Bulbs

Back when I worked at Hole's, I helped write a book on bulbs. This poem was composed during an idle moment between chapters, and it's gleaned from the knowledge I gained working on the project. Enjoy! (Or not.)

Bulbs
Bulbs and tubers and rhizomes and corms
What an array of splendiferous forms!
I cover each one with some helpful bulb dust
To stave off the foes like bulb rot and bulb rust
Into my garden I plant them with care
The fresh virgin soil is their comforting lair
Then I bring out my watering hose
And irrigate them from their tops to their toes
Sometimes if I must I will fertilize –
With 10-15-10 – that’s just right for bulb size
Then I must wait for spring to arrive
Tulips in June make me feel so alive
Here come the crocuses and daffodils
In planters and baskets and on windowsills
Hyacinth, scilla, and amaryllis –
The all grow from bulbs that continue to thrill us
Is there a bulb I can say I don’t love?
Nope, they all fit, like a gardener’s glove.