I have about 100 bulbs that still need to be put in the ground. I was planning on doing it this past week-end. What a joke! Like you said, JoAnn, hopefully it will warm up during the week. I was also going to winter protect my roses next week-end, I hope it's not too late for them.

I know what you mean, I didn't get to wrap my figs, or take care of my roses yet either. In fact, some of them were still in bloom with snow on them...it's nice out today, just waiting for a little more snow to melt before I start digging.. good luck!

I am so grateful that I'm retired. This is the very first year that I got everything planted, the day before it snowed. Usually I have big eyes and buy too many, and a bunch of them don't make it into the ground.

This year I had such bad experiences with bulb eating varmints, I decided to buy fewer. I stuck a vibrating Mole Chaser stake right in the middle of the tulip bed!

Crocuses are dessert for squirrels and chipmunks around here. This year I planted a bunch in pots and stuck them in my shed. I can use them for forcing or on my deck in spring.

Isn't this nice weather a pleasure?

I'm waiting for the snow to melt over here, my yard and lawn are still covered with it. Unfortunately, week-ends are my only time to do any gardening, by the time I get home from work, it is too cold out, even if it has been a nice day. Hopefully, this coming week-end will be nice.

Well... I DID have all my bulbs planted but...

Stopped into Christams Tree Shops in Spring Valley
and they HAD to have all their packaged bulbs for 25 cents!!!!!

How could I pass that up? Got several packages of Narcissi, tulips, and daffodils.
Now, when am I supposed to plant these?
I just got picked for grand jury duty and have to be indoors during this great weather!
Of course, they are calling for rain both Sat. and Sun. now...

I, also, have 100 daffodils to plant... h-e-l-p!!!

Does anyone in the Zone 5 know how to force them? I was
thinking of planting in pots, totally covering with mulch
and putting a lid on that....to retrieve in February or
so...does this many ANY sense at all?
Is 12 weeks of cold required ... or would 6 be enough??
Thanks!!!
Tizzie

Been so damn warm lately, perhaps stick them in now. We are going to have a very cold March, so I wouldn't expect to be able to break ground then.

I am so mad at myself for not getting my bulbs in the ground this past fall. What a waste. I don't even have the heart to look at the catalogs for spring. I was just too busy to get them in the ground, now I wasted so much money by leaving them in the garage. I was going to plant some at my sister's new house, but we never could get our dates on the same page, now neither of us has new bulbs in for the spring. I thought about getting some pots and potting soil and trying to get them potted up for spring bloom, but I don't know if that would work. I could at least bring them over to her and she could have them on her front and back porches..

I have so many different types, too. I don't have the heart to go out there and take a look at them. Someday I will venture out, but right now, I am very upset with myself.

Joey, don't be hard on yourself for this. We all do it...it's part of being a gardener. How many times have I pulled up a perfectly good plant while weeding? I say stupid, stupid...that's the stupid mistake for that day! LOL. Then I chalk it up to just gardener's error and get on with it.

You could put all the bulbs in a large planter box full of potting mix without concern for spacing. Wet it down, wrap it in wire mesh to keep the diggers out, and set it in a shady outdoor place for the winter. At least you will have a free conscience and maybe get some cutting blooms for the house this year.

Life is too short to sweat the small stuff.

Hi Joey and Susan,

I agree ... get a BIG (something or another), plant all you
can ... close is good, WATER and cover with chips and other stuff so your can retrieve them in ... March ! Then, bring
inside, water and enjoy! You can always plant the bulbs
outside, after they bloom.

Gardening is just a giant experiment, anyway...have FUN!
Tizzie

Planting and growing bulbs in containers is the only way us apartment dwellers can have flowering bulbs. As long as the bulbs aren't kept wet during winter, they'll do just fine and putting the big pots of them in the garage sounds like the perfect place! Once they're done blooming and when the foliage dies back, you can always dig them up and plant out in the ground.