From the Editor
when the wavy variegated tulip leaves pop up in the strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street in front of my house. It’s such an odd location for a tiny patch of tulips (a bulb or two were probably deposited there by a squirrel), but every year I admire them and watch for the bright red blooms to emerge. Sometimes I catch the flowers at their prime and snip a few to display on the counter for a couple of days.
There’s something about fresh flowers in the house that lifts my spirits. It’s a special treat that I indulge in only during spring and early summer—and when I walk into a farmers market, I typically make a beeline for the bouquets. A plot dedicated to a cutting garden of my own is on my wish list.
This dreamer plans to keep the advice in “Backyard Bouquets” on page 42 handy for when there’s a bigger yard to work with. Writer Luke Miller shares advice on finding the best planting spots in your landscape, sowing seeds and, most important, choosing flowers that are best suited for cutting.
While the little tulip patch is my sign, the arrival of spring is marked differently for everyone. Find out what readers had to say about their favorite signals in “Across the Fence” on page 60. The answers are sure to get you excited for this new season.