We laid out the bulbs nicely in the center of the rows, to plant them. I drove my tractor over the rows, pulling an implement to cover them with dirt. Things were really going great and the rows were looking nice.

I appropriately snapped the latch by my handle on the tractor to pull the implement out of the dirt. I circled around to begin this process on another row. I drove by a worker's truck when behind me I heard a very loud CRUNCH!!!!

"Oh, no." was the collective response from everyone by me.

Yes, I forgot the implement I was using to cover the rows with dirt was attached to my tractor by a long, steel beam that protruded two feet on either side of the tractor. With this steel beam, I had taken out the fender by his headlight, dented and scraped the front door, and dented and scraped the back door...I won't tell you how expensive the damage is...yuck.

But harvest on the farm continues...

Sometimes you feel like you’re being hunted.

(And not just if you’re a cemetery iris, oxblood lily, Crinum Mrs. James Hendry, or any of the other bulbs I’ve hunted myself in recent weeks.)

Living in a small, rustic, red cabin in East Texas certainly has its charm, but when the brown recluses, beetles, wasps, and other critters invade my home – as they have done throughout the week, likely seeking relief from the heat – I find myself wanting to get away every now and then.

The little red cabin... Looks idyllic, but it's sweltering and full of unwelcome, six- and eight-legged guests during the summer!

Fortunately, a recent business trip took me back through Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, where I was able to catch up with old friends and make some new ones. In Alabama, Jason Powell of Petals from the Past fame allowed me to stay in his comfortable barn as I passed through for a meeting in Mississippi.

The top photo show Jason Powell, owner of Petals from the Past, greeting me at the barn, while the photo below it shows the main office of Petals from the Past looking peaceful in the morning light.

Clockwise from top left: Fresh-picked heirloom tomatoes on the porch of Jason's home; Rudbeckia hirta, aka "Gloriosa Daisy," with a darker color around the center of the plant in Jason's garden; beautiful petunias in a hanging basket on the porch; Rudbeckia "Indian Summer," with an all-yellow center; Jason's vegetable garden; Jason relaxing on the back porch.

Jason and his wife, Shelley, along with their cat, sent me away with freshly picked blackberries and blueberries for the remainder of my drive. The blackberries were gone by Mississippi, while the blueberries didn't make it past Louisiana!

Nothing beats the taste of fresh, home-grown berries in the summertime!

After a meeting in Birmingham, it was time to return home, but not before admiring some extraordinary bulbs in Louisiana just east of Monroe.

From left to right: Lilium tigrinum, commonly known as a tiger lily -- notice the little black bulbils at the base of the leaves. It is another form of propagation for them. In the center, a Crinum Mrs. James Hendry looks lovely in the morning light. And at right, a pineapple lily, Eucomis sp.

Now it’s back to the little red cabin, with its unreliable air conditioning and a beautiful vintage oven – a 1950s Tappan – in need of a repair. A repairman stopped by yesterday and diagnosed her as needing a new thermostat. Guess she just can’t keep up with the escalating temperatures here in Texas! We’re nearing our 20th day this year of triple-degree temperatures, so I’m careful to hydrate well while out on the farm. I hope the rest of you avid gardeners are doing the same.

A few crinums from the farm adore this charming, if not perfectly calibrated, Tappan oven and stovetop.

Despite the heat, our bulbs continue to do well, both in the ground and in floral arrangements. The cut crinums Southern Bulbs has been selling through Garden Style are really showy, as you can see.

Southern Bulbs’ oxblood lilies, and lycoris are flying off the shelves at Buchanan’s Native Plants in Houston, and I was happy to receive this enthusiastic endorsement of our crinum bulbs via email from a satisfied customer:

Chris, just wanted you to know, my crinums are magnificent! Thanks so much.

It’s still hot and dry out, even at this late hour as I write, and I’m convinced the heat and lack of water are driving the creepy-crawlies indoors. I just tried to fend off a lizard that made its way into the cabin, and I’ve discovered this week that my black crates aren’t gopher-proof…

The gophers must have been desperate to chew through these plastic crates!

Maybe it’s time for another trip? :)

Labels: bulb, bulb-hunting, cabin, crinum, cut flowers, lycoris, oxblood