Never Too Late for Spring Bulbs - Hopefully

I am not inclined to planting annuals - or bulbs, for that matter.  But I like to have some Spring surprises, and I love underplanting my fruit trees, to have some colour and life when the trees are still mostly bare (see below).  This past summer, I expanded the holes around my fruit trees, so was optimistic, and bought a number of different Spring bulbs.  I planted many of them before Winter set in, and suddenly it was dark every evening when I came home from work, and weekends were either too rainy or when clear, the ground was too frozen (okay, we don't really get frozen here, but still we get a layer of frozen on top, which makes it unpleasant to plant through).

Anyhow, the remaining bulbs have been sitting patiently in my pantry for a few months now, for their opportunity to be planted.  They are a bit shrivelled now, and some were sprouting, but today they got their chance.  Although we didn't get the deep snow that was continually forecast, the temperatures have stayed below freezing for the past week, so that the snow which was on the ground persisted.  Finally yesterday it turned to rain, and lots of it, so it cleared much of the snow away.  Then today it cleared up, and amazingly that coincided with my husband taking the kids skiing, and leaving me behind for the afternoon.

So I planted the remaining bulbs.  Some "Quebec" tulips (see photo below courtesy of Botanus - aren't they pretty?), some mini irises, some tete-a-tete daffs, and some muscari (hyacinths).  I feel a great sense of accomplishment, and relief.   Now I am ready for Spring.  If only Winter would hurry up and finish its course.