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Carol J. Michel

Award winner author of gardening humor books

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May Dreams Gardens

Violas and irises all in a row

March 13, 2012 By Carol Michel 16 Comments

Decoy viola picture

Well, now, this is certainly embarrassing.

I’m not sure how it happened and wonder if it was caused by some unseen force (garden fairies) at work in my garden, playing tricks on me.

That’s one possible explanation.

The other possible explanation is that I did this in some sort of subconscious gardening-in-a-hurry state of mind as I quickly planted bulbs last fall.

As a long time vegetable gardener, my natural, self-taught method of planting falls along these lines. I call it Straight-line Obsessive Planting or SLOP.  Apparently, being aware of a tendency toward SLOP doesn’t prevent a gardener from planting bulbs in straight rows.

Here is the embarrassing evidence.

Lovely irises, in this case Iris reticulata ‘Natascha’, have some how ended up in a row formation.  I would have bet money that I dug one big hole last fall, which I did, and scattered these bulbs in the hole in some kind of a non-linear, random fashion.

Apparently, ” non-linear, random fashion” means slightly crooked rows.

Too late now, violas and irises all in a row.

Violas, you say?

I planted three flats of violas out and about in the garden here and there and everywhere in preparation for Easter festivities in my garden on April 8th.  I hope the violas aren’t truly “all in a row”.

If they are all in a row, maybe I should dig them up and try again.

I may need  Dr. Hortfreud to guide me the next time I plant something other than vegetables. These natural tendencies are apparently often difficult to overcome on one’s own.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: bulbs, humor

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sharon@SproutsandWildlings says

    March 13, 2012 at 2:13 am

    When I read your posts, my husband looks at me like I've gone to the loony bin. Thanks for another great laugh!

    Reply
  2. growingagardenindavis says

    March 13, 2012 at 2:31 am

    Maybe you could think of something to add in and blur the lines?

    Reply
  3. The Bama Gardener says

    March 13, 2012 at 5:07 am

    HAHA! I am a SLOP planter too mostly by accident. By the time I realize it I just can't pull everything up and move it. I agree with Leslie, I just put extra stuff in between it to make it not look so even-steven.

    Reply
  4. Andrea says

    March 13, 2012 at 8:44 am

    Oh i should remember that acronym, SLOP, most of us are SLOPs! Whatever, i love the color of that viola.

    Reply
  5. donna says

    March 13, 2012 at 10:28 am

    At least you won't be accused of planting the bulbs too close together:)

    Violas and pansies always make me smile, especially with the sun shining on them.

    My first comment disappeared. Hope you don't get it twice now.

    Reply
  6. Zoo Horticulture says

    March 13, 2012 at 11:05 am

    Carol – your post had me laughing out loud this morning. Thanks for the little pick me up!

    Reply
  7. Lisa at Greenbow says

    March 13, 2012 at 11:50 am

    Hopefully by April 8 they will have filled in and be so full of blooms that you won't notice those lines.

    Reply
  8. Gail says

    March 13, 2012 at 12:07 pm

    Carol, I think Lisa is onto something~They will fill in nicely.

    Reply
  9. Lona says

    March 13, 2012 at 3:15 pm

    I do the same thing every time. Then when they are up and growing I groan to myself "cluster them Lona". LOL!

    Reply
  10. spurge says

    March 13, 2012 at 6:33 pm

    That is too funny – I do the same thing all the time, even though I HATE how it looks when things are planted in geometric patterns! Natural is so hard to achieve.

    Reply
  11. L says

    March 13, 2012 at 6:51 pm

    I think you are right – the fairies probably replanted your random order with straight lines, playing a trick on you! Thanks for the chuckle.

    Reply
  12. Dee/reddirtramblings says

    March 13, 2012 at 7:53 pm

    This post made me smile knowing you as I do. Those irises are sweet, but so orderly.~~Dee

    Reply
  13. LINDA from Each Little World says

    March 14, 2012 at 2:49 am

    I'm sure it must be the result of overactive squirrels during this mild winter!

    Reply
  14. Corner Gardener Sue says

    March 14, 2012 at 3:17 am

    I think they look quite pretty. I myself am unable to do straight lines, but I do attempt to when I plant my veggies. They usually take an angle of some kind.

    Reply
  15. Anonymous says

    March 14, 2012 at 8:02 pm

    Give them time. They will "randomize" them selves as they fill in over the years

    Deirdre

    Reply
  16. Heather says

    March 16, 2012 at 10:47 pm

    I vote to blame the squirrels. I know *I* didn't plant all those bulbs in my backyard in a bunch of straight lines.

    I would like a SLOP gardener t-shirt. Surely one of the graphic designers amongst us could get on that?

    Reply

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