Tulips: The Bane of My Existence!
By alaskanray
@alaskanray (4636)
United States
March 21, 2012 1:43pm CST
I guess there are a lot of folks out there who like tulips, because every time I have bought a home, lo and behold, there are tulips planted in my yard! Well, guess what. I don't really like tulips. Mind you, I never really hated them up until now, I just had no use for them. Well, I am growing a real good hate on them after finding them where I did not want them too many times.
I recently moved into my current home in the middle of winter so you know I had no idea what was in my yard. The man who owned this place before me had a dog so the grass was worn away pretty well in most of the area. I loved that I have a cement patio with this place for my al fresco dining pleasure but imagine my reaction when my friend came by the other day and, in passing, said, "Oh, you have tulips!"
"WHERE!!!??" I shrieked.
She laughed and pointed them out to me coming up right next to my patio. "Do you want them?" I asked, "Because they are the bane of my existence!" Again she laughed and assured me that she had plenty of her own.
These weeds must go, I determined, so off to Freecycle I went and put them up on the board. The response was virtually immediate and yesterday the lady came by and dug them all up for me, delivering me a nice rhubarb plant in the bargain. Serendipity do-dah!
You see, if a flower doesn't smell good or have food value (such as an herb like dandelions), I have no use for it. I love hyacinths and daffodils but tulips aren't even pretty as far as I'm concerned. I just don't understand people's fascination with them.
Do you have something like this in your gardening, where you really don't like something but others seem to love it?
She laughed and pointed them out to me coming up right next to my patio. "Do you want them?" I asked, "Because they are the bane of my existence!" Again she laughed and assured me that she had plenty of her own.
These weeds must go, I determined, so off to Freecycle I went and put them up on the board. The response was virtually immediate and yesterday the lady came by and dug them all up for me, delivering me a nice rhubarb plant in the bargain. Serendipity do-dah!
You see, if a flower doesn't smell good or have food value (such as an herb like dandelions), I have no use for it. I love hyacinths and daffodils but tulips aren't even pretty as far as I'm concerned. I just don't understand people's fascination with them.
Do you have something like this in your gardening, where you really don't like something but others seem to love it?1 person likes this
8 responses
@RitterSport (2451)
• Lippstadt, Germany
24 Mar 12
hi dear alaskanray, I am indifferent to Tulips, my mother had some in the garden but I dont like nor dislike them.
We only have a balcony but not a garden sooooooo I really hope we will plant herbe again as they really add a ton of flavor to our salads. Fresh dill and parsley, and some chives in the salad.... mmmmm........
so I am just hopping by to say hi and comment on the rhubarb you have now growing. Big fat envy from here lol you know how much I like rhubarb.........
1 person likes this
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
24 Mar 12
Well, I have plans for an indoor herb garden and I have a lovely patch in back just right for a nice garden. I can't wait to get it rototilled and get busy putting in my veggies. I have a lovely window box slung over my fence that I have plans for strawberries in...caught Chester perched in it yesterday so I'll have to take measures to keep him out of it.
When I get back from John Day, I'll have to measure the area so I can plan out the garden. I can't wait. I have seeds for tomatoes and bell peppers. I'll have to get them planted into starters soon so they'll be ready to transplant when the weather warms enough. I can't wait.
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
30 Mar 12
I got back from John Day the other day and my daughter's raised beds had arrived. Now, if it would just stop raining and warm up, I could put them in and she could plant her mint and radishes. I need to get some soil now! Wish me luck! My rhubarb is coming up nicely.
@RitterSport (2451)
• Lippstadt, Germany
24 Mar 12
I bet, you cant wait to plant all these nice things. LOL. same here with my herbs on the balcony.
Hope Chester stays out of that window box. And hope he is happier by now....
1 person likes this
@honest_efforts100 (1607)
• India
5 Jul 12
I am not really fascinated of tulips but I don’t hate it. Rose is what I love the most. Ignore the tulips because it will just stress you if you keep it is as a big deal. Be neutral and forget about it. If there are tulips growing in your background, hire someone to remove it and replace what you like.
