Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Playing in the dirt

Sunday I finally got around to doing some gardening!  Spent a few hours buying plants and accoutrements, even a few "experiments" - a strawberry plant and a cherry tomato plant for the deck and some squash as a placeholder (boxwood died, peony bush to go in that spot come fall).  I also got 3 angel-wing begonias to put on the front steps but the pots I thought we had on hand are long gone so the begonias are still in their starter pots.  I got almost everything in before the rains started; a perfect, soaker rain that watered everything for me.  I love it when the timing works out like that.

This year I have red impatiens by the front downspout but portulaca in the bed under the mailbox instead of the impatiens I've planted there for years.  How well the portulaca does will determine whether I go back for more next year or go back to impatiens in that spot.  I also planted portulaca in the beds TW built last year on either side of the lower front steps.  I put a few marigolds in the south corner bed and in my herb planter, along with sweet basil and rosemary.  I put boxwood basil and dill in the ground, and my railing planters have verbena, a red geranium, lobelia, million bells, and a yellow-and-white lantana.  This year's red-for-Mom flowers are the impatiens, geranium & millionbells.

Yesterday TW went out to buy paint and other spring items, with portulaca on the list.  (I didn't buy quite enough.)  What he came home with, though, was a small hanging planter with purslane in it.  The tag was pretty clear, but he was misled by the fact that someone had written "portulaca" on the side of the planter.  Strange.  But it looks pretty happy after last night's rain, so I'll find a spot for it someplace.  It's an annual, so if we don't like it, we just won't replace it next year.

What's in your garden?

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