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One Year Mark

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The tenth of this month marked our one year anniversary in our home. The lot has seemed to reset, with the Star of Bethlehem in full bloom in the front bed. I remember marveling at these little star-shaped flowers when hauling furniture to and fro from vehicles on moving day. They were the first flowers to greet us and they’ve returned en mass to celebrate our anniversary.

I’ve also noticed in all the beds containing irises, the plants have sent up their claw-shaped buds. I’m ready with the stakes this year! Last year, they were almost done blooming before I found out I could purchase little bamboo stakes to help support the stalks with the top heavy blooms. I also read that an old pair of pantyhose, cut into strips, is excellent material to use when binding plants to stakes. The material is more flexible and doesn’t strangle the plant as a twist-tie might.

Spring Nursery Crawl

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Miss A and I went on one heck of a nursery run today. I called ahead and obtained hours of a handful of nurseries in the area. Some were recommended by coworkers and friends while others were discovered at the Home & Garden show I attended earlier in the year. Then it was on to Google Maps and to plot our course. We did the whole run in twelve hours with stops for lunch and dinner. My little car was packed with plant life.

Here are the spoils:
bridal veil astilbe
yellow archangel
Solomon’s seal
maiden hair fern
white bleeding heart
nicotiana (score! perfect for the moonlight garden)
dwarf irises
cardinal climber morning glories
black pansies
2 varieties heirloom tomatoes
Mt. Airy (yay! one of two on the whole crawl)
3 varieties of nasturtium
cardinal flower
some annuals for hanging baskets:
bright orange celosia
deep purple heliotrope
for a tabletop pot:
orange osteospermum
for a planter:
dusty miller
burgundy salvia
2 hanging baskets of wandering jew and licorice plant from the Farmer’s Market

Fieldtrip : Fredrick Meijer Gardens

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My better half and I took a trip to the Fredrick Meijer Gardens today. It was a bit cool and breezy, but we enjoyed our time strolling about the various outdoor grounds. They have several types of environments present on the property, showcasing the types of plants appropriate for each.

There were so many different types of tulips in bloom. I liked the look of the Black Parrot tulips emerging from mounds of lamb’s ear. There was also an orange and yellow streaked tulips with pointed petals paired with some grape hyacinth. The contrast of the colors made both kinds of flowers seem all the more bright and vibrant. When pairing a spring blooming bulb with a perennial, I wonder what has to be done to ensure the perennial doesn’t compete with the bulb.

From our trip there, I now am on the lookout for black pansies, a Lenten rose, and a shrub called Fothergilla or “Mt. Airy.” I first spotted it when entering the more wooded, dappled shaded area of the outdoor gardens. The bristled, white blooms looked like they were suspended in the air. While young and low to the ground, one of these would look great with our dark leaved, coral bells.