Hard Work in the Fall, Payoff in Spring

The snowdrops were the first to come up, followed shortly by crocuses.

The tiny, bunched tulips out front were the next to bloom.

A row of brilliant hyacinths now guides you toward the gate to the backyard. The yellow tulips intermingled within are pushing hard to join in.

But by far, these are Aimee's favorites. They're Shakespeare tulips, and we've been staring at the closed flowers for a week. It was well worth the wait. When planning for the garden each year, I draw out elaborate designs for how to fit the maximum number of tomatoes and peas into our raised beds, but Aimee always reminds me that we need some flowers for color. It was her determination (and a little grunt labor from me, too) that got over 250 bulbs planted at the end of last year, and we are now reveling in the rewards. Soon there will be whole patches of daffodils and alliums bursting forth from the soil, and we'll begin making plans for the next spring; bigger, brighter, and better.