Looking Ahead

Summer, like it or not, is almost over, and with it most of my beloved gardening. There are still eggplant and tomatoes growing, but everything else has started to fade and die. The lilacs and lilies of the valley are long gone, and the potted snapdragons and pansies are fighting to survive, but clearly starting to lose that battle.

But there's one thing that I can do, that will keep me looking forward and let me indulge in my love of green growing things and playing in the dirt for at least a little longer.

Bulbs. Since we bought this house, I've been talking about planting bulbs in the fall, so that when spring comes I'll have bright explosions of flowers and color all around me, but it's never quite worked out. I tried to set up a raised bed on one side of the house, but the shade from above and tree roots from below led to utter failure. There are the lilies of the valley I mentioned, transplanted lovingly from a friend's garden, and the lilacs, but other than that... nothing.

I've never been very good with flowers - I feel completely lost working with them. Vegetables are easy; there are no real aesthetic concerns. Put them in the dirt, come back and get food later. Flowers are strange and mysterious and serve no practical purpose, and I'm always slightly afraid I'll do something wrong and they'll.... I don't know. Look funny, or wrong.

But I want to try. There are some places I can try to brighten up; I just need to figure out what to put there. Small areas, a row here or there, nothing huge, but it'd be nice as anything to have color peeking out at me come April.

So, my wiser and more experienced friends.... any hints or suggestions as to what I should try to play with, or how to make sure they grow right?