It's fall, the party is about to begin

We are getting started. All the bulbs are now neatly packed and displayed in alphabetical order in our barn. The orders can be walked. Many of you have probably already ordered bulbs and all the orders we have already received will be prepared in order of receipt. Next week, October 4 to be precise, a few large trailers from PostNL will be pulling into our yard which we will then fill with the forklift truck and then we will all line up to wave goodbye to the bulbs. Are you kidding? No, not kidding, we really do that, we like it, we have been doing it for years. You still don't believe it but it is true. I can't be there this year because I will be in England but I will ask them to take pictures of it and I will show you.


Camassia Blue Heaven

An indestructible flower bulb that lasts longer than most perennials.

I picked up this habit of waving goodbye in Japan. In the old days we sold a lot of bulbs in Japan, we traveled there with the Shinkansen, the Japanese TGV. With the precision of a Swiss watch, really accurate to the second, these super-fast fat caterpillars drove through the beautiful Japanese landscape. We often got on and off in Tokyo or Niigata, the start and end point of a route. There the train always stood still for 10 minutes and in this short time about ten young girls quickly popped into the train and cleaned it up very quickly. Cleaning in Japan is actually a lot easier than cleaning one of our trains that sped along between Rotjeknor and Mokum, for example. The Japanese generally leave less mess behind than the Dutch train passenger. But I digress, after exactly 9 minutes and 40 seconds these girls emerge from all the doors and quickly walk to carriage 1 to stand there neatly in line with the bucket with cleaning supplies all placed in exactly the same way next to their right foot. When the train then starts moving, exactly on time for departure, they all wave goodbye in the same way. Really, not to the driver, not to the conductor, not to the passengers, no, they wave goodbye to the train. That's nice, about ten happy girls who proudly wave goodbye to their spotless train. Well, that's what we do with the first orders that leave us. In the early years it was only half a mail cart that was clumsily crammed into an old PostNL van, it was not quite a Tuktuk, but we waved goodbye. Nowadays it's a few of the largest trailers of PostNL that we wave goodbye to, but still with just as much pride and just as much gratitude to all those lovely customers to whom we are allowed to deliver the bulbs.

Crocus Aqua

One of the nicer and better new Crocuses

But…if you haven’t ordered any bulbs yet, we won’t wave them off either, too bad for those who order later, you won’t get waved off bulbs. We’re really not going to start that. You really don’t have to call Renata to kindly ask her to please wave your bulbs off too, we won’t do that, you can forget it. I know, if you were just about to order bulbs, you’re looking a bit sad now, but it doesn’t matter. We’ve done some thorough research into it and the conclusion of the research did not give us the impression that waved off bulbs did better than bulbs that missed out on this loving treatment.


Eremurus robustus

Tulip One Direction

A tulip that shows that you can be very colorful with little color.

Did you know that I sometimes think about this; for whom do you (and I too) plant the bulbs? Is it really just for yourself, to enjoy or is it secretly also a bit for all those other people who also enjoy your flower bulbs. Over the years I have come to realize that I actually plant them mainly for other people to enjoy. Of course, I am also extremely curious about a new species that is on my plant for the first time, but all those other species? I have come to realize that I now enjoy all those people who enjoy our Allium Ambassador more than I enjoy the Allium myself. Of course I think it is beautiful, but I am more looking forward to those two Allium species that are newly planted in our garden. In the past that was less, then I really wanted to see them myself and enjoy them myself. Isn't it nice to see how that changes after you have planted bulbs several times (read as you get older). Whatever it is, whether you enjoy one or the other, enjoyment is enjoyment. We're digressing again, I'll stop, have fun in our flower bulb shop.

Allium Ambassador

The most eye-catching Allium .

Kind regards,

Carlos

By the way, one more thing if you, like me, also like to plant bulbs for others to enjoy; plant a bunch of Daffodils along the road near your house. Really, the neighborhood, and of course you too, can enjoy them for years to come. Almost all Daffodils naturalize well if you plant them in a sunny spot where they are left alone, but the Ice Follies, Carlton and Jetfire are extremely suitable for this. The now common Tete a Tete too, by the way, I see dozens of them coming back here and there as if they were snowdrops.

Narcissus Carlton

For as long as I can remember, this tuft has stood along our canal.

Or perhaps even more fun; buy flower bulbs and give them away immediately to a good garden friend or garden friend with a garden. It is even more fun to immediately offer to come and help plant the flower bulbs. From experience I know that the offer to help is usually rejected at first, but if that happens, don't give up too quickly. Keep insisting until they say yes, because it is still a lot of fun to garden together with a good friend or acquaintance.

Now I really have to stop, all the beautiful flower bulbs that you see between the lines are great in the garden, feel free to try them sometime.


Muscari Flower Power

The largest bunches of all grapes there are. Always pick a bunch when you see them blooming in your garden, they smell wonderful.