Last October, my friend Danika surprised me with two boxes of tulip bulbs. One white. One black. Twelve bulbs total.

“I’m tired of you talking veggies, Jaime. You need something fun, a little present just for yourself,” she smiled.

Her gesture was sweet — and right on target. The only bulbs I planted were bulbs of garlic. I was thrilled.

The cats were a little too curious about the contents of the boxes and kept knocking them off the counter. I put the tulips on a kitchen shelf with some cookbooks for safe keeping. I intended to plant them immediately, instead I promptly forgot all about them.

The first weekend in November, it’s sleeting and I’m in the yard digging into the semi-frozen earth, simultaneously swearing and laughing at my folly. Not only did I forget about my tulips, I had also forgotten about some discount daffodils I picked up the weekend before.

Cold, wet and muddy, I wondered if anything would survive the winter — and the squirrels.

From my kitchen window, I can see little leaves sprouting from this makeshift bed. Daffodil or tulip, I’m excited for these first signs of spring.

I promised myself I wasn’t gonna buy any plants, but I broke my promise — even before the plants were in the garden centers.

I ordered a Sven and an Ole. (I just didn’t have room for Lena.) Though they’ve got funny names, these shrub roses are no joke. Developed by the University of Minnesota and sold to garden centers by local wholesaler Bailey Nurseries, they’re supposed to be super hardy and low care.

I don’t really have a place to put them, but I just couldn’t resist. Ole is pale pink (described as between salmon and lutefisk), Sven is a darker pink and fragrant and Lena has pink, curly petals.

Ole

Sven

Lena

If their names are funny, the plant tags are even funnier. Here are the planting instructions: “One end smells good. Ya put the udder in a dirt.”

Because they’re new introductions, these roses are likely to sell fast. So if you’ve got a thing for hardy roses, call your favorite garden center now.

If you don’t have a thing for roses, what are some of the plants you just can’t resist?

I’ve never been a pansy person. Sure, they’re cute and all. But I’ve never really had a need for their sweet, silly faces in my garden. Until this year.

Pansies are among the handful of pretty flowering plants that can really take the cold. And they’re easy to find. And they’re cheap.

And so, I’ve got a potfull of pansies in the porch and another, bigger one by the front steps. Even though they look sweet and sorta silly, they look a heckuva lot better than the browned-out evergreens I had in those pots.

And my mood’s improved. Just planting a pot of pansies gave me faith that spring really is just around the corner.

From GG Reader Annie:

Jaime, I need your helpful advice! My Dutch bulbs just arrived in the mail yesterday and I’m nervous about planting them in these mild temperatures. Is it still too warm to put them in the ground? Will they send shoots up prematurely? This is my first time planting bulbs in the fall and I don’t want to waste or ruin them. Thanks!

You question is well timed, Annie. Ivana Marzipan just gave me some killer tulip bulbs last night.

“I bet your the kind of girl who like flowers, but never buys them for herself.” She is so right. I *do* love flowers, but I know very little about flowers, let alone when to plant them.

Last year, I waited until the end of October to plant my garlic. Is it the same for other kinds of bulbs? I’ll do a little research, in the meantime, I bet one of our readers can give us a hand (wink, wink).

Orange, red, and fushia — Fall is all about mums. Frost hardy and fool-proof, mums are often the last splash of color before the snow falls. I’m not a big fan of mums in a floral bouquet, but they are stunning paired with decorative kales and grasses in the garden.

According to the U of M Extension Service “In the 1920s, University researchers began selecting and growing mums for their ability to flower before the state’s killing frosts. In the process, they cultivated the oldest public-sector mum breeding program in North America and one of the oldest in the world.”

As my patio plants die off, I find myself with a depressing array of empty patio pots. It would sure feel nice to put on some gardening gloves and plant something new and colorful. Is there someplace in town that has a good selection of mums?

Also, Greengirl reader Rhiannon is looking for a shrub variety called “My Favorite Mum.” Is there some place local she should check out?

When I surf the net I find a lot of information on it, but no retailer information to purchase “My Favorite Mum.” I am sad to say that I am only just hearing about this new Mum after purchasing 30 large “hardy” mums from our local nursery. I appreciate any instight/information anyone can provide on where to find these “monster mums”.

As always, thanks for your help!