-- Martin Luther

Happy New Year!

        2011 was another exciting year for our tiny Ark of Bulbs. In January we moved into our award-winning new office in our old barn, in May we began planting our fifth urban micro-farm, in July we launched our fun, friendly Facebook page, and in September we invested thousands of dollars in software to help us serve you better. Although we may not have sold as many bulbs as we'd hoped to, we've plunged into the new year with our hearts full of optimism and gratitude. Thank you for helping us Save the Bulbs and feed our families, and may 2012 bring you all good things!

Spring is for Planting Bulbs, Too -- and Now's the Time to Order!

        As seed catalogs flood your mailbox this month, don't forget that our bulbs for spring planting -- iris, daylilies, dahlias, glads, tuberoses, crocosmia, rain lilies, crinums, and our easy samplers -- are waiting for you at oldhousegardens.com.

Old Friends: Order by Jan. 31 and Save

        If you've ever ordered bulbs from us before, even if it was years ago, we have a small gift we hope you'll accept -- our 5% "thank-you discount." To claim it, simply order your SPRING-planted bulbs by midnight on Tuesday, Jan. 31. You don't even need to do the math. As long as you're a returning customer, we'll deduct your 5% here before charging your order.
        January 31 will be here soon, so don't delay. You need more flowers in your life!

Bumper Crop! Now Save 20% on Grape-Scented 'Madame Chereau' Iris

        "My bed of 'Madame Chereau' is magical," our friend Tom Trombley of Saginaw, Michigan, emailed us last June. "I now have a large enough bed that I am able to pick one without destroying my garden. Such luxury. This evening, I came home to a house scented with her distinctive grape-like scent which a friend says reminds her of grape Kool-Aid."
        The most popular iris of the 19th century, 'Madame Chereau' has been multiplying happily here in our Ann Arbor micro-farms, too. To share the bounty and help more gardeners see what's so special about heirloom iris, we're cutting its price by 20%. You'll get big, freshly-dug rhizomes in April that, with good care and a little luck, will bloom for you their first summer -- but only if you order now!

New This Month: 3 Rare Glads and the Return of 'Black Falcon'

        Every January, our 90-something glad grower in Maine calls with good news. He's been down in the basement cleaning and counting his corms, they look great, and he's got enough of something special to share with us. This year it's early-blooming, soft yellow 'Spring Maid' and two glads we've never offered before: lovely 'Lavanesque' and pint-sized 'Domino'. One of our favorite daylilies is available again, too -- mahogany-red 'Black Falcon'. Quantities of all are limited, so get 'em while you can!

Book of the Month: Restoring the Garden of a Harlem Renaissance Poet

        One of the most interesting historic gardens I've ever visited is that of Anne Spencer, a little-known African-American poet who lived in Lynchburg, Virginia. Starting in 1905, Anne and her husband Edward transformed their narrow backyard into a highly personal garden with an aqua-blue pergola, a small pool filled by a cast-iron African head spouting water (a gift from W.E.B. DuBois), and beds overflowing with roses, iris, larkspur, poppies, and other flowers. After Anne's death in 1975, the garden that she'd called "half my world" was all but lost -- but, remarkably, it wasn't, and the story of its unlikely rescue is told in a fascinating new book, Lessons Learned from a Poet's Garden by Jane Baber White.
        "Lessons Learned" are the key words in that title, because as Jane told me in a recent email, the book isn't just "the 28-year story of a garden restoration by a group of garden club ladies. The names could be changed and it could be anywhere. Indeed, that is sort of the point. I hope the book will be helpful to anyone, anywhere, who might be planning a garden restoration. These are the steps we took that might be helpful to them." It's not a dry how-to manual, though. It's a richly illustrated book laid out something like a scrapbook with all sorts of bits and pieces clipped together and overlapping one another -- old family photos taken in the garden, notes Anne scribbled on seed catalogs, receipts, newspaper clippings, snapshots of the restoration, and evocative photos of the restored garden today. Although I could argue with some of the things Jane and the garden club ladies did -- I don't think any restoration, for example, should start with a bulldozer -- the bottom-line is that this compelling garden was in dire need and they saved it. For that, all I can say is bravo, and thanks!
        To buy a copy of Lessons Learned, visit the newly-upgraded website of the Anne Spencer House and Garden Museum which is full of excellent photos and information. And since proceeds from the book will help fund the ongoing care of the garden, and the "lessons" it offers are so valuable, please consider asking your local library, garden club, or historical society to buy a copy, too.

