I try to share my love of plants and whatnot, but it just doesn't seem to take. (They get that high resistance to mom-initiated ideas from their father.) Still, you have to try. Continuing my efforts, I forced everyone into a family outing to Brookside Gardens.
So nice to have all of the monkeys in one tree.
I had "points of interest" picked out for everyone. I showed Tony all of the different types of paths that I would be perfectly happy with in our backyard. I showed Odie the tree under which he should have his first kiss (four years from now).
It wasn't this witchhazel...but aren't the yellow blossoms pretty!
I think the only part that actually impressed eveyone was the greenhouse. It has some very colorful Bird of Paradise flowers and then, around a corner, a GIANT Bird of Paradise plant. ...and I'm not exaggerating, it was gigantic. It made you feel like you'd been shrunk down to mouse-size. So cool!
For me, the garden had a lot more to offer...because I am actually interested in that sort of thing. I got to ooo and ahhh over all of the pretty Hellebores.
Mine are just a tad smaller...and lonelier.
I found some inspiration for what to do with all of those twisty vines I've been collecting. This was supposed to be Goldilocks...but we all agreed it looks more like Squidward. Mine would have been infinitely cuter - a mushroom or heart or something.
We'll never know, because it turns out that my neighbor mulched them all when he was getting rid of some scary branches for us (right over the kids' bedrooms...and the hammock.) Bummer. I'll try not to hold a grudge.
I also found a cheap, gorgeous temporary fence I want to try...
until I can afford a real one to replace this...
It belongs to our absentee neighbor.
Until plants start showing up at nurseries, I've been doing some little things.
Ever-hopeful that I'll eventually have some success with it, I planted a couple rootstock. Can you guess what kind?
If you said dicentra spectabilis, give yourself a gold star for your forehead.
I planted a Heuchera I've had sitting around since last summer, next to some Jenny that I just found. It's supposed to spread like crazy (the golden creeping jenny). I can't wait! Don't you think it will look adorable spilling onto my patio!
It needs some spillage.
The sedums Mom brought me last summer are doing terrific. (She asked if she could bring me anything when she came to visit. These are from her garden. Sharing is nice! ...of course, when you have a baggy full of plants in your carry-on, airport security asks a lot of questions.)
Also, I've been watching the perennials I planted last summer re-emerge. I love it when Autumn Joy come up - they look like tiny bouquets!
...and I've been grateful for all of the bulbs the previous gardener planted here (crocuses, daffodils and tulips!).
Any gardeny goodness going on at your place?
Sadly, there is no gardeny goodness going on here, unless you count planning. I pulled out all my seed packs yesterday. Can't wait to start planting stuff! I missed my opportunity to plant bulbs last fall, so I'm going to wait until the plants show up at Walmart, etc. and then cheat! :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't done anything yet, either. There is so much dead stuff I still need to pull out (annuals that died over the winter and new stuff I planted last spring that died in our wicked record breaking heat!). I'm feeling unmotivated in the gardening category!
ReplyDeleteMy Autumn Joy is coming up already, too!
Some garden goodness here, but I don't deserve it...I've neglected my poor lil garden a ton since...August. oops. I love going to gardens to get ideas, too. I also love dragging my family with me ;)
ReplyDeleteMy garden is so happy, but it doesn't know how awful it looks. I need to work on it like crazy. It's amazing how much prettier it looks when the sun is shining. My motivation to garden has dropped a hundred-fold since we decided we need to move :(....BumMER. The best part about putting down some roots (as in real estate) is that you can work on your garden, knowing you'll be there to see it become beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI will definitely send some poppy seeds to you! I'll find lots of colors if you'd like. I want to add some variety to my yellow poppies. And if I could, I would send you some of my raspberries! We're almost done digging them up and putting them in a proper raspberry patch. I'm starting to see the light at the end or our backyard wilderness. Did you get the sunflower seeds I sent to you? I'm not sure how much more my postman will put up with, but if he let you have the sunflower seeds, I might try to push my luck :)
ReplyDeleteJust some primroses and clean-up/prep. I see some returning of things in the garden and it is promising.
ReplyDeleteI have peas soaking for planting tomorrow and three flats of vegetable seeds in the living room windows. I feel your pain with your longing for spring.
ReplyDelete