Emailed October 26, 2006. To subscribe, click here.
To reprint any of this material, simply credit www.oldhousegardens.com. © 2006

Friends of Old Bulbs Gazette

Old House Gardens, 536 Third St., Ann Arbor, MI 48103, (734) 995-1486

        "Last night, there came a frost, which has done great damage to my garden. . . . It is sad that Nature will play such tricks with us poor mortals, inviting us with sunny smiles to confide in her, and then, when we are entirely within her power, striking us to the heart.
        Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864, American author)

Only 26 Treasures Still Available - Click Here to See Them All!

        Due to booming demand (thank you!), just 26 of our fall-planted treasures are still available for sale this fall. To make it easier for you to find them, we've consolidated them all into a section we're calling "Last Chance Treasures." Please give it a look, and if you're thinking of ordering (or ordering more!) for planting this fall, don't delay. In a week or two, there's a good chance everything will be gone.

Still Waiting for Your Bulbs?

        As gardeners ourselves, we know how hard that can be, and we're proud to say that this fall we've been shipping orders faster than ever before.

        If your order hasn't reached you yet, please remember that we ship first-come first-served, and the line started forming last November. We're currently shipping orders from mid-September, we expect to start shipping October orders on Tuesday, and by the middle of the following week our barn should be bare.

        We sometimes hold orders a few days to avoid exposing them to freezing temperatures en route. You'll get an email alert when your order is shipped (if it's not snagged by spam-blockers). We hope this information helps. Thanks for your patience!

Thanks for Our Busiest Fall Ever! But . . .

        Our sales are up a lot this fall, and we love that! But how are we doing on giving you both fabulous bulbs and service - because that's even more important to us. Here's your direct line to the boss himself: scott < link removed >. He wants you happy, and he'd love to hear from you.

Plant Flowers and Banish Barbarism!

        Here's some inspirational reading we found in the Conard and Jones catalog of 1919 under the title "What About Your Home?

        "Ugliness is Barbarism and should be banished. But that's easy - simply induce beauty. It may take a little of your time (really a delightful pastime), it may require work (which really is a wholesome recreation), and skill you either have or can acquire.

        "When you beautify the outside of your home with plants, you buy but the beginning of things; that's why it costs so comparatively little. Your investment in Beauty grows; it will usually double many times over, and you will have planted not only plants but love for home that will strengthen as the roots of your plants go deeper and that will be a blessing as the flowers bloom.

        The satisfaction from beauty about your home is threefold: First, to those in the home; second, to neighbors; third, to those who merely pass by. It marks the character of those within. Every good reason calls upon you to join the crusade and, about your home at least, 'HELP TO MAKE AMERICA MORE BEAUTIFUL!'

If You Mulch with Starbucks, Will Your Bulbs Bloom Sooner?

        Here's a timely tip from our good customer Marianne Montgomery of Fort Wayne, Indiana:

        "Where I live there aren't many trees so I 'mulch' my newly planted bulbs with a mix of top soil, peat humus, and composted cow manure mixed with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer and Starbucks coffee grounds. Does everybody know that Starbucks bags their used coffee grounds into ten-pound bags and GIVES them away? They'll even carry them out to the car for you!

Your Garden Memories: Goat Manure, Pansies, and Mom

        Our good customer Ruth Pullen of the fabulous Whaley House Museum in Flint, Michigan, writes:

        "I often think of my mother when I read the stories people send you about their childhood gardens. She died when I was ten but she had a remarkable green thumb. We moved to a newly built house when I was five, and I remember going with her to a nearby farm and hauling back trailers full of composted goat manure which she spread all over the yard and mixed with the soil before putting in the grass seed. I remember thinking it was a very funny thing to do, but we had a thick and healthy lawn.

        "There was a big rhubarb plant near the back door and she was constantly chasing us away from it so she could have enough for pies and sauce. We loved to eat those tart red stalks. She grew poppies, iris, glads, all the old favorites, along with my special favorite, pansies. Is there anything more charming than a little bowl with a child's handful of pansy-faces floating on the water? Hmmmm, I think I'll try to squeeze a few pansies into the Whaley House garden next year, just for Mom.

Did You Miss Our Last Newsletter? Read It Online!

        Last month's articles included a cool website devoted to both heirlooms and murder mysteries, croquet memories, Scott as Indiana Jones, and more. You can read all 55 of our back-issues at http://oldhousegardens.com/newsArchive.asp.

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