The Deed Is Done
Judy Glattstein (Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:15:38 PDT)

So I drove back across the river today and dug about 3 clumps. Either
someone is picking the flowers or some critter is eating the flowers
because there were fewer in bloom. My timing was good as the ground
cover of poison ivy is sending forth its deep red leaves . . . . .

I walked around a bit. This must have been a wonderful property at one
time, and as real estate agents love to say "it has potential." The
Delaware River is visible from two different sides of the house as the
water curves around a bit. There is a debilitated brick / concrete
walled garden in back, brick pillars, curved top. Concrete spalling and
falling off. More poison ivy, more Scilla, more daffodils, one scrawny
hyacinth with a deeper pink stripe on pink petals. Didn't see anything
else of note - no bearded iris, no peonies, etc.

The plywood nailed over windows and doors is weathered to silver gray. I
noticed that one window has the bottom right corner of the plywood
gnawed off - squirrels? raccoons? have a veritable palace to inhabit.

Separated the bulbs, even salvaging a couple of single leaf seedlings -
if I dug it, I feel honor bound to give it a chance. Good thing I
restrained myself because as it was there were numerous bulbs. Will give
them a day to settle into their numerous pots and then begin dilute
liquid feed to plump them up.

"Salvage" is a good word, don't you think? If the police had come by
that's what I was going to say.