Tipping towards the tulips

Back in Novemberish of last year I got sucked into the winter garden sale of the local Home Depot and purchased a bag of half-off tulip bulbs. I've always thought of growing tulips as something that only seasoned gardening veterans can accomplish. To toy with the idea of growing them in my own yard was foolish, but Home Depot tricked me into thinking I could accomplish this by their orange glitz and large cardboard displays.

Filled with optimism, I brought the bulbs home and figured I'd give it a shot. Finding an area to plant them was no problem - we have plenty of empty flower beds waiting for life. Armed with potting soil and a hand trowel, I dug out clay wells and filled them with nutrient rich soil and the bulbs.

In February I noticed little green leaves peeking underneath the bark bedding filler. I hardly believed those were tulips! I was sure my green thumb neighbor sneaked down and planted something that would actually grow in our barren soil.

But he didn't. They were really tulips.

So I've been watching their progression with eager eyes.

Right now, there's just the one early bloomer on its short stalk.

And I'm ok with that.

I don't mind short tulips.