Last night I bought Our Life in Gardens by Joe Eck and Wayne Winterrowd. This morning, after reading this passage from the end of the first chapter, I ordered 75 crocus bulbs:
“Our first autumn in Pepperell, we also planted bulbs, daffodils of course and crocus and tulips and hyacinths. The day in March when the hundred or so species of crocus we had planted near the doorstep bloomed was then, and remains, a curiously blessed moment in our life together. It was something we vowed would happen each year we were together, forever.”
I love how this couple is able to talk about their garden and their relationship with such tenderness without turning treacly. I’d been wondering if I could grow bulbs on our roof for a while and this book was just the kick I needed.
An experienced gardener I found on the New York City Roofgarden Meetup message board told me “the rule of thumb is that anything in containers on a roof or deck needs to be 2 zones hardier than the growing area.” We’re in zone 7, so I’d need bulbs that were hardy to zone 5 . . . and these crocuses are all good to zone 4, so let’s hope this works.
Thanks to Band of Thebes where I first heard about this terrific book. The New York Times also reviewed the book.
Image: White Flower Farm
Brooklyn Roof Garden 