The last bulbs

I thought I had rescued all the plants I wanted to save out of my Traffic Island Garden last summer when the road work was postponed. Not quite.

I didn't realize I'd forgotten Muscari paradoxum until it appeared this week. This is a dense, dark and large Muscari that is a favorite of mine. 

I dug out a coupe of nice clumps and pulled out the forgotten orange Tulip as well. This sunny bed, with more gravel than soil, has been the best spot I've ever had for Tulips.

I just dashed out to grab the bulbs when the workmen weren't around and it didn't feel too dangerous to be working out in the construction zone. By the time that workman got back into the trench I was ready to head to the safety of my garden across the street.

I expect this raised planting bed will be a memory next week as they move closer to our house putting in the massive sewer piping. This week they ran the new gas line from the street to our house and hooked it up. I don't think those guys did so much as bend a leaf. No plant was damaged in that project. Pretty amazing crew.

Comments

[danger garden]

Great shots!

[Ginny]

I'm glad you got some of the Muscari dug up, just in the nick of time!

[Barbara H.]

Glad you've established good rapport with the crew and that your Muscari showed its face while there was still time to rescue it.

[Kris P]

Good that you jumped in before it was too late. I'm glad to hear that the workmen have continued to exercise care but I'm sure you'll breathe a sigh of relief when their work zone moves beyond your house.

[Kathy from Cold Climate Gardening]

I thought I got all my plants dug up last year before construction started this year, but I find myself going under the new deck framing (doesn't have the actual decking on it yet to rescue one more arisaema, another clump of unidentified narcissus, ooh, is that an Angelica gigas seedling? etc. It's nice to have a second chance! Now I have to google Muscari paradoxum . . .

[Chavli]

Is it your home garden behind you in the photos?
I always thought it could be fun to "extend" a personal garden into a traffic island.
Will it be rebuild afterwards?

[Linda Brazill]

KATHY — That muscari is taller, fatter and really dark purple with a thin yellow edge on the bottom of the bells, as it were.

[Linda Brazill]

CHAVLI — The tree with the ribbon around it is at the end of our driveway. Our property runs 100' to the right of the tree. The traffic island will not be replaced. The city is removing on-street parking and using the space for a shared bike/pedestrian path.

[Jerry]

I enjoyed all the action shots with the workers in the background. You got them just in the nick of time!