I’m sure you notice how rushed holidays seem.  About mid-August we started to see the Halloween décor popping up. I’m not talking about leafy lovely fall.  I’m talking full on grinning pumpkin, skeleton garland, apothecary-jar-full-of-fake-eyeballs Halloween. Now we’re in September when I don’t mind the ghosts and gouls so much and I’m finding tinsel and ornaments cropping up here and there. I find myself dreading mid-October when brazen radio stations dust off their Christmas playlists.  I’m one of those Christmas music after Thanksgiving people, my husband is one of the Christmas music year-round people.  It’s a rough compromise. But I digress…  

As much as this retail holiday and seasonal rush annoys me, I must say I feel completely different when it comes to the garden.  With the garden its different, the reminders of seasons to come are not commercially driven and overbearing.  They are promptings that inspire me to prepare and reminders that there will be another season, another chance to create, another chance to grow, and another chance to try and get the black-eyed-susan vine to grow up the mailbox and actually flower. 

So here is your reminder, and I’m skipping quite a few holidays and seasons.  We are talking spring today.  Now is the time to prepare for a glorious round of spring blooming bulbs.  Now is the time to order {especially with the fantastic bulk discounts online}.  Now is the time to plant.  I’d love to share with you a few of my favorites for the spring of 2013.

Golden Apeldoorn

Is it just me, or is this one of the most beautiful word combinations ever? Golden Apeldoorn.  I could say it all day.  The beauty of its blossom rivals the splendor of its name.  The large, golden-yellow blossoms reach up to 6’’ in diameter when fully open, and stand on stems 18-30’’ tall.  This tulip is perfect for your cutting garden.  As with all other large-stemmed tulips, make sure you avoid planting them in abnormally windy locations.  Strong winds can snap their impressively long stems.  Order you Apeldoorns  here and get discounts as much as 50% off retail, with free shipping on orders over $59.00.

Orange Princess

Orange Princess will add a burst of color to your spring flowerscape.  Double peony-like blossoms are supported on sturdy 14-16’’ stems.  Pair with pink for a bright fruity twist or contrast with purple for a more dramatic contrast.   Order from Blooming Bulb and get discounts based on quantity. 

Apricot Parrott

I’m always drawn to new and unique plants, and the Apricot Parrot tulip is a perfect fit.  The large, ruffled blossoms sport traces of green, red, and bright yellow but are predominantly a lovely apricot shade.  Another great tulip for cutting, the Apricot Parrot will shine both in your garden beds as well as in a vase on the kitchen table.  Check out Tulip World for ordering. 

Pretty Woman

For a shorter stemmed tulip check out Pretty Woman.  This tulip’s lily shaped blooms are both distinct and delicate.  The deep red color is bold, and makes for perfect accent planting.  Find them at American Meadows where they are currently on sale at 25% off. 

If you’re anything like me, you can’t pick just one.  As much as I’d like to be a block color gal {which I think is a very impactful and incredibly lovely look} I just can’t do it.  I love the mix of colors, shapes, and textures.  I’m into variance of height, bloom time, and shades.  So, if you are one of us check out the links below for some great tulip mixes.