The Bulbs

The bulbs at Linderhof this year

are fewer

and later blooming than in year's past.

Not the outdoor ones but the ones inside.

We usually have a  half dozen or so hyacinth bulbs which we force in our antique

forcing vases --

This year we've managed just three!

But the heavenly fragrance of these three

They perfume all of Linderhof!

This one is a purple hyacinth in a purple vase on the table in the downstairs hall.

By now our paperwhites have bloomed and have been discarded.

My first two dozen bulbs were duds.

The company, White Flower Farm, kindly replaced them

But, of course, I was behind . . .

And even when planted they seemed to sit and sit and sit

Finally -- I'm getting some growth

The bulbs on the left are planted in what is called a "bulb pot" in soil; the ones on the right are planted in gravel in a "bulb bowl"

They are finally putting up shoots, it's time to start the second dozen.

It will be interesting to see if the outdoor cousins will come into bloom before the inside ones!

It's a right of winter, at Linderhof, the bulbs

paperwhites and hyacinths.

They bring the promise of spring to dreary winter days!

And in 2014, they may bring the promise of spring to spring days!

I'm joining The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays.