The temptations came, day after day, week after week and I ignored them. But today I gave in and succumbed to their allure. I’m speaking of the spring flower catalogs.
They offer such tempting photos and promises – how can one resist! They say they will bloom profusely for me. Dare I hope they will? I have a shade garden that offers only about 3-4 hours of full sun and I have to place those perennials saying “sun to light shade” carefully. Alfred used to always say the definition of a gardener is one who moves plants from one place to another and that’s rather true. If a plant tells me by its actions that it is not happy where it is, I move it! And I move many plants.
When we cut two trees down – two tall oaks – I had hostas “panting in the sun” clearly telling me they were not happy. Of course, I moved them and they once again flourished. I have many shady nooks for shade plants, but having only 3-4 hours of full sun in just one section of my garden, I have to be very careful how many plants I can cram in there! Nonetheless, today I succumbed to Viva La Vida Lily, Calico Jack Daylily, White Feather Hosta, Alexander’s Great Siberian Bugloss, Glad Rags Hosta, Isabel Maraffi Day Lily and a Chinese Ground Orchid. Now if they are all as magnificent as their names and pictures, they will be great additions to my summer garden.
I’ve kept a card file on my plants for 20 years now, noting what dies, what just disappears and how many blossoms I get on each individual day lily.. I have to have help planting now, but fortunately I have a couple of friends I can count on to help me. And how I LOVE sitting out in the garden watching the birds and chipmunks while having a morning cup of coffee or an afternoon glass of ice tea.
Of course at the moment, the garden is covered in snow with only a few bits of ginger showing their leaves and a few brown sticks of promises of things to come. But I could no longer resist the urge, so I whipped out my credit card and bought new plants. When it’s early March and the snow still abounds and the wind blows and the sun does little to warm you, you have to think and plan for spring. So I succumbed to temptation and I’ll not apologize for it! After THIS winter, I need to think of flowers and spring!