Booty!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at 8:58 am (Heavy Clay)
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booty

As in looty!

Jackpot at Lowe’s yesterday. Several racks of “distressed” plants on clearance. Clearance as in $0.15 for a 6-pack of annuals (do the math, $0.90 a flat), along with other assorted markdowns.

You should have seen the excited gardeners loading their carts, exclaiming, “There’s nothing wrong with these!? Are they really this price? Why?”

Seems a new shipment was due in today, and room had to be made. Apparently the markdowns started Monday night, so if you happened to be there then, you were really in hog heaven. Had I been 10 minutes sooner, I could have snagged more hanging baskets (one woman just ahead of me had 6 or 7 hanging off her cart).

But no complaints, for about $11.40 (and a half-hour “clearance penalty” waiting in line for manager approval), I came away with:

  • 6 flats and a couple 6-packs (marigolds, lobelia, petunias, snapdragons, alysum. I gave a mixed flat to my neighbor.)
  • 6 small “premium” annuals — great for hanging baskets
  • 5 candytuft (their small perennials have been marked down to $2 for a while, I’ve bought at least a dozen so far)
  • 1 hanging basket of impatiens
  • 1 gerbera daisy

Now, some of these annuals were not in great shape because of the cold weather (and it seems once the store puts something on clearance, they stop watering it, which just breaks your heart, as many people commented). But if at least half of them live, I’m still way ahead. I don’t usually plant many annuals, so it would be nice to enjoy the color this summer.

I also bought (at regular price) a couple shrubs to replace dead soldiers I had returned and gotten a refund for a couple weeks ago

A lot went in the  ground or pots yesterday, and admittedly looks a bit sad. I also planted the Topsy Turvy tomato — a “4th of July” my neighbor gave me that she started from seed. Can’t wait to see how that does since I never have any luck with tomatoes.

topsy

I still have a flat of lobelia to plant and the hanging baskets to do, but I ran out of potting soil. Bummer that the next week looks to be cold and rainy again. Everything needs some heat and sun!

Remind me I said that come August.

One of the most delightful things about
a garden is the anticipation it provides.
~ W.E. Johns

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Believer or not, seeds = faith

Tuesday, May 12, 2009 at 8:04 am (Heavy Clay)
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Who plants a seed beneath the sod
and waits to see believes in God.
~ author unknown

I’ve planted.

I’m waiting to see.

So, ipso facto, I believe in God, right?

Of course!

But do I really believe these crude little semi-matching trellises fashioned after a how-to in This Old House magazine will be entwined with Black-eyed Susan vine, moonflowers, and morning glory before summer is through?

climbers

trellis1 trellis2

Do I really have faith that colorful poppies will be waving in the breeze in this spot next year, just because I sprinkled some tiny black specks in the dirt?

poppies

poppylesswall

Do I really think I won’t be planting pots of basil (to match my bird-in-the-hand pot of rosemary) because this will planter be awash in all the basil I could want?

basilseeds

basildirt

Can I really foresee the day when this pole with its silly-small birdhouse cap will be a sea of orange nasturtiums — a cheery oasis, even on rainy days like today?

climbers

birdhousepole

Or that my “doomed” ash will enjoy its numbered days in a blaze of (morning) glory?

treetrellis

Not so sure — me and seeds don’t usually get along.

But, but, but…

I planted. I’m waiting. And for now, the rest is up to Dad and Mom (Our Father and Mother Nature). In other words, everything is in the best possible hands.

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