A Plant Binge

How many times have you entered a nursery center with looking as your only goal, but leaving with handfuls of plants?  The worst case is at the end of the planting season when everything is marked down to pennies.  How could you not purchase a few more goodies for the garden?  I fall into this category often, but I do follow a few personal rules.

1. Try to buy at least three (or more) of one plant.  Though you may not have a destination in mind yet, at least there will be a nice grouping for the final design (and it will look like you planned it).

2. Try something new.  If you're only paying 99 cents, why not try a new plant?  If it doesn't do well, no biggie.  My garden is filled with sale (and even free) plants that no one else wanted or recognized.  I now have some amazing plants that I would have never dreamed up on my own.

3. Is there a season you're lacking great color?  Late summer or fall perhaps?  Try to find plants that fill those gaps.  Don't let the lack of bloom in the nursery distract you - just because it's not blooming at that moment, doesn't mean it's not fabulous.  Read the tags and grab the beauties others missed.

4. Pick up those small, special plants (less than 12" tall).  These itty bitty plants are perfect for the front of your border or tucked in small spaces.  Buy as many as you can.  It's so much fun spreading these out along the front of a planting bed to pull it all together (what? a sale item creating a a cohesive design?).

What other hints do you have?

The Florida Keys

My mom, daughter and I visited the Florida Keys over the weekend for my brother's wedding.  It was so beautiful that I had to share some images...from a garden perspective.

We experienced Islamorada (that's where we stayed), plus Key Largo and Key West.   Everything was lush and spilling over with flowers and southern hospitality (see that pineapple?). I didn't know that roosters roamed the streets of Key West (and even sneak inside the shops)!

Being someone that loves formal gardens, I was thrilled with all the perfectly trimmed hedges.  I also loved the bright colors, stucco walls, fancy gates, and just general quaintness.  We even got up bright and early the first day to see the sun rise...look at that.  Just imagine a soft, warm breeze.  

Many parts of the keys still have that 1950s-1960s aura...adding more mystic.  It's just an amazing place surrounded with great history, expanses of ocean and lots of sun. 

Farm House Arbor

This rustic, yet quaint arbor is located at the Farm House Museum on the Iowa State University campus.  It was reconstructed from old photographs several years ago and is such a nice addition to the site.  I walk past it often and suddenly felt compelled to share it.  I love the combination of the perfectly constructed bird gates paired with the natural wood structure.