Disappointed Tulip Run

We made a tulip run to Mossyrock this morning because I want to get my front flowerbeds planted with eye-popping color for Spring display. I set out to purchase and bring home Tete a Tete Daffodils and Red Riding Hood Tulips today because they are short stemmed (they will not be broken when the strong river winds blow) and colorful. DeGoede’s had the Tete a Tete’s, but not the type of tulips I was looking for  … and no short varieties anticipated in the ordered shipment from Holland (WHY are the ordering bulbs from HOLLAND anyway, they have their own production!); so major disappointment there. But we enjoyed watching their giant koi at the Koi Pond they have:

KOI – these fish are HUGE and really pretty with bold coloration.

Then we headed back home and tried the local stores with no luck (Wilco, Lowe's, Winco, ect.) – Home Depot did have bulbs, but their choices were limited. I bought 2 boxes of bulbs that will give me color, but again, not what I had my heart set on …

Tete a Tete Daffodil bulb's in the forefront - Giant Crocuses and Ranunculus in back.

We thought that perhaps Tsugawa’s Nursery in Woodland might have some bulbs in, but (((NO))) – after spending an hour locked in miles ahead and behind of bumper-to-bumper traffic on the freeway due to “road work ahead” (which we never did SEE evidence of) we arrived there harried but hopeful only to hear that they would not have any in until late September either. Major bummer. I mean we hit EVERY POSSIBLE STORE that {might} sell bulbs IN FIVE COUNTIES and came home disappointed. I did, however, find what I am looking for ONLINE after dinner, so that is how I will finally get what I want. I mean, if it is going to take the nurseries 3 weeks to get their shipments from Holland (and this from nurseries that GROW THEIR OWN TULIPS – fields of them in fact!!), then I might as well shop online, order online, and have them delivered straight to my door …

Red Riding Hood Tulips

Firespray Tulips

… Hubs would prefer that anyway; I like road trips and buying local. But if the ‘locals’ are not willing to work with their customers, the customers will go elsewhere – they all pretty much lost this customer to the cyberspace highway. I’ll still be taking road trips, but for sight-seeing only from now on. Needless to say, I am not happy with the nurseries I frequent several time a year; I really do not understand local businesses that outsource their product instead of selling to locals, making the locals wait weeks, and sometimes months for insourcing items. It’s ridiculous  >:-(

DeGoede Tulip Fields: one would think they would happily sell locally … they used to because I have bought tulips bulbs from them in the past. I don’t know why they changed policy, but they lost me as a customer after today.