulbs. It was slim pickens and I was semi-disappointed in the color selection and the left-over dejected bulbs, but as I have watched my green-thumbed mother purchase otherwise disregarded, sadly neglected, and lethargic plants throughout the years, I took a deep breath in hopes that perhaps, just maybe, I too, could love a plant into bloom! So to work I went meticulously placing each bulb 4 inches deep and 6 inches apart as indicated on the package. Secretly, I was leery, and very glad they were on sale so that when they didn't bloom I wouldn't feel too horrible about the money I wasted. I properly covered my newly planted bulbs with leaves a plenty and as the first green stem poked through a few weeks ago my excitement for the event was perhaps a bit above average :) My excitement grew even more so when I discovered that hiding in front of my growing tulips was...not a tulip...I had no idea...and it wasn't in the row. My curiosity drove me to inspect my mother's already blooming garden (of course) and found that someone had planted a hyacinth in my garden!
Hyacinth are one of my most favorite flowers as they have the smell of lilacs and add a deep purple color that adds to the sea of red and yellow tulips. I questioned my mother, "did you plant a...? She denied it. My dad? no. Brother? na...how...would??? I began to pull away the leaves to find another and another...3 total, neatly planted in unison with the tulips...a bit embarrassed I have to confess that I indeed must have planted them and had forgotten. I believe there was probably more planted, but three survived the cold winter. So every day I must now carefully inspect my pathetically small flowerbed for progress of blooms, height, and growth patterns. So though my thumb may not be as green as my mothers I have hope that with time and practice it might become at least a lovely aquamarine.