Thursday, June 29, 2006

A Gift from a Flower to a Garden

Sunday was spent participating in an activity that I would not normally think of doing. As a matter of fact, my ignorance on this subject is so profound, that I’m embarrassed to even participate in events like this because other than uttering inane comments, I have no knowledge of the subject!

Regardless, DN2 and I, along with my mother, my aunt and my cousin, went on the Garden Club tour. It was an eye opener. There were some lovely gardens, and unfortunately I realized, again, how little knowledge I have of gardening. But you know, sometimes it really doesn’t matter, because the flowers were fantastic. And for being only 7, DN2 had a very good time (no complaints!). We of course came home after the reception following the tour loaded down with plants, to include a recovering Boston Fern which someone failed to water for two weeks. Well I got it for 50 cents – you probably think I paid too much, but my house really needs a fern, so I suppose I’ll take one that is half alive for four bits and save spending $15 or more on a healthy one because I know I can nurse this one back to life.

We also came home with some lemon balm, mint, some plants that begin with an E (I'm such a master gardener) and a Rose of Sharon (for free), which I promptly named my Grapes of Wrath plant (I love that book – it makes me sad, but I love it). To illustrate how ignorant I am about gardening, I made the classic mistake of calling it a rose bush; well it’s not, it’s actually a hibiscus, and more of a shrub. And because DN2 was the youngest person there (by about 40 years or so) she came home with about five free plants and a dollar.

It was interesting – I’ll probably end up going again next year, because it’s nice to see how creative people can be and to get a glimpse into their homes – well at least their backyards!
Once the weekend comes, DN2 and I will be outside getting our plants into the ground. Because I have to tell you, some of my plants are actually coming along quite well! (And I’ll post pictures when I get home.)

At least we’re not suffering from this kind of weather.

But still work leaves me too busy for knitting; perhaps this weekend, after the planting is done (and the cows are milked, and the eggs are gathered, and the pigs are fed - yeah, I'm a regular Ma Kettle -- hee hee).

P.S. Sorry, no pics yet -- two days without rain hasn't done any good for my plants. Well, without rain and without be watering them - because I kept expecting rain.
P.P.S. But I will share this funny story. I was just out watering my plants (because Mother Nature let me down) and I took down the spider plant I have hanging in the front. Well as I pulled it off the hook, something came flying out at me! At first I thought it was a bat, but then I looked and saw it was a bird. I then put the plant down and looked inside and what do you think I saw? Three eggs -- that bird is nesting in my plant! I didn't touch them - and I hope she doesn't feel threatened so she'll come back to her babies! Amazing.

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