no. 7: planting for spring

hello, dear friends!
we got in from a week of traveling yesterday & only wanted to unpack, read a few more pages of {the history of love} together, & hit the hay. we hope you had a lovely thanksgiving! ours was filled with lots of company, family & friends, good food, lots of love, & many naps.


before the holidays, we managed to fit in a bit of planting. we spent the earlier part of the week with luke's brother, joel, who helped us dig up the earth, & plant a bit of new life... a variety of daffodiles & blue bells.

we'd like to give you a little tutorial on how to plant & take care of bulbs. we hope you'll enjoy!

1. gather all your tools
you will need...
+bulbs (you can find these at most gardening stores or farmers markets)
+hand-shovel or regular shovel
+ nutrient-rich soil (compost) to mix in with the dirt already present
+gardening gloves (unless you're the type who likes to get their hands dirty!)

2. you're probably wondering about this nutrient-rich soil...
unless you have a compost nearby like we do, you can buy a truck-load of compost from most cities or a bag of nutrient-rich soil/gardening soil from most gardening centers. it is important to fertilize the present soil with new, rich soil in order to better feed your bulbs & also provide drainage. if you don't have a compost pile, i'd recommend you trying it out! you can learn about composting {here}. if you do not have an outside area for composting, try {this} method... unless you're not into worms.

3. alternative places to plant
if you do not have a place to plant your bulbs, you can also plant them in pots! they'll do just fine! make sure to only plant one or two bulbs per pot. although terra cotta pots are pretty, they can sometimes crack in cold weather. we have never had this happen, but others recommend against them. if you do decide to go the pot route, do not bring your pot inside. just like outside bulbs, potted bulbs need the chill in order to bloom in the spring.

3. dig, baby, dig!
once you have spotted out the place where you'd like to plant, dig a hole that is twice the size of your bulbs. place the bulb facing up.

4. bury the bulb
once you have placed the bulb facing up, mix half compost/half soil & cover the bulb. make sure it is not compacted.

5. water your new friends!
make sure to thoroughly water your bulbs until the mound of water is soaked.

important tips
once we finished, we covered our planted bulbs with dried leaves. hay is also a good cover to use.
it is important to plant soon so that your bulbs have enough time to sit before spring!
so get outside & enjoy the warmer temperatures while they last!

-Luke + natalie