A Mounded Microclimate

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I was out in the garden this afternoon when I noticed a yellow-green tip sprouting from the top of a small mulch pile I'd left in the western border. It was one of those fall garden chores that never got done, spreading mulch over the freshly planted bulbs. I'll just use it in spring, I thought.

What I didn't anticipate was that the mulch would be such a wonderful heat collector and insulator that it would convince the bulbs beneath it that winter was over. In this mounded microclimate, several of the daffodil bulbs had grown nearly 16 inches to reach the top of the pile.

I dug the sprouted bulbs out of the ground and replanted them in clay pots to bring indoors. I highly doubt they'd survive once normal winter arrives, so at least we can have some spring flowers to enjoy in January. Based on the location, I'm guessing they are Narcissus 'Martinette' -- my favorite of the daffodils in my garden. After they bloom indoors,  I can hopefully keep the foliage under my plant lights until I can replant them outdoors in spring.

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