Fresh Blooms in the Red Wagon Planter

After a very rainy and wet winter here in Tennessee, spring has finally sprung. After several months that were plagued by floods and LOTS of rain, the sun has finally started to shine. With all of the gorgeous weather lately, my tulips that I had planted in the red wagon planter had finally begun to sprout. The project that I began in the fall was finally coming to fruition! The old red wagon that my husband and I had converted into a garden showpiece was finally showing some greenery.

See Part 1: My Little Red Wagon Planter

This was a cool project to try, as I love making all kinds of random items into garden art. As it turned out, out of the 25 bulbs that I planted, only about five or six of them came into full bloom. I learned a couple of lessons from this planting experience, so I'll share some of my wisdom with you. 

• Tulips really need to be planted about six to eight inches deep. My container was about five inches deep. This was a definitive factor in many of them not coming into full bloom. Almost all of the bulbs' leaves came up, but wouldn't come to a full flower.
• Squirrels, rabbits and groundhogs love to eat the bulbs. I had a significant problem keeping the critters out. After having at least five bulbs eaten, I cut up two bars of Irish Spring soap. I put these all through the wagon and voila, no more rodent problems.

I am going to relocate the bulbs to my new flower bed. Hopefully next spring I'll have a much better show than I did this year. For now, I'm going to try some new blooms in my wagon. I think some impatiens or daisies will make for some vibrant color in my landscape. These annuals will last all season and into the fall. Tulips and daffodils are the bringers of spring, but they just don't last long enough! 

 All Images Courtesy of Teresa Filgis

It never hurts to be adventurous in your garden. Trying new plants and flowers will always keep your outdoor space fresh. Trial and error are the best ways to see what works in your environment and what doesn't. May all of your flowers come into full bloom and bring you lots of bees, hummingbirds and beauty!