More Work

I worked on the front garden today. I planted some icicle pansies, and got a start on the bulbs. While I was digging a hole for new bulbs, I discarded the decayed remains of one of last year's bulbs. How many more are out there under the mulch, I do not know.

Last year, my Queen of the Night tulips that I had planted in 2003 returned for a second showing, but the cream tulips (can't recall their name) did not. I'll have to see if anything I planted in 2004 will return this spring.

It wouldn't actually be a tragedy if they did not. Up to now, I've been a terrible bulb-planter. I did not have the sense to visualize the finished result, and simply placed bulbs in no particular group or order. I'm trying to change that by planting clumps of bulbs this year, rather than echoing last year's haphazard placement. I'm hoping that next year's spring garden will look better than 2005's ratty collection of Raika, Zurel, Ballade, and Shirley.

Can you see how the bright red flowering quince is playing havoc with my (attempted) restful purple and white theme? I wonder how long it will be before I rip out the quince and replace it with weigela, or something prettier. Those red flowers do yield fruit, but this variety is not considered very edible. (Didn't stop me from cooking one up and trying it anyway. Not very tasty, as expected.)