Master Gardeners Jim and Carol Brodle had no idea what would happen after planting about 135 tulip bulbs two years ago.
“I planted a whole bunch, thinking that the deer would eat 35 of them, and I’d still have 100 left,” Carol said. “Or they’d eat 100 of them and I’d have 35 left. They nibbled every single one.”
So the Brodles installed a deer fence, and at the same time planted an orchard of cherry, plum, pear, apple, and apricot trees, and about 200 more tulip bulbs. The result was a spectacular bloom of brilliant colors.
“I’ve just delighted in this,” Carol said. “They didn’t freeze off, the deer haven’t jumped in…it’s just what I had imagined.”
The Brodles have about 450 flowering bulbs on their property, along with an amazing vegetable garden that they grow every year. They also manage the Master Gardeners Strawberry Project, and Jim is on the Riverton Tree Board.
For more information on the Fremont County Master Gardeners, call the UW Extention office at 307-857-3654. The Master Gardeners Farmers’ Market is on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Riverton City Hall parking lot.