75 Comments
Feb 24·edited Feb 24Liked by Rebecca Holden

Your mother is inspired! I can't wait to see tulip pics but in the meantime, I do love your snowdrops. I hadn't realised till a few years ago that there were so many different species of snowdrops and how superb they are. There's one I love whose little petals fly up like the Flying Nun's cornette veil - I have no idea of its botanical name.

Actually, I think I'll plant a little tub of galanthus and call them Rebecca in honour of the joy I always get from your essays - especially the Art Journal posts.

Take care, Rebecca and PS: I think I fixed the switch on the back-end. I hope...

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Love your post and artwork!

Although I have not only green fingers, I have green toes too—because barefoot gardening. But I always seem to have trouble with the flowering bulbs.

When my dad was alive he said he’d always liked gladiolus. I planted some bulbs outside his camper. What few didn’t get un-planted by squirrels looking for their buried acorns, all that sprouted were some spindly green leaves-not a glimpse of a flower amongst them.

We determined they didn’t get enough sun.

Then I planted some tulip bulbs around a circular 10 foot diameter perennial garden in the middle of my yard. Lots of sun there.

I expected nice big tall stemmed variations of colorful cups in the spring but was disappointed at these little short stemmed splats of dull colored things that emerged.

So I’ve gone back to planting garlic bulbs every Halloween and enjoying for far longer the fruits of my labors all year round.

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Feb 24Liked by Rebecca Holden

So cool. I'm gonna ask my sister to give my niece a corner of the garden to tend on her own too. Seems like a great way to help a child know how to take care of something over the long term! 😊

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Gorgeous Rebecca! I had no idea there were different varieties of snowdrops. I love them. We have a local natural attraction here called Snowdrop Valley, just on the edge of Exmoor a couple of miles from my house. People come from all over to visit at snowdrop time, bus trips and guided walks. Very sweet! X

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What an informative and charming post - your notebook (and I'm about to date myself horribly here) reminds me very much of The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/643064/the-country-diary-of-an-edwardian-lady-by-edith-holden/9780847858903

I love those kind of watery, shimmery images. Also, here in darkest Canada where I live, we have a particularly brave snowdrop that pops up every year in a crack by the fence and is a reliable sign of spring. Freakishly, I just noticed it was up yesterday which is INSANELY early and quite distressing. I have taken to recording when this happens each year in a book of my own (not nearly as lovely as yours obvs) and this is the earliest ever which is distressing climate-news. But to end on a top note - loving your writing and stack and very pleased to discover you :)

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Rebecca, I loved reading about your planting escapades. Mostly because I'd love to have some type of garden but I live in a condo with a north facing balcony. No sunlight, ever. Thanks for sharing this!

And thanks also for sharing my post! I'm so glad you enjoyed it ☺️

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What a delightful post Rebecca! Again!

I am particularly struck by your cleverness in using the push of the second hole dug, to release the first soil plug which then drops beside the new hole, ready for it's trimming and stealth replacing. And also the rhythmical parade of your family in sequence to create this tulip wonderland. No wonder my efforts at bulb sprouting have never come to much fruition. No parade! No holes dug with flourish! Thank you for inspiring again with your beautiful art, your wonderful story and, well, winter flowers!

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Feb 24Liked by Rebecca Holden

"...the sight of ... fair maids of February against the grey background of a no-snow winter, the last of the dried-up autumn confetti on the ground and new leaves of the can’t-remember-what-we-planted-here ..." Pure poetry, Rebecca! I could just see the teamwork of the tulip planting party, the character and love of your close family. I am fortunate here that my nasturshalums ( as Christopher Robin would say) come back in great abundance every year and no caterpillars at all. Lovely art!

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Thanks for the mention. Lovely drawings as always. A really nice plant I'd recommend is Japanese Knotweed: it grows everywhere with no effort at all.

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Feb 24Liked by Rebecca Holden

Wonderful post!!! Thank you!!! I hope there are many tulips and snowdrops and... and... and... in your garden always!!! Good drawings too!!! Keep going!!! 💚

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Gorgeous art and snowdrops. You’ve inspired me to plant them. As a gardening novice I had no idea a February bulb existed until now. I have brown thumbs but am over the moon about one particular house plant that is happy in its perch.

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The snowdrops are beautiful! Both the ones in your garden, and the one on your page :)

Nasturtiums are actually one of my favorite blossoms. I like to watch the hummingbirds visit them - and I liked them even more when I noticed that the blossoms are hummingbird-shaped themselves! Of course, for some reason we don’t have the same gross cabbage-white issue with ours, so….

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Feb 24Liked by Rebecca Holden

I love your artwork! And the field study approach!

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I look forward to seeing those hundred tulips in bloom, wow!

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Wow! 100 tulips? That is a lot. I bet those took a long time to plant. It probably took you the whole day. And I'm sure your arms hurt after that. Probably needed a few days to recuperate.

More great artwork! Are you sure you're not a professional? 😎

Thanks for the link to Kristi Keller's post. I have a few karma stories but I posted one that is the most special to me.

Thank you for the mention about my artwork Rebecca. I appreciate it!

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Feb 25Liked by Rebecca Holden

Another terrific read. Though I went down the rabbit hole following links at the end. So many interesting writers here and so little time to read them!!! Loved all the gardening stuff. And your beautiful art. Thanks so much. Hugs my dear.

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