Every spring for years now, my dear friend Les and I have fiercely competed in The Bloomin’ Bulbs competition.
We two are the only participants.
Whoever has the first blooming spring bulbs is the winner.
But in the weeks ahead, we’ll both be on high alert, because we’ve proven ourselves …uhm… untrustworthy.
One year I brought a blow-dryer outside, trying to warm up the air around my not-quite-blooming daffodils.
And as for Les …. well….
Please follow the trail from here:
From: Cynthia Reyes
Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2014 4:58 PM
To: ‘Leslie Lawrence’
Subject: I have SEVERAL crocuses bloomin’!
I have SEVERAL crocuses bloomin’ now!
Two yesterday, several today.
And I just remembered: it’s the Bloomin’ Bulbs competition, so Hellebores don’t count, Les!
Have you any real bulbs yet??
~~
From: Leslie
Sent: Monday, April 14, 2014 9:05 AM
To: Cynthia Reyes
Subject: Re: I have SEVERAL crocuses bloomin’ now!
Well, you are probably well ahead.
It’s hard to be in competition with the Reyes Estate.
A Few Things have poked their heads up vigorously through the leaf mulch.
However, we don’t have much of a display.
Lawrence el Veraz
~~
On Apr 14, 2014, at 9:19 AM, Cynthia Reyes wrote:
Les – that is beautiful!
I have no daffodils blooming.
When I read your email, I braced myself for another fake photo – but this is great!
It looks like you won the contest this year, because those daffodils have been up for a while – right?
Darn, drats and heck! I hate losing. But if I had to lose to someone….. I’m glad it’s you!
~~
From: Leslie
Sent: Monday, April 14, 2014 9:46 AM
To: Cynthia Reyes
Subject: Re: I have SEVERAL crocuses bloomin’ now!
Hi Cynthia,
Well, I’m glad you liked the photo.
As for fake photos, though we have this keen competition, I assure you I would never spend a lot of time scheming to send you a photograph taken last spring in order to accomplish the nearly impossible task of fooling you one last time.
Not me.
Lawrence el Veraz.
~~
On Apr 14, 2014, at 9:50 AM, Cynthia Reyes wrote:
Oh my God!
You did it again, didn’t you?
I don’t know why I get hoodwinked every time.
And this time – completely.
Duz a leppard change his spots?
Duz a photo-faker change his ways?
Obviously not.
Ay, caramba!
~~
All this to say: keep your friends close, but keep your gardener-friends even closer!
~~
Dedicated to my dear friend Lawrence el Veraz.
Cynthia Reyes 
Can’t you include my Christmas/Easter cactus (it’s schizophrenic) in your comp please?
Yes but you’d likely win. I have a Christmas/Easter cactus and it will not bloom at any time of the year.
Does yours bloom — at either Easter or Christmas?
At the moment, christmas, now, and going for eastern with all guns blazing I think!
Please congratulate that plant for me. It is doing its duty. I shall go kick mine again, but it’s thorny and I could get hurt….
What fun and a little competition never hurts!! On the mountain we do not have any bulbs blooming but in town I saw a few last week!
Do you have any bulbs planted, Michael?
You guys need a room – a greenhouse.
I’d give my eyeteeth for a greenhouse. I would, I would!
Sounds fun and blooming with opportunities. 🙂
I like that, Brad. Blooming with opportunities…
🙂
What fun! Next year buy some Narcissus ‘Rjnveld’ s Early Sensation’. They are really early and so you won’ t need a blow dryer.
Chloris, my dear! Could you not have sent me a PRIVATE email, so that Lawrence el Veraz wouldn’t know? (Imagine us both next fall — rushing out to buy and plant Rjnveld’s Early Sensation!)
Oh sorry, I didn’ t think of that. If I think of any other tricks I’ ll tell you privately.
That’s the spirit! I’ll gratefully accept any tricks as long as they are legal and don’t involve blow dryers.
Thanks, Chloris ! Rjynveld’s it is ! The blow dryer didn’t work for me. Also,there are some good photos of Rjnfeld’s on line. (Not that I would pretend they were mine.)
el Veraz.
Oh no, you weren’t meant to see that. It was for Cynthia’s eyes only, to help her to win next year. I forget sometimes that this is rather a public arena.
Yeah, Chloris! Atta girl! No revealing the secrets to Lawrence el Veraz!
