So as much as I procrastinate when it comes to actually dealing with my yard, I have really loved looking through the seed and plant catalogs I've been receiving lately. By temporarily suspending reality, I can browse all of the pretty new plants and flowers and think about what would look great in the yard. Never mind that we are currently out of space for planting (until we finish the planter boxes in the backyard.)
Please join me on my journey through Pretendsville:
One of the new catalogs I've started receiving is Annie's Annuals and Perennials. I really like how you can browse by flower color as well as plant type. And the Annie's Favorite's section is fun. Even though she specializes in California native plants, there are plenty of options that will work for my climate.
One of my favorite companies is High Country Gardens. They specialize in xeriscape, or "water-wise" plants, meaning once the plants are established, they will need very little water.We ordered some of their pre-planned gardens, the Xeric aroma garden. This is only the second year we've had it in the ground, so it still looks fairly sparse, but it already looks good. I love all of the plants in the bunch, but I think my favorite of them is the ornamental oregano.
It reminds me of hops flowers. And the way the plants were packed for shipping was ingenious. In fact, one of the salvias was blooming when we unpacked them!
And, of course, you all know I love Dahlias. I haven't ordered any new ones, and I may not this year. That whole nonsense of nowhere to plant them yet. Not to mention I need to divide my existing dahlia tubers, which will yield even more. So maybe I'll get some new ones next year.
Thanks for joining me on my travels today. I promise not to be gone so long this time!
4 comments:
Good for you, with the xeriscaping! I can't understand how lots of people across the country all want the exact same types of flowers, no matter how much maintenance they'll need. There are plenty of native plants that are justa s beautiful and require less care and resources. I've recommended xeriscape in every plan that I've worked on in grad school, for a variety of reasons, but mostly the maintenance issue.
That is a wonderful site you linked to, and certainly something I will keep in mind for the future, when we finally have a place to plant. (I'd personally rather have gorgeous plants than a whole yard to mow!) Their pre-planned gardens are really cool, thank you!
Right there with you... I am starting to get itchy too... especially when I see the garden is waking up.
Love that oregano, too!
Kate: We love xeriscaping not only for the maintenance, but also for the water conservation. And with our nearly-double city lot, I'm all about less lawn to mow!
Amy: I got so excited this weekend when I walked around the yard and saw all of the shrubs starting to bud! Spirea, Forsythia, Lilacs...it was definitely a mood lifter!
I've got to say, this post doesn't strike me as one of a "lazy" gardener by any stretch of the imagination.
Meanwhile, here on the frozen tundra, it's still snowing. 83 inches and counting so far this winter...
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