Granny ‘Gus’ McGarden packed a lunch and began her journey from The Vegetable Garden Cathedral to Neighbor’s View. She took a short cut through Plopper’s Field and walked past the Lilac Muddle to reach her destination.
She wanted to see for herself the tulips that were blooming down low after hearing some of the other garden fairies talk about them.
Sure enough, when she got there, she saw several tulips, which by her reckoning should have been at least a foot tall if not taller, blooming down low.
She wondered what could possibly have caused such a thing to occur.
Just then one of the pillywiggins came by. After exchanging the usual and customary greetings, they begin to discuss the tulips.
“Well, it could be Carol just didn’t plant them deep enough,” said the pillywiggin in her high squeaky voice.
“Oh, I don’t think that’s it. She has planted tulips many times before and they never did this,” said Granny.
They stood in silence for awhile and then Violet GreenPea Maydreams came by and offered her opinion.
“I think it was that warm spell we had in February, followed by that cold spell in March. I think it confused the tulip fairies. They started to bring up the buds when it was warm, then ran for shelter when it got cold and so they never had a chance to finish making the stems. That’s why the tulips are blooming so low to the ground,” said Violet.
They all nodded in agreement. What Violet said made sense. So the pillywiggin went off to find the tulip fairies to see if they would come out now that it wasn’t so cold and fix the tulips. Meanwhile, Granny ate her lunch under the nearby crabapple tree and then packed up and headed back to The Vegetable Garden Cathedral.
For her return trip, she went around the other side, passed through the Ginkgo Muddle, then followed the path called Ridgewood Avenue which divided Woodland Follies from August Dreams Gardens. It took her straight back to The Vegetable Garden Cathedral.
Once there, Granny looked around. The tulips planted at the ends of the veg garden beds weren’t quite as far along as those in front, but she reckoned that was good because Carol wanted them to bloom for Easter. Granny would do what she could to make that happen, but hoped in return Carol would come out and do her part, namely sowing seeds for radishes and lettuce and such.
And Granny hoped Carol would tear out those compost bins like she had promised to do and there were still some bags of mulch for the paths leftover from last fall. Granny thought it would be good if Carol spread that mulch before Easter, too. And the weeds. “Carol’s going to lose control of this garden is she doesn’t start weeding soon,” announced Granny to no one in particular.
“But I’m not going to worry about it. When Carol decides she’ll do it, she’ll do it, and I can’t make her.”
And with that thought on her mind, Granny snuck off to the edge of The Shrubbery and laid down for a nap under a nearby Pearl Bush, where she knew she would dream of the riches that gardening provides.
Short tulips. Hmmmmmm Maybe they were planted too deep. I have had that happen before and wondered if that might be it?? Or as the fairies say the weather has taken it's toll on the garden in more ways than can be imagined.
Very interesting!
Love faerie stories! I think that's perfectly correct – the faeries went back to sleep in the cold and needed reminding that they hadn't made the tulip stems yet.