Becoming a Seed Addict

This weekend I received my order of seed packs from Swallowtail Garden Seeds. My husband just rolled his eyes when I tried to explain to him that by buying seeds I was really saving him money. Though he wasn't convinced, and in reality, saving money isn't the main reason I bought the seeds. The fact is, I'm finding this whole seed-starting stuff quite fun.

Last year, I thought it would be a good way to grow a few Impatiens (I just can't stomach paying so much money for annuals), and while shopping for the annuals (Sunflower, Impatiens, Pelargonium, Cosmos), I grabbed packets of Echinacea, Columbine, and Foxglove. The Impatiens I grew were a bit of a let down (they are Impatiens, afterall), the Pelargoniums were quite lovely and overwintering in my basement, the Cosmos took over, and the Sunflowers were show stoppers. But the real surprise was the Echinacea; almost every seed germinated, and I got three large plants, two of which bloomed from August, well into November.

This year, I'm trying to branch out a bit (ha, ha), and bought more perennials and some veggie and herb seeds. I'm discovering, no doubt, as countless thousands have before me, a wonderful satisfaction in watching life develop from the tiniest speck.

On Sale!

Woo hoo! I just got some ridiculously good deals on plants! I know it's not polite to talk about the cashola, but I can't resist; Stella d'Oros for $2.50, perennial oregeno and thyme for $5.00 (big pots too). I have to give a shout out to Highland Gardens (on Highland Avenue). I have never bought plants from there b/c I find them a little pricey, but there was a ton of stuff on sale and the lady running the show was super helpful and really friendly to my 3-year old. They do have a really nice selection of shrubs and trees. I was longingly gazing at the Climbing Hydrangea Vine (Schizophragma), which is a plant that's on my Wish List.



The herbs were from a company called, "Sarah's Super Herbs," which had nice tags and a good website. The plants were really healthy-looking and large too. I'll definitely keep my eyes peeled for more of her stuff.

In other news, I finally plunked down the credit for some Lily bulbs from Old House Gardens. I really wanted 'Black Beauty' bulbs, which I have been lusting after for a while, but they have a $30 minimum so I also bought 'Rubrum.' I looked for Black Beauties in a bunch of places, narrowing it down to VanEngelen/Scheepers (50.00 /35.00 minimum) -- the best prices by far, but I've been warned they often subsitute. Carroll Gardens had them for a ridiculous amount of money (1 bulb for $11). Bluestone has a small selection of lilies at very good prices, but they weren't offering Black Beauty. Also, if Old House doesn't have the bulbs you want, you can opt for a credit + 10% instead of a subsitution, so I thought that was the best way to go). So wish me luck! Thanks for the pic from Carroll Gardens...

-SG

Blooming!

Despite promises to refrain from purchasing more flowers, I had an hour to kill the other day and peeked in at Kane's Flower World. Big mistake...roses were on sale and I got the loveliest little Pink Knockout rose. The color repeats in my Dianthus, Phlox, and Coneflower, so for the sake of harmony, I haaaad to buy it.

I also snagged a couple Perovskia (Russian Sage) because these are impossible to find and have been one of my most dependable plants. In order to accomodate the rose bush, I had to expand the front bed a little bit and moved a few things around. I still haven't figured out this whole "planting in drifts" thing (mostly because I don't have enough plants to create a drift), but I think it has something to do with making the plants look like they're blending into one another rather than lined up like soldiers.

Many thanks for the kind words of support from neighbors and pedestrians. People have been really complimentary of my work and I have to admit, I like the praise!

-SG

Oooh! Farmer's Markets

I was just catching up on reading and I found an article about the neighboring town's farmer's market starting up for the season! This reminded me of when I used to go to the Hoboken Farmer's Market. It was a strange site; young yuppies in business suits hauling home bags of leeks and strawberries. I always felt a bit overwhelmed by all the selection and rather wilted-looking retailers. Despite these misgivings, I have some noble plans to haunt the local markets, in search of the perfect tomato (which might inspire me to actually grow my own).

This actually reminds me of a bizarre and kind of disgusting story... My sister, who has a magic green thumb, lives in Pepperell, MA and has access to town mulch from the sewer treatment plant (it's best not to ask too many questions). She gets ungodly amounts of this stuff for ridiculously cheap, and grows some gorgeous flowers in her front lawn. One day, she noticed a curious weed growing out front, and thought it looked suspicously like a corn stalk. Rather than pulling the weed, she decided to let it grow (it's foliage was pretty, in her mind), and lo, and behold, it turned out to be corn! Needless to say, I always wear gloves when I help her out in the yard.

-SG