-- Beverly Nichols, 1898-1982, British author of Down the Garden Path, etc.

Shipping Starts Next Week!

        Most of our American-grown bulbs are in the barn, and our bulbs from overseas should all arrive by Friday. We'll count them in, check each one for quality, and by the middle of next week we'll be sending them to happy gardeners like you. We can't wait!

And Spring Starts Now . . . For Those Who Plant Bulbs

        Now's the time for one of the most hopeful and comforting rituals of the gardening year: planting bulbs. No matter what's going on in the rest of the world, those of us who plant bulbs in the fall know that even on the coldest, grayest day of winter we'll be buoyed by visions of what's to come: Nature's enduring beauty and the joy of new life. You don't want to miss that, do you?
        If you're not sure what to order, our many samplers are an easy choice, or we'd be glad to help you choose great bulbs by phone at 734-995-1486. Order now!

Has Our Catalog Reached You? Or Did You Get an Extra One?

        If you've been expecting our catalog -- because you've ordered bulbs from us anytime since fall 2009, or you're a garden writer – but it hasn't arrived, please let us know and we'll send you another by first-class mail right away. Email charlie@oldhousegardens.com or call Rita at 734-995-1486. On the other hand, if you've received more than one catalog, please let us know that so we can reduce waste and save some trees. Thanks!

Discount Deadline Extended to Sept. 30

        Since many of our catalogs have taken longer than usual to get through the mail, we're extending the deadline for our 5% thank-you discount until midnight, Friday, Sept. 30. If you've EVER ordered bulbs from us, this discount is for you! Simply mention it when you call us or in our web order-form's "Special Requests" box and we'll deduct it before we charge your order.

Link of the Month: Google Gives New Life to Scott's Old-House Journal Articles

        I love Google Books, and not just because it's made all of the articles I've written for The Old-House Journal instantly available online. The first one, about carpet bedding, dates to 1985 when I was still teaching school and just getting started as a landscape historian. I remember how thrilled I was to get that acceptance letter! Next came "Victorian Vegetables" and then others on antique apples, outdoor furniture, historic paving, herb gardens, post-Victorian landscapes, and of course heirloom bulbs.
        My first bulb article was "Victorian Tulips" in 1988 when 'Prince of Austria' and 'Clara Butt' were still being offered in several catalogs. Then came "Daffodils: The Glory of the Post-Victorian Garden" and "Antique Hyacinths." Sadly, six of the twelve hyacinths I recommended in that 1990 article are now commercially extinct, and three of the four sources for them have disappeared as well. Next came "Antique Iris" and then "Antique Peonies" in 1993 (the year we mailed our first catalog) and finally "Savoring Dahlias" in 2008. Heirloom daylilies will be next, if I can find the time to write it -- and you'll be the first to know.

Protecting Your Bulbs from Hungry Rodents

        Although some bulbs are rarely troubled by animals (for a complete list, choose "Animal Resistant" in our awesome Heirloom Bulb Search), others may need protection from burrowing rodents such as chipmunks. Here's one inexpensive solution recommended by Sydney Eddison in A Patchwork Garden:
        "My bulb losses have been considerably reduced by planting tulips in miniature plastic laundry baskets available from hardware stores. I cut out the solid plastic bottoms and replace them with rectangles of half-inch mesh hardware cloth. Then I make a planting hole in the border, install the prepared basket, add a thin layer of earth over the wire mesh, and put in the bulbs. Their roots grow right through the hardware cloth and through the plastic mesh sides of the basket. It is worth the additional trouble. I rarely lose a protected tulip to the mice, voles, shrews, and other small, greedy creatures that ply the mole runs during the winter."
        For a stronger basket, check out the ones offered by GO-pher-AWAY. An even easier solution is planting bulbs in the crushed shale which is sold as PermaTill or VoleBloc, and you'll find other tips at our "Protecting from Animals."

Summer 2011: Hottest Since the Dust Bowl

        Though it was cooler than usual in Oregon and Washington, much of the country suffered through punishing heat this past summer. In fact, according to USA Today, 2011 was the country's "hottest summer in 75 years and the second-hottest summer on record" -- topped only by the Dust Bowl year of 1934. Texas and Oklahoma were hardest hit. Their averages of 86.8 and 86.5 degrees -- based on the entire 24-hour cycle, not just daily highs – were the hottest ever recorded for any state.
        Texas also suffered through its driest summer on record, and drought continues to be a problem in a third of the contiguous states. Parts of the East, on the other hand, were inundated with rain, and California had its wettest summer ever. Read the entire article here.

Book of the Month: A Poet Reflects on a Century in the Garden

        The Wild Braid isn't exactly a compelling title (except maybe for hippie hairdressers?), but its subtitle definitely caught my interest: A Poet Reflects on a Century in the Garden. Published a year before he died in 2006 at the age of 100, this slim volume interweaves a dozen poems by Poet Laureate Stanley Kunitz with excerpts from his conversations with co-author Genine Lentine. For Kunitz, gardening and poetry had a lot in common. Both deal with immense, wild forces -- nature and emotion, to oversimplify things -- that human beings have a deep-seated need to explore and shape. That may sound a little grand, and Kunitz is definitely a deep thinker, but he's also a down-to-earth guy who found enormous joy puttering around in his yard. The garden was never just a metaphor for him, although in his simple, accessible poems, compost piles and garter snakes take on much deeper meanings. If your gardening includes more than deck furniture and the latest supertunia, you'll find in The Wild Braid a kindred spirit, an enjoyable read, and plenty to reflect on.

How to Make Your Dahlia Bouquets Last Even Longer

        Fall is the glory season for dahlias, and hopefully you're harvesting fistfuls of their beautiful blossoms every few days now. For us they usually last five days or so with no special treatment, but for even longer vase-life see a pro's advice at our Bulbs as Cut Flowers page.

"Like Us" on Facebook!

        Almost 600 fellow gardeners have already "liked" our Facebook page, and we'd love to have you join us there. See weekly photos of what's blooming in our gardens, share tips and raves with other fans, and help spread the word about our amazing heirlooms. To reach our goal of 2000 "likes" by Dec. 31, we'll need a lot of friends. Please help!

Did You Miss Our Last Newsletter? Read It Online!

        August's articles included bulbs for drought, Tasty Tubers, iris stories, more great nail brushes, heirloom dahlias at UC-Berkeley, and more. You can read all of our back-issues, by date or by topic, at oldhousegardens.com/NewsletterArchives.asp .

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