Staff Pick of the Month: Botanic Superpowers and Kelly's Favorite Dahlias

        Kelly, our Micro-Farms and Shipping Manager writes:
        "The older I get, the more I am awed by nature's ingenious strategies for dealing with extremes. For Christmas my nephews gave me a moss terrarium with dry, dormant moss ready to start growing again as soon as I provided water. It's a superpower, this ability to go dormant for a few months till it gets wet or warm again. I covet that ability, especially in winter. Oh, the burden of being a mammal.
        "On the up side of mammal-hood, I had some time off over the holidays. Along with eating lots of cookies, I took a moment to check on my stored dahlias. And speaking of superpowers, how miraculous is a tuber? That a spectacular plant stores its energy and DNA in this compact unit that can sit dormant till spring -- wow. Mine were holding steady, not too dry, not too moist, just waiting patiently.
        "I also organized the photos on my desktop over the holidays. Among my favorites was a snapshot of three bouquets of dahlias sitting on my kitchen table. I was reminded of how truly stunning dahlias are. Of course I love the show-offs like 'Kidd's Climax' and 'Kaiser Wilhelm', but I also love the pure yellow of 'Glorie van Heemstede' in its perfect waterlily form and the simple beauty of 'Clair de Lune', especially paired with 'Atropurpurea'. January may be a little early to get all excited about dahlias, but I guess that's why we take pictures -- and check on our tubers."

Come Join Us at Facebook

        1133! That's how many friends had "liked" our Facebook page by midnight, Dec. 31, well over our goal of 1000. Thank you! Already this year there's been a collective buzzing for spring there, with Annette Yonally of Ohio reporting that her snowdrops are in bud and Andrea Rubinstein of Louisiana posting a photo of one of our daffodils in bloom. Please come take a look -- and help us reach our new goal of 1500 "likes" by May 1. We can't do it without you!

Garden Resolutions from Our Readers

        In December we shared a few of our garden resolutions for 2012 and asked for yours. Most of you must have been too busy wrapping presents, but five forward-looking gardeners emailed us theirs:
        "I am planning an 'ancestor garden'," wrote Diana Robertson of Falls Church, Virginia, "with plants named similarly to members of my family tree: 'Lawinia' rose, for example, in honor of my grandmother, Etta Lawinia Taylor Robertson. As I plan, I'm copying the catalog photos into my family tree at Ancestry.com."
        Sharon Welzen of Waukegan, Illinois, is also making big plans: "My house was built in 1853 so I plan to delegate different beds to 25 year periods from pre-1853 to about 1900, combining lilies, tulips, and daffodils. I can't wait to see the results."
        Mary Beth Hawn of Aylett, Virginia, wrote in frustration: "This year I'm positively going to wage war against the voles. It can't possibly cost as much as the plants I've lost to them. Perhaps I'll get another terrier. One is not enough."
        "To mulch!" resolved Ruth Geraci of Summerdale, Alabama. "To this end, my husband and I have given ourselves a chipper-shredder for Christmas. And we WILL use it, to protect our beautiful plants from the tyranny of the southern heat."
        And simplest of all, Larry Retting of South Amana, Iowa, wrote: "I'm going to plant tulips on top of the ground next fall!" (Although that may sound crazy, research at Cornell says it works.)
        Good luck, Diana, Sharon, Mary Beth, Ruth, and Larry, and thanks for the inspiration!

Lost Your Catalog? We'd Be Glad to Send You Another

        Although our website is easy and awesome, if you prefer the pleasures of print and can't find the catalog we sent you last September, simply email or call us (734-995-1486) for a free replacement. No problem!

Did You Miss Our Last Newsletter? Read It Online!

        December's articles included saving the peonies of a century-old nursery, heirloom flower calendars, the founding fathers as gardeners, winter tips, garden resolutions, and more. You can read all of our back-issues, by date or by topic, at oldhousegardens.com/NewsletterArchives.asp .

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