Emailed April 27, 2007. To subscribe, click here.
To reprint any of this material, simply credit www.oldhousegardens.com. © 2007

Friends of Old Bulbs Gazette

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

        "There is nothing like the first hot day of spring when the gardener stops wondering if it's too soon to plant the dahlias and starts wondering if it's too late. Even the most beautiful weather will not allay the gardener's notion (well-founded, actually) that he is somehow too late, too soon, or that he has too much stuff going on or not enough."
        -- Henry Mitchell (1923-1993, one of America's best, and funniest, garden writers)

Last Chance to Buy (or Buy More!) for Spring Planting

        This coming Friday, May 4, is your very last chance to order our fabulous, summer-blooming bulbs. Treat yourself to an awesome summer with a few of our heirloom dahlias, glads, cannas, tuberoses, rain lilies, and elephant ears –- and don't forget our easy Samplers. But don't delay! If you don't order them, you can't enjoy them!

Did You See Our Catalog on Martha Stewart Living?

        We're beaming! On her TV show April 12, while talking about the pleasures of summer-blooming bulbs, Martha held up our catalog and said warmly, "These are wonderful heirloom bulbs." You'll also find us listed as one of her favorite bulb sources at the newly redesigned http://www.marthastewart.com . Thanks, Martha (and friends)!

Celebrating Linnaeus's 300th Birthday

        This May 23, how about lifting a glass of dandelion wine and toasting the 300th birthday of Linnaeus? This great Swedish botanist created our system for classifying living things into species and larger groups and standardized Latin names into simple "binomials" such as Lilium auratum instead of names that were often dozens of words long. "His contribution to our passion for plant life should make a great party mandatory," writes Jim Black in the excellent new MasterGardener magazine (http://www.mastergardeneronline.com/), and in case you're hesitating he adds dryly, "It's unlikely any of us will make the Quadracentenary."

Sneak Preview: What's Coming in Our New Catalog?

        To take a peek at what we're adding to our new catalog, visit our special "Coming Soon" page at www.oldhousegardens.com/new.asp . You'll see wild Dahlia atropurpurea, the 19th-century's greatest white daffodil 'Madame de Graaff', and crazed 'Amiral de Constantinople' parrot tulip, among many others worth drooling over. Take a peek!

Meet Us at Matthaei's Spring Sale May 4-6

        When the University of Michigan's Matthaei Botanical Gardens invited us to sell our bulbs at their fabulous spring plant sale this year, we jumped at the chance! The sale features all sorts of great perennials and woodies, unusual annuals, and our bulbs. It opens with a Members-Only Sale (join at the door!) on Friday, May 4, from 3 to 8 PM and continues Saturday from 9 to 4:30 and Sunday from 12 to 4:30. Come join the fun!

Can You Help Us Find a New Home?

        We've grown so much (thanks!) that we need to move, and we're hoping our local friends can help us find a small, historic, Washtenaw County farmstead to buy, preserve, and make our own. We're convinced that the place we want is not on the market, so if you know of an old farmhouse, barn, and 5-10 acres within 20 minutes of downtown Ann Arbor that might welcome a preservation-minded, agricultural business like ours, please take a look at www.oldhousegardens.com/OHGFarm.asp and email or call us!

Join Scott for Our All-New Historic Landscape Walk

        Come for a stroll in early May with OHG owner Scott Kunst and rediscover the landscape of the past. Taking a whole new route this year, we'll explore Ann Arbor's Old West Side looking for antique garages, trellises, and birdbaths, heirloom lilacs and daffodils, even historic weeds. Enrollment is limited, so visit http://www.oldhousegardens.com/lectures.asp for more info today!

Your Garden Memories: Lilacs Are Spring

        Our good customer Steven Conn of Westmont, New Jersey, writes:
        "When I was very young, I remember the day I realized it was truly spring was when my wonderful mom, who taught all of her children the joys of nature, would cut lilacs from our bushes in the backyard. She would make huge arrangements and place them in several spots in the house. The smell was amazing -- like turkey on Thanksgiving or a fresh Christmas tree --and to this day, 40-some years later, I love the smell of lilacs and now grow them in my garden to remind me of those days, my mom, and how amazing nature can be!"

Did You Miss Our Last Newsletter? Read It Online!

        Early April's articles included an easy way to integrate dahlias into a perennial garden, heirlooms defined, Martha's all-hyacinth bouquet, helping "Bud Burst" track climate change, and more. You can read all of our back-issues at http://oldhousegardens.com/newsArchive.asp.

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