Sweet Hyacinths and Neighborly Love

Spring coming to Preston at last brings these fragrant, beautiful hyacinths in bloom, and their existance is a story about kindness and service.  Last year, in early summer, I got the usual wonderful offers for bedding bulbs to be sent in the fall for late fall planting.  Of course, I assumed that I would be able to handle this, and enticed by the beautiful pictures, I ordered a good assortment of hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips.  What I didn't count on was being knocked out of commission for two months and more, unable to carry out the work of planting when the box arrived around the second week in October.  One of my neighbors, a young mother, came to see me, and asked the usual "Is there anything I can do for you?".  Instead of my usual response, "No, thanks", I told her about the box of bulbs and suggested that she take them home and plant them in her yard.  I didn't hear any more for a couple of days, but when Saturday came, the three young mothers who live in our cul-de-sac were outside cleaning out my four flower beds, and asking for instructions about where I wanted the bulbs planted, as well as how to plant them, because none of them had every planted bulbs before.  I could still demonstrate which side of the bulb goes up, and tell them about my plans.  Everything was done in the yard in a few hours, and I was totally amazed.  (Ah, youth!)  You can probably tell that we really love this cul-de-sac where we live.