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Saturday, May 03, 2008

Shopping Spree!

On Friday my friend Kim and I went to our favorite nursery. We lost total track of the time, I'm guessing it was a few hours that we rambled about deciding on which new lovelies to buy.

One of the first things on my wish list were variegated Iris. Obviously other people had this on their list too because there were only three pots left, I took two and Kim got the last one.

When we got to the Sedum section I picked up one pot after another and announced "already got it". Kim is a good friend, I don't think she rolled her eyes once. It appeared I had every one already until I came to this 'Diamond Edge'. I can't say it totally wowed me but come on, I already had every other variety :-)

Kim must have wanted me to get this sweet little Pulmonaria because she kept pointing out how darling it looked. Since Kim has a new garden that is almost all full sun, she couldn't get it for herself. I took the hint and got it and I'm so happy I did!

This Aruncus didn't have a tag but it didn't stop me. I have many clumps of the dwarf Aruncus athusifolious and it's such a wonderful plant. How could I pass up a chance to try another variety. The sign at the nursery said it will grow 5 feet tall, how cool is that!

Amsonia 'Blue Ice' jumped in my cart when I wasn't looking. I've been growing Amsonia ciliata for a number of years and can't say I love it but this baby still wanted a chance to change my mind.

Campanula persicifolia 'La Belle' also called me over. I haven't had too much luck with many Campanulas here, I think it might be our acidic soil but the peach leaved varieties do well and this pot was just chock full.

Astrantia 'Snow Star' was brazen enough to bring a twin along, two pots came home with me. I don't know what it is about the Astrantias, I've been growing them for years and they've never gotten any larger but I keep trying and trying with them.

Symphytum, yes, no groans please. This variety didn't have a tag, it was low growing and had pink buds with white blooms. There is a sign with the name at the nursery, at least I have a reason to have to go back again :-)

Two new Epimediums for me (Kim got them too)! 'Orange Queen' was just too fantastic with orange blooms and how could we possible turn up a chance to grow 'Shrimp Girl'. After looking at the size of these plants and seeing how much they were I decided to change the price of my jumbo pots to $7.


Oh how hard it is to walk past the hardy Geranium section. I could take one of each even if I already had it in the garden. There were so many to choose from but we both couldn't say no to Geranium sanguinium 'Tiny Monster', Geranium 'Philippe Vapelle' (had this one once before but didn't give it enough sun), and Geranium 'Brookside'.

The Hosta section is like the Sedum section, I can walk the whole row and say "got that one" but I came across a new arrival of 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' which I had lost the first year I was growing Hosta. Hooray!

Finally, as you can see in this photo I definitely don't have enough Sempervivum yet so I bought four more varieties. I'll save those photos for another post. I thought I was very restrained because they had so many new varieties and I really wanted them all.

Ok, now it's time for bed. Every muscle in my body aches. Today I potted up at least 100 pots and tomorrow is my last chance to pot up the last 100. A few new gardening friends are supposed to come over and help. I'm so happy, hope you all don't mind learning how to pot up Daylilies because that's what's on the planning board.

For the rest of this week the posts will be geared to the Plant Sale we're having on May 10th. Bear with me, I'll be back to my usual garden craze after Mother's Day.

Melanie

16 comments:

Jane O' said...

Your plants look healthy. How exciting. I love the planting part of gardening best of all. Have fun.

Julie said...

Oh, what a great assortment of plants you bought! I like your sedum and hosta plants the most! I really could see that you needed more Sempervivum! LOL...that sure is an amazing garden!

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

Looks like you had a great time plant shopping(-: I love shopping for plants. I could spend hours. I am a Semp freak too and I have been collecting different ones also. Do you keep all your plants names marked?

Barbee' said...

Good looking plants, you two really made a haul!
No need to reply back to me; I know you are super busy. Good luck with the plant sale. We (the University of Kentucky Woman's Club) have one coming up. Fund raiser for our scholarship program for women 25 years of age or older. Many of these are women coming back to school. And many are single moms who are trying to make a better life for their families. Some are just starting, some are coming back to continue, and some are graduate students. All kinds of programs. They are truly worth all our work. And those sales are a lot of work. Fun, though. Good luck with yours.

Anonymous said...

What a succesful trip - I am jealous. I'm saving myself for the local spring fair next weekend. I think the Symphytum is the same as I posted a photo of on my blog http://patientgardener.wordpress.com/2008/04/19/an-english-country-garden-in-april/#comments
Iberian Comfrey - Symphytum ibericum

Mark said...

Hi Melanie,
I can see a gap in that last photo where you could fit in several more plants....just incase you don't have enough, as every gardener knows their is always room to squeeze one more in.

me said...

I was up in Long Island last week and it looks like you are having a great spring. Everything was so green with things I've forgotten i planted popping up through the ground. Have fun planting!

garden girl said...

excellent selections Melanie! Smart move upping the price of the epimediums for your sale, which I so wish I lived close enough to attend.

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

I hope you have better luck with your new Astrantia. I have a few different cultivars, but the white has done the best. It has even started making a nuisance of itself by self-sowing all over. I knew you were going to charge to little for the Epimediums. They will probably still sell very fast at $7.

Anonymous said...

Wow that's a lot of new plants! My fiance and I have to limit our nursery trips these days since we live in an apartment and our beginning to run out of places for all our plants.

Last time we were fairly restrained and only purchased a flat of six strawberry plants and four new succulents.

Gail said...

Nice shopping trip...love the variegated iris, the geraniums and the epimediums! Looks like you have a great nursery nearby...it is so fun to shop with a friend.

I grow Amsonia hubrichtii narrow leafed with wonderful fall color to zone 5. Have you ever seen it?

Gail

Anonymous said...

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, what a fantastic haul!!! I too love comfreys, and have every variety I can find. Like pokeweed, they are fabulously ornamental and much maligned! And oh my, 'Tiny Monster'. But yes, it's your semps I most crave. If I lived in the vicinity, I'd be over there begging! (And speaking of begging, poor Calie! What an adorable photo of her poking her pitiful little snout through the gate! My Molly can relate.)

archivesinfo said...

Hi Melanie, Today I posted "Ten Ways to Recognize a Real Gardener" and you just gave me an idea for an 11th. "Can't go to a garden center without saying 'got it, got it' to at least 5 different plants." I think I'll go back and make an addendum linking to you.

Unknown said...

Wow! Looks like you had a great time shopping today. Isn't it fun to go hopping around all of the garden centers? I've got that planned for Tuesday!

kjohnson said...

Quite a haul! Good luck with all your planting.

Anonymous said...

I know the feeling of roaming through a well stocked greenhouse. Two years ago, my very sensible spouse asked how I managed to spend so much in a single visit. Next Year I took her along and we doubled the outlay (but got a lot more plants.) Needless to say, she goes with me on ALL similar visits now!