I have to confess! I have been to a garden centre and bought more plants! I don't have any room! But I couldn't help myself and it was all my friends fault as she took me there. Of course she didn't force me to buy anything but how can one be at a garden centre idly looking around while waiting and not buy anything! I have two empty tubs waiting to be filled with bedding plants so that is an excuse of sorts. And for these tubs I bought some bedding begonias in mixed colours and some Portulaca which I'd never heard of before, but which looked really pretty. It has pointy spiky leaves so will contrast with the begonias. Plus I bought some lilacy pink Geraniums. So far so good. Then I noticed they were having a sale on vegetables so I ended up with some self blanching celery, a yellow courgette and a cucumber. I've never grown celery before but as soon as I saw the words 'good with salads' I was a goner. And it says it is easy to grow. It had better be, though where is another question. The cucumber is excusable because I have had no luck with my own sown seeds. So I deserved a cucumber! Then I saw the most delightful water melon plant which the lady assured me would grow outside once hardened off. What do I need with a water melon plant? And last but not least I had to look at the herbs. Now I need more mint as much as I do a hole in the head but I have bought a pink frilly spearmint variety. Well I thought it might look very attractive as the centre piece in one of my tubs. It will! And my lavender is very woody so I bought a herb variety of lavender in a dark bluey purple. Smells divine. (Lavender Augustifolia Hidcote) Where I am going to put some of these plants the Lord alone knows and he hasn't told me yet! And after a lovely sunny morning as soon as I bought these plants it started to rain so they won't be planted out until tomorrow now. At least I will be able to cogitate this evening as to where I am going to put them.
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On my morning perambulation around the garden I suddenly looked down and saw this butterfly on the Hydrangea. I've never seen this variety before and we don't get a lot of butterflies these days so it was unexpected. I was pleased to see that the Sweet Williams (self sown) are beginning to blossom and the climbing rose Maigold is covered in buds and blooms. The label did say it was yellow but it is much more of a peach. Well with a name like that it would be! The calendula is flowering all over the steps and looks well with the pots of Mimulus. And the Escallonia Apple Blossom is just starting to flower. It is a real picture when fully out and is already over 6ft. One of my hanging baskets has a deep red nasturtium in it which is supposed to be of the trailing variety but so far it hasn't done any trailing at all and is very upright, but a lovely colour. If the weather continues to be so humid there will be lots of growth everywhere.
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You can see by the picture that I've been playing with my update of Picasa. Version 3 has a lot more on offer.
What an interesting post nice to see you also get sucked in to buying plants when there is prescious little room for any more.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I have a bunch that I need to get in the ground, too! I am trying celery, too; I put it in my front herb bed so that it doesn't fry in the hot, hot summer sun here. One thing, it needs to be kept fairly moist, from what I have read! Janet
ReplyDeleteThere is always room for more plants. Even when I think I have no more room I will always find a place for 'just one more' plant.
ReplyDeleteI confess this happens to me too. OFTEN!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you bought more - hehehe love when that happens.
ReplyDeleteI think that the only way to avoid buying plants in a nursery is to wear a blindfold :-)
ReplyDeleteOh well I can see I'm not alone here! Thank you all for your comments. They cheered me up immensley. I must try the blindfold next time Easygardner! :-) Val
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