Plant Therapy

Friday, I read the paper. In it was the annual advertisement for a local nursery's dawn to dusk sale. It started at 4 a.m. If I could have got myself up, I would have saved 50%. However, I didn't wake up until 6:30 so I only got to the 30% off part of the sale. I managed to part with a few dollars anyhow.

For several years now, I have been adding plants to my garden - just a little at a time. When I first realized how much I liked flowers, I began my "annuals" phase. At that time, my husband was heavy-duty into Scouting and they had a plant sale for a few years. One year, we ended up buying the bulk of the plants because there was so many left overs. That was the year my mom died. I had to leave suddenly because she was so sick and I didn't come back for several weeks. By the time I came back, everything was in full bloom. Every time I drove in the driveway, I slowed down just a little to take a look - and found such comfort from it.

The next year I bought a trellis and some jasmine. One of the relatives gave me some of her bee balm. (smells soooo goood) And that was the beginning of the switch over from annual to perennial. for me. Plant once, enjoy forever.

On Saturday morning I wandered around the plant store, in my half-sleepy state, happily trying to decide on the perfect "additions" for the garden. I settled on clematis (it is variegated plum and deep pink (WOW!!!). And I got a trellis for it. I also decided that the heather had worked hard enough to survive 4 years in near drought and full shade conditions on the north face of the garden and replaced it with hosta. I collected some rabbit manure (worked very well on the other hosta) mixed it in and put it in the ground with a little verbal encouragement, hoping that it will thrive.

Oh yes, and I got a dianthus to give a "pop" of color right between the sedge.

Then I took the heather down to the "second hand garden". This is the garden which has rescued plants. A rescued rose bush, rescued irises and a transplanted apple tree. All planted beside the rabbit barn. There's full sun exposure there. ( and lots of fertilizer) I hope they'll feel better soon. I apologized to them for neglecting them for so long.

Then I went in for breakfast.