Oh heck. Now I will have to go back to Plan B with plastic daffodils. But thanks for the tip on Rjnfelds. They certainly look great online.
il Veritiero
I enjoyed this so much! The part about taking the blow dryer outside made me laugh. I Iove flowers. I don’t have any bulbs. I had some tiger lilies for a few years, but had a really hot summer and neglected them 2 or 3 years ago, and lost most of them. I do have a lot of flowering shrubs though.
I hope you really enjoy your flowers this year.
Blessings,
Theresa
Thanks, Theresa. It is a great competition, and we have fun. But we are SERIOUS competitors!
Send pix of your flowering shrubs when they flower!
And thanks for your reply.
My Florida orchids bloom bright yellow all year round. They’re paper and extremely low-maintenance. Nothing like the ecstasy of that first outdoor bloom, though.
They’re paper? Are you pulling my leg? (If so, please pull the good one… or maybe better pull the bad one… are these orchids paper or real?
As you can tell from Les’ email, I get easily fooled.
I absolutely love this! I laughed and I know quite well how “brutal” competition can be. Thanks for a wonderful blog, Cynthia! 🙂
Thank you.
And you are most welcome, Susan Marie. Glad you like!
How funny! Poor you getting fooled every time! Here’s hoping your garden is full of flowers very soon!
Thank you, Clare. I’m wishing you a good week.
Thank-you kindly for your kind wishes. I hope that yours is good too.
Everyone should have a bit of skulduggery in their lives. 🙂
It is a lot of fun!
The only thing blooming around here are snowdrops!
Good to have something blooming, Joanne. I have no snowdrops, but I can see the daffodil and tulip shoots in the ground, so the season of hope begins!
The best competition I have ever heard of ;0) I had been hopefully planting many snowdrops last fall…it seems the squirrels survived the harsh winter through them…
Darned squirrels! Whatever happened to saving acorns for their winter meals? Sorry ’bout that.
And they probably claim, it was the skunks ;0)
I bet.
I like spring bulbs and colors in the garden !
I know that, Christiane. I love your post on Hyacinths (les jacinthes)!
Now this sounds like a lot of fun!! Your gardens are gorgeous, I don’t know Les, I think that Cynthia has this one ~
I hope Les is reading this, Mary. And thank you. But his garden is quite spectacular, so who knows?
Mary, My modest few flowers lose out every year in the competition with the gorgeous gardens at the Reyes Estate. What’s more I am accused as a skullduggererer ! And who would believe that ? But I will keep trying. It’s what we gardeners do.
Les the truthful.
Ha Ha….such a fun competition and great way to get the spring spirit riled up waiting for those first blooms!
So right, Tina. It makes me laugh, too.
lol-snow today + 15 inches up north…but I did spot a few crocus blooming! I do not lie:-)LOL
Well, Robbie: after being repeatedly fooled by one of my dearest friends, ya think I’m going to believe you? (Big smile) Okay, maybe.
LOL:-)
So now skulduggery is my latest favorite word. So much fun to say. And think about.
Thank you Cynthia.
Hi Karen:
Isn’t it a great word? I love it. Unfortunately, so does Les, my garden competitor….
A little competition always makes for a better friendship. I haven’t seen a crocus since last spring so you’re far ahead of us.
Hey Allen:
That was last spring’s happening/skulduggery. I’m hoping something will happen soon in my garden. And I bet my friend Les is already planning a new bit of skulduggery that will stump me — again.
A hair-dryer for the crocuses…why didn’t *I* think of that?! Hilarious!!!
It was such a silly idea. And of course it didn’t work. Maybe next time I’ll try to warm up the roots.
Cynthia, this made me smile. The hairdryer idea is a hoot. It amazes me how much sooner bulbs planted in front of a south-facing wall or fence will bloom. Today I spotted one tulip changing from green to red in just such a location. Best wishes with the contest.
Blessings ~ Wendy ❀
Just to be clear, Wendy, because this is a serious contest: who are you sending best wishes to — me or Les?
Thank you Wendy for your good wishes.
As you know I am the underdog in this extremely competitive event. (It has even been suggested that my photographic documentation is somehow suspect.)
Good to have your support as we prepare for Spring once again.
Sincerely,
George Washington Lawrence
Underdog, indeed.
Wendy, don’t you believe him! See how his name keeps changing? I think I’d better go check my cherry tree! Tee hee….