Bulbs Make People Happy!

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. While things are certainly looking pretty different here in our community of Gloucester, VA, our thoughts are with you, our friends and customers. How are you feeling? We hope you and your family have been keeping well.

These days, what we really need is some cheer. Something to keep us busy while many of us spend more time at home, and something to look forward to while the future seems unpredictable. Becky and I have always found so much joy in the garden, and now more than ever, that seems to be what the world needs. This is a list of some particularly cheerful bulbs you can plant right away in your spring garden. Each of these little beauties can be found and ordered online in our Spring-Planted catalogue.

Dahlia Gallery Serenade blooms large flowers in a beautiful, happy shade of golden yellow. Their bright faces are sure to bring a smile to yours! Dahlias are a favorite summer bulb, and this compact variety is a profuse bloomer that will fill your garden beds and containers with cheer. 1’-2’ tall, winter-hardy to zones 7-10.

Hemerocallis VT Spirit is a stunning Daylily variety hybridized by our good friend, Linda Pinkham. She named the variety after her alma mater, Virginia Tech, which shares its official colors of orange and maroon with the plant’s striking blooms. The bold color contrast on the petals is a true feast for the eyes! 12”-18” tall, winter-hardy to zones 3-9.

Hippeastrum Dancing Queen is sure to perk up your spirits with its peppermint-patterned red and white petals. Hippeastrum is also known as Amaryllis. This bulb can be forced indoors over the winter. If you’re cooped up inside or have limited access to outdoor space, this candy-striper might be just what the doctor ordered. 12”-18” tall when grown in full sun, and winter-hardy to zones 7-10.  

Gladiolus primulinus ‘Las Vegas’ is an outstandingly bright Gladiolus variety, not unlike the neon marquees found in the City of Lights! With tall flower spikes lined with blinding blooms, the lively yellow petals with hot pink to red edges will immediately catch your attention and hold it. If you’re looking for a flower to make you happy, you can’t go wrong with Glads—after all, “glad” is right there in the name! 12”-24” tall, winter-hardy to zones 8-10.

Begonia crispa marginata is a particularly cheerful begonia hybrid with ruffled petals lined with bright red. The centers vary in color from cheerful shades of pink, white, and yellow. These fun flowers are excellent for containers and hanging baskets—an ideal choice for those looking to liven up a small space. 8”-12”, winter-hardy to zones 10-11.

These days, we’re keeping busy shipping off spring-planted bulbs like these to our friends and customers all over the nation. While we’ve always felt strongly about spreading the joy that bulbs bring us, these days, that mission feels especially important.

We’d also like to encourage you to participate in Garden Bathing, a take on Forest Bathing, that you may have heard of before. It is the process of just sitting in, meditating in, and restfully being surrounded by the forest or your garden. It is proven to reduce stress hormone production, improve feelings of happiness, and free up creativity, as well as lower heart rate and blood pressure, boost the immune system and accelerate recovery from illness.

So, get out in your garden, enjoy the process of tending to it, or just sit there, breathe deeply, and look and listen to the world around you. It’s our profound hope that you and your loved ones are finding some joy among the uncertainty, and that your garden can offer you the sense of refuge that ours has for us. We wish you good health and good spirits, from our gardens to yours.