Today was a gorgeous autumn day in Seattle, with bright sun after heavy rain yesterday. My bulb order from John Scheepers arrived this week and today was the perfect day to get out and put in a bunch of bulbs.
For my Homegrown National Park, I purchased 200 Camassia quamash bulbs. They arrived in excellent shape–plump and healthy. I put 100 of them among the native grasses and checker mallows in my mini meadow. The other 100 I planted in a dense bunch along the sidewalk. These should put on a great show in that south-facing spot and still allow me to plant annuals or perennials around them as they fade in the summer.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised that the C. quamash bulbs that I planted in the parking strip have come back strongly two years in a row and set seed this year–I’m hopeful that these new bulbs will take hold, as well, and provide a fit meal for some native pollinators. It feels good to be investing some time and effort into something that will reward us in five or six months.
