Jason told me to write about flowers for the April blog post, and I protested, “It’s too early!” Turns out, he was right. Sure, the lilies of the valley in the side yard are just green foliage at this stage, and the buds on the lilac bush in the front are still tightly closed, but it’s peak blooming time for the daffodils, hyacinths and tulips, which are turning heads with their vibrant, saturated hues, and dense and random planting, as though Mother Nature herself had strewn them about. But these were very much painstakingly set in the earth by hand, many years ago, by former cottage owner Noreta Nagelkirk.
After we acquired the property, some of Noreta’s bulbs were disturbed by necessary excavation in the front, and even more necessary helical pier installation along the western flank, but as many as possible were salvaged and nestled back into their original spots or in close proximity. Had someone else assumed ownership, I suspect the bulbs would have been uprooted and discarded, exchanged for something more manageable, and with year round appeal, say, hedges.
I do understand the temptation. Last year, Jason restored the shed across the street, and dodging all the perennials was sometimes like playing Twister, with ladders! The shed was transformed from top (new roof) to bottom (shored up foundation), and swathed in new siding and paint, and we were not sure how Noreta’s beloved bulbs would fare amid the upheaval. Thankfully, this spring, the beds have rebounded.
If you visit soon, you’ll catch, around the cottage and shed perimeter, the bulbs’ flashy show. If that’s not enough of a flower fix, take a self-guided tour through town, a sort of Parade of Petals, shall we say, on your way uptown for some shopping or dining. Or just in the course of an otherwise aimless stroll through our streets. You’ll spot plenty of other blooming bulbs in sun-drenched gardens and ornamental beds, and crocus, trout lilies, and violets in the dappled shade of the park. And, here in our Tree City USA designated town, you’ll find the picturesque downtown district lined on both sides of the street with stately trees heavily laden with snow white blossoms, and myriad other flowering tree varieties, including the exquisite saucer magnolia. As you meander, if you’re close enough, lean in and breath deep–here in lakeside, laid-back Lake Odessa, we absolutely stop to smell the flowers! Though sometimes the air is so perfumed, there’s no need to pause at all.