I am always talking with reporter Stacey Mulick, the star diva of our Crime & Breaking News Team, about various garden things. If her boss would let me, I'd poach her off the C&BN team and make her a full time SoundLifer and garden writer. As if that will ever happen, but a garden editor can dream, can't she?

This week, we've been talking repeatedly about our tulips. Until this week, mine were stilted and short (no sun!!) and hers have been MIA thanks to a few crazy critters in her yard.

So she poses the following as a question-slash-gripe for all of you, our faithful Get Growing readers:

I must admit I have tulip envy.

I drive around and see colorful clusters of red, yellow, pink and orange tulips. Then, I return to my house and see the scant few tulips that have survived in my yard. In previous years, I’ve planted dozens upon dozens of tulips in my flower beds.

Each spring, the numbers of tulips sprouting from the ground continue to be less and less. It’s hard not to get frustrated by the disappearing bulbs. I can now count on one hand the number of tulips blooming in my front AND back yard. (The only exception is the tulips in containers out back – they have come back.)

I’ve read that tulips are tasty snacks for many garden critters so I am thinking of giving up on tulips all together. My hyacinths continue to thrive and the rabbits didn’t munch the flowers off my spring crocuses this year. Victory!

Anyone else have tulip problems? I’d take suggestions about how to keep my tulips away from the critters.


-- Stacey Mulick