bulb planting

Today I planted daffodils.  I had ordered them early in September from Van 
Engelen, but they hadn't come.  I got worried and sent an e-mail - got a 
response that they had just been shipped.  Seems too coincidental to me.  Anyway, 
they came on Monday and today I had time to start planting.  We had a raised bed 
built at the angle where our driveway comes in off the lane, and I have filled 
it with daffs.  Should be quite a sight next spring.  I planted 'Ipi Tombi;' 
'Itzim;' 'Febuary Gold;' and 'Dickcissel.'  The last is the only one I have 
grown before - an all-time favorite.  I planted more about 50 of each - ordered 
them by 100s and will give some to a son and a friend. If we have a spring 
like last year, these should provide several weeks of bloom.  Doesn't always work 
out that way - some years they all bloom at the same time. Last year I had 
more than two months of bloom, but that was really the optimum. I have also 
ordered 'Billy Graham, ' partly for the name, but because it sounds really 
different, but it hasn't come yet and will go into the bed across the drive from the 
front door.  It's good to have them in.  I have small bulbs still to plant, 
but that isn't so much of a job.

While I was planting, a ConEd truck came up the lane really fast - nearly 
brushed me back.  It went up to the end of the lane (next house after ours), 
turned around and shouted at some workmen there.  Then he came back past me - I 
had moved out of the roadway - and stopped. The driver was a gray-haired heavy 
man, probably in his late 50s. He held a black thing out the window and said "I 
don't want to see you on your knees.  Here's a kneeling pad.  I use it to 
scrub my bathroom floor."  I said thanks, and he took off again at high speed, 
leaving me with a black, foam-padded kneeling pad.  I wonder if he carries them 
around to give to old women he sees gardening?  Or maybe he isn't going to 
scrub his bathroom floor any more.  My DH has never scrubbed a bathroom floor 
(for that matter, I'm not much good at it, either.)  All sorts of questions come 
to mind.

Really coming up for air after putting on a flower show last weekend and 
finishing an indexing job yesterday.  Today was a beautiful day - the first in 
more than a week - so the timing is working out right. Achy and tired, but 
pleased with the day's work.
Auralie

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