1 person likes this
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
6 Jul 12
I think you misunderstand me. I am not stressing over the tulips and I have gotten rid of them. It's just that they seem to follow me wherever I go...everyone seems to love to plant them and I, for one, do not. I am unique in that and I am proud of my uniqueness. 
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
22 Mar 12
Tulips are just so expensive in our country. 
Ours is tropical so we can't possibly grow tulips as beautifully as you do. Well this is the reason why whenever we see tulips we always say "WOW". They are beautiful I should say and it really fascinates me when I see farm of tulips on photos. I've not really seen one in reality. Nevertheless even if tulips are rare and much more expensive in our country I don't know why whenever I compare tulips and roses, I still prefer roses.
In my garden are plenty of different plants that I myself planted. I don't have daffodils or hyacinths. Neither do I have tulips but I have roses and orchids, yellow bells, white angels, local lilies and more and I am very certain that all the plants in my garden are there because I like them. If not I could not have possibly planted them.
Ours is tropical so we can't possibly grow tulips as beautifully as you do. Well this is the reason why whenever we see tulips we always say "WOW". They are beautiful I should say and it really fascinates me when I see farm of tulips on photos. I've not really seen one in reality. Nevertheless even if tulips are rare and much more expensive in our country I don't know why whenever I compare tulips and roses, I still prefer roses.
In my garden are plenty of different plants that I myself planted. I don't have daffodils or hyacinths. Neither do I have tulips but I have roses and orchids, yellow bells, white angels, local lilies and more and I am very certain that all the plants in my garden are there because I like them. If not I could not have possibly planted them.@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
22 Mar 12
LOL...I have never planted tulips or irises but have often found them in my yard when I have moved into a place. I realize there are those who like them but, frankly, I don't see the fascination. To me, they are just unwanted pests.
@allknowing (136541)
• India
22 Mar 12
And here I am who spent a fortune to visit Amsterdam to have a look at those beauties!but as luck would have it there were no tulips at the time I visited although I did get a glimpse of them in Switzerland.
Any flower would be welcome as far as I am concerned and my garden has countless of flowers although I do wish a few of them would leave the place gracefully as they cover the entire ground at times!
but as luck would have it there were no tulips at the time I visited although I did get a glimpse of them in Switzerland.
Any flower would be welcome as far as I am concerned and my garden has countless of flowers although I do wish a few of them would leave the place gracefully as they cover the entire ground at times!1 person likes this
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
22 Mar 12
LOL...I prefer to not have tulips in my yard as there are other things I would rather have there...but people seem to plant tulips all the time and they are everywhere! I'm just glad I found them a home. I have also given away iris bulbs. I just have no use for them.
@janmarie08 (33)
• Philippines
22 Mar 12
I wish we had one here in our backyard :(
1 person likes this
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
22 Mar 12
LOL...I would send you mine but I think that lady got them all.
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
21 Mar 12
This is Elic, but I found this...
http://alloveralbany.com/archive/2008/05/09/tulips-really-are-edible-sort-of
1 person likes this
@OpinionatedLady (5965)
• United States
21 Mar 12
LOL I do like Tulip for the fact that they do not smell and do not set off my allergies. Also they are simple, my kinda flower. For me it is the hyacinths that kill me. They set off my allergies so bad I cannot even go to the food store entry that has them in it medicines or not. The worst though would be the decorative Bamboo some idiot planted here before us. I have pulled, burned, poisoned and chopped them up and out every year for the last 10 summers we have lived here and they will not die! They just spread and suck the life out of all of my plants!
I do like Tulip for the fact that they do not smell and do not set off my allergies. Also they are simple, my kinda flower. For me it is the hyacinths that kill me. They set off my allergies so bad I cannot even go to the food store entry that has them in it medicines or not. The worst though would be the decorative Bamboo some idiot planted here before us. I have pulled, burned, poisoned and chopped them up and out every year for the last 10 summers we have lived here and they will not die! They just spread and suck the life out of all of my plants!@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
22 Mar 12
LOL...I love floral smells and am very olfactorilly(?) oriented so smells mean a lot to me. Funny you should mention bamboo, though. When I lived in California, bamboo was everywhere and considered a weed...but I loved it! To each his own, eh?
