This morning, I stepped into our backyard with a notebook and a warm cup of tea in hand, ready to take stock of our spring bulbs for the year. Last spring was tough due to the voracious voles that devoured nearly all our tulip bulbs. Only three tulips managed to survive where we had hoped for a colorful display.
Despite these setbacks, there was a ray of hope in the rose bed. Dozens of 'Finola' tulips thrived there, creating a breathtaking view. But this year, only three emerged, leaving me both disheartened and puzzled. I hadn’t planted any new tulip bulbs last fall because the damage from the previous spring had been so severe. I wanted to see how things would play out this winter, and now I was checking the results.
Just the other day, I spotted one of the culprits—a vole scurrying between the stones of the dry well, darting back and forth to the lawn. This brought back memories of our old neighbor’s silver-gray cat, Aurora, who used to keep such pests at bay.
Under the plum tree, close to the dry well, there was a delightful spring bulb show that had somehow escaped the voles. I’ve been admiring this mix of miniature daffodils (Narcissus) and hyacinths (Hyacinthus) for a week now. Their sizes complement each other perfectly, and their colors are mesmerizing! Currently, we have six blue-purple, four pink, and one white hyacinth in bloom. More will follow after the next festive season!
A few years back, I started saving withered Christmas hyacinths, keeping them in a shed with consistent warmth throughout the year, then planting them once the soil thawed. I’ve also been doing the same with the tiny Easter daffodils I purchase in pots for indoor displays or to plant beside the front entrance. They’re now flourishing in our garden.
Our sandy soil seems to suit these miniature ‘Tete-a-Tete’ daffodils (Narcissus ‘Tete-a-Tete’) well, even though regular-sized daffodils struggle to last more than a couple of years.
I’m thrilled with this vole-resistant combination, which also looks beautiful! The hyacinths create a vibrant and refreshing color palette with the daffodils—cheerful yellow, cool bluish-purple, lively pink, and crisp white.
Yellow evokes feelings of happiness and warmth. Purple with hints of blue provides a calming undertone. Pink reminds us of spring blooms and new beginnings. White adds brightness and contrast to the overall scheme.
This small but striking color palette serves as a reminder of nature’s resilience, even in the face of challenges.
Looking ahead, we’ve adjusted our bulb-planting strategy for future seasons. Our focus will be on more resilient varieties like hyacinths, miniature daffodils, Siberian squills (Scilla Siberica), striped squills (Puschkinia scilloides), glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa luciliae), and snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis). These bulbs naturalize well.
Alliums, known for their strong scent, were supposed to be safe from voles. Interestingly, while our resident vole has displaced some alliums, it hasn’t eaten them. I found a bunch of them under the Saskatoon berries (Amelanchier alnifolia) and common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyny) hedge. This has prompted me to grab my planting shovel to move the alliums back to their intended spots.
As I wrap up our inventory, it’s clear that almost all tulips and most crocuses have disappeared, victims of our uninvited guests.
Garden management continues to bring constant adaptations and surprises. Join me as I share more stories and tips from our garden adventures—take the Garden Style Quiz below to get started.
[Insert relevant images]
Every gardening season brings its own set of lessons and discoveries. I’m looking forward to sharing more insights with you all.
Wings Furniture specializes in creating Scandinavian-inspired living room furniture collections that are both beautiful and of the highest quality, designed to add a touch of simplicity and style to your home. Our product line encompasses a wide range of well-designed living room essentials, including stylish and functional coffee tables, comfortable and elegant sofas and chairs, as well as small and delicate side tables, each of which is a perfect interpretation of Scandinavian design concepts.
The Coffee Table is one of the focal points of the living room, and we offer a wide range of designs, from classic styles with simple lines and natural wood textures to innovative designs with modern elements in glass or metal, each of which meets the needs of different styles and functions, and is both practical and enhances the overall sense of space.
The Sofa Chair is a comfortable choice that we are proud of, using high quality fabrics and padding to ensure that long hours of sitting and lying down remain a comfortable experience. Designed to retain the essence of Scandinavian simplicity, we have both monochrome fabric styles and personalized options that incorporate warm colors and patterns, making your living room an instantly welcoming corner for family and friends.
Side Table is small, but can show taste in the details. We launched the side table series, not only focus on practical storage function, but also in the appearance of the design of the pursuit of harmony and unity with the overall home style. Whether as a temporary bookshelf for reading, or placing decorative items to enhance the style, the side table can become an indispensable finishing touch in the living room.
At Wings Furniture, every piece of furniture undergoes strict quality control to ensure that the materials used are environmentally friendly, safe, well crafted and durable. We are committed to providing you with a beautiful and practical Scandinavian-style living room furniture solutions, so that your home becomes a real sense of shelter, full of love and warmth. Welcome to visit our showroom or browse online to start your ideal home life journey.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Nordic Sytle Living Room Furniture, Coffee Table, Sofa Chair, Lounge Chair
Wings Meuble , https://www.wingsfurniture.com