Thursday, May 1, 2008

Plant Shopping, Rock Gardens, Lilacs

This is a field just south of our little town. When I saw it I knew I had to take a picture. This is what I think Ireland must look like with it's heaths and heathers. Well, kind of anyway.

Unfortunately, it is not heath or even heather. It is a field of weeds and the farmer will soon be plowing and or spraying to kill it so corn or beans can be planted.


I just couldn't wait any longer. I had to have lilacs in the house. I picked a couple of purple tulips, added some peach blossoms and am enjoying the bouquet as I write.
I promised last post to show some of the plants I found when Rose and I went plant shopping. It was a really good day! I could have taken at least one of most everything we saw. That would mean a lot of planting! These are a few of the ones I did bring home.



Delphinium 'Black Knight'


My yellow impatiens! 'Fusion Glow'






Dianthus 'Frosty Fire'











Phlox paniculata 'Super Red'
A Steppable-Isotoma fluviatils 'Blue Star Creeper'



Origanim vulgare ' variegated sweet marjoram'


I did get several planted today and then decided I wanted rock garden. I am starting small, but plan on enlarging as time and rocks permit.
Before:


After!

Lastly, the African violet I am plant sitting(3 months now!) has decided to bloom.


Don't forget the "HOE DOWN" May 3rd!

7 comments:

Cheryl said...

Hi Beckie...and we wonder why our bees and butterflies are in decline. They do the same here with wild flowers, years ago they would have been left in the field along with the crop. I have to say it saddens me.

Lovely plants and the rock garden will be ongoing. I will look forward to seeing how it developes over time.
Have a fun weekend.....

Beth said...

I wish the wildflowers didn't get plowed up. I like the rock garden idea, it inspired me to go find a load of rocks from the river and start a new bed. We moved our bunny cage and I think I'm going to put a flower bed in where it used to sit.

beckie said...

Cheryl, yes it is sad. Years ago we used to have set-aside land where the gov. paid the farmer so much to leave land rather than to plant and glut the market. Now there is such demand that everything is planted and sometimes even double cropped.
The rock garden looks a little sad-but it will fill in. My hope is to go around the edge of that bed, which is quite long. It will help hold the mulch and provide a great place to do more of the 'small' plants which I love.

Beth, well good! Rocks from the river, how neat. I go out to the edges of field where farmers plow them up and then dump them along the side. Have fun with it.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Beckie, it is funny that I have had similar thoughts about the fields full of henbit blooming. Just the past few days the farmers have been able to work most of the fields south of here. It is a dusty mess.

Your bouquet is just gorgeous. Don't those lilacs just smell heavenly.

Your rock garden is going to be just beautiful. You have a great start. If I lived nearby I would come over with my truck and we could go rock hunting.

Rose said...

Beckie, I like your new rock garden. I will have to see how yours develops; maybe you can give me pointers on starting my own. I haven't planted any of my plants from our shopping trip Tuesday. They're still sitting in my garage waiting for the wind to die down.
Have a good weekend!

Wendy said...

Your lilacs are beautiful! Ours are still curled up tight on the branches.
Loved your plant selection - I plant plenty of impatiens since we have lots of shade in the front of our house.
I planted some purple sage last year in my garden and it did survive the winter and is up. Can you eat this? I think the tag said "ornamental", so I thought that that meant not for consumption, as you would with ordinary sage.
Will be looking forward to pics of your rock garden, as the season progresses.

beckie said...

Lisa, would enjoy going rock hunting with you! The henbit is safe-my flower beds are loaded with it. I should have picked more lilacs as the wind is really beating them today. Can't wait to see what you got plant sopping with T&C. Saying a prayer for C!

Rose, I don't know about pointers. I am winging it! But it was fun to at least get it started. Want to do more, but energy...The plants I put out yesterday are getting wind blown for sure. If we don't get any more rain, I'll have to water again tonight.

Wendy, thanks. I bought a few more, but didn't want to be a bore. We are going to get more annuals next week and then I can get my containers done. I love doing that, but have to change soil in some and that's work. I don't think you can eat purple sage, but check on line. Let us know when your lilacs come out.