I'm feeling the need to dig. Only my little ones share that inclination, so they're my current garden helpers. Too bad, because I think those bigger kids could make themselves really useful.
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?
