Last Call for Fall

It got cold last week; cold enough to freeze the ground. And once this happens it’s as if Nature puts a chastity belt on the garden, and there will be no more interfering with it until she decides to unlock it in the spring. The soil that just recently was so loose and friable is now the consistency of concrete, and you can forget getting the last hundred ‘Minnow’ miniature daffodils in the ground, purchased at 40% off in a burst of unrealistic late November optimism.

When I went out to get the paper Sunday morning and felt the 50 degree air hit my face, I realized I had one last chance to get those suckers buried, and I was right. Monday brought a cold blast and we’re frozen solid, probably for the duration.

If you still have unplanted bulbs, I’m sorry. If we do get another thaw before Christmas you can try getting them in the ground, but almost all bulbs need at least fifteen weeks of cold to produce flowers and we’re running out of time. If you don’t want to give up hope, you can try storing them in the fridge to start the chilling process and make a Christmas wish for another warm spell.