On Friday afternoon I was playing a game of Pine Cone* with Betty and Delia when I noticed some of the mystery bulbs were blooming! Of course, I had to get my camera to catch some macro floral action. Then on Saturday morning, it snowed and I got my camera again. Things can change fast here on the side of this mountain.
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| These crocus flowers seem about the same size as those I was used to in Oregon. |
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| The tallest of these tulips are about seven inches! I don't know if they're a special variety or are small because of the climate and other conditions. |
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| Who can tell me what these are? They are also super small: about 3-4 inches high, the blooms less than an inch across. |
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| And these? Anyone know? They're about as tall as those in the last photo, but the blooms are probably an inch or so across. |
*Pine Cone is a game played most enthusiastically by Betty, but sometimes Delia joins in an axillary role. All Pine Cone requires is a whole lot of pine cones spread out along a walking route and a person to kick them. The person kicks pine cone after pine cone while Betty chases and snatches them up in her mouth. Sometimes if her mouth is full with a particularly good pine cone**, she'll stop the next one with her front feet. If Delia joins, she does so in a herding-style capacity or will sometimes play Tug-a-Stick with the person while Betty is off fetching.
**What exactly is a "good" pine cone? Ya' got me.
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| Betty has always appreciated a good pine cone, now she has all she could ever want. |
Betty looks cute as ever. I don;t know form flowers. But they are pretty.
ReplyDeleteYou should see her when she's in-focus. Yes, this photo is out of focus for everyone. <3
DeleteThe bottom bulbs look like Little Blue Stars. The other ones I'm not really sure. well if I knew Pinecone was one of her favorite games I wouldn't have played Stick for long :) Although I stick is more of a sneaky litte work out.
ReplyDeleteI had a similar name in my head for those wee blue ones! Pinecone is a new game, Stick is a classic. Delia has her own version of Stick that she plays when Betty is inside
DeleteAh, the Stunted Intermountain Area Tulip! We have these, too- around here, unless you lift your bulbs and treat your soil, year after year, your tulips eventually develop the more low-to-the-ground shape- some of ours bloom almost level with the ground. I've been told by local gardeners that this is due to the soil being "caliche" (sounds like "cleatchey")- basically, it's the evil twin of the clay soils sometimes found on the Coast, with a really high density and PH. It's hard-pan with a touch of calcium carbonate, and it's spectacular for stunting growth. On the plus side, it does eventually force the plants that survive it to be really, really hardy- your mini-tulips will be there FOREVER, short and strong!
ReplyDelete-Heather R., The Real Leopardstripes
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DeleteHa! I'd love to see a a tulip blooming at the ground. You know, our soil here is quite loose. Lots of small rocks and big sand. I bet it's really acidic, too, from all the millennia of pine needles. I bet the lack of water doesn't help ours from getting big, too!
DeleteOh, I hadn't realized! Huh, wonder if the high acidity does the same thing to plants...tulips are hardy little buggers. The lack of water is the same here, but yeah, sounds like you're at least blessed with drainage and humus.
ReplyDeleteWe'll see how it all plays out!
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