I really meant to draw up a blueprint for Flamingo Park Gardens, develop a strategy, make a definite plan—on paper. And if wishes were horses…
I seem to be buying plants, quite a few plants, and working the “plan” outward from there. Oh, I can hear professional garden designers yelling into the universe: NO, don’t go about it that way. But can you blame me, really? A large part of our mission here at plant lust is to support independent nurseries. It’s my job, not to mention, there are Fall Plant SALES. I just got another email from a neighborhood favorite, Garden Fever, a sweet nursery, not too big, but with a well-curated selection of plants. Why, it’d be criminal to not to participate. And it’s time for the Cistus Nursery tough love sale. What’s a gardener to do? Shop, that’s what!
One upside of buying the plants I love, plants that just give me a thrill, is that it make me stretch my musings—all the way, say, around to the front yard. You know, the garden we walk through every time we enter or leave the house. We have mass planted Juniper at front edge–which is going to break the bank to remove–but that’s no reason for doing nothing out there. There still plenty of opportunity to work.
A brick planter runs box along the north-facing front of the house, right next to the front porch. It was full of Petunias when we came, and I’ll give you that they were very adorable. But I’d imagined a more dramatic, if restrained planting, something with splash and movement; maybe a single Carex, or some other yet to-be-determined plant grooviness. But after acquiring several shade-loving favorites, the single genus idea quietly surrendered.
Here are a few of my finds over the past week–from Xera (did I mention they’re having a sale:)
We’ve already fired up the gas logs a couple times this week. And as soon as the kitties get over their fascination with the flames, I’m going put down the water squirt bottle, and settle in with my big stack of gardening books.
Looking forward to going through a full year with this new garden, so I’ll know it a little better. I’m excited at the prospect of enjoying an entire spring—without the prospect of a pesky household move thrown in. So onward to the next gardening season—and that big, organized plan. Pretty sure I can do it…