Last week it occurred to me that I should be economical and plant some bulbs. It has been getting colder by the day and I was running out of time before the first frost. Although now it has warmed back up again, because it is New York and the weather is unpredictable, especially in the fall. On a partially cloudy, not so cold day I ventured out to the stoop and surveyed the state of it. Dead leaf debris and copious amounts of cigarette butts would have to be cleared away from my slowly fading perennials before I could even get down to the business of digging holes for the bulbs. It has been a constant battle this year between trash and plant life but I have done my best and have learned that part of the fun of urban gardening is the challenge.
I hope the daffodils make it through the winter. I was told recently, after I had already planted the bulbs, that they may not grow in a stoop with the constant freezing and thawing of the elevated ground. I am not sure if the stoop's soil is deep enough to protect the big bulbs from winter and they may not flower. They have already been planted though, and if they don't come up in the springtime to say hello, lesson learned. Perhaps the smaller bulbs (galanthus and crocus) will emerge.
