Seeds on the way....

For the first time in several years, I've actually ordered seeds in time to have some plants ready for spring.  They should arrive next week and I can begin planting!  I'm not sure where all of these will go, but I'll find room somewhere.  Since half the backyard is still mud from the sewer project this is a good time to rearrange the gardens.

For the first time, I'm giving up on Brandywine tomatoes and am trying Prudens Purple instead.  Brandywines crack so easily it's hard to get them picked at the right time.

With all this seed I may have some extra seedlings so if you're in the area and are interested just let me know which plant(s) you might want to try.


Vegetables
Strawberry Spinach
Easter Egg Radish
Carola Potatoes
Super Sugar Snap Pea
Chioggia Beet
Stowells Evergreen Corn
Packman Broccoli
Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage

Lettuce
Oakleaf 
Red Sails 
Black-Seeded Simpson

Herbs
Chervil
Bush Basil
Arugula

Peppers
California Wonder 
Early Jalapeno 

Tomatoes
Yellow Currant 
Prudens Purple 

Perennial Flowers
Panorama Mix Monarda
Lizzy Mixture Eustoma

Annual Flowers
Sea Shell Mix Cosmos
Cactus Flower Mix Zinnia
Bella Apricot Shades Flowering Maple (Abutilon)
Red & Rose Pirouette Petunia
Statice Mixture
Zebrina Malba

Sunflowers
Sole D'Oro
Jolly Joker
Moulin Rouge

All this for a plant?

My latest quest has been for a witch hazel. It is not your typical garden variety plant and, therefore, not available locally. I found a mail-order nursery in New Jersey and the plant plus shipping would be $50. I came very close to making an order, but then remembered an acquaintance who happens to be a horticulture professor and he suggested Arnold's Greenhouse. Only a 4-hour, or so, round-trip drive through the Flint Hills. I'd heard many good comments about this place, but I have yet to make a pilgrimage. A typical reaction being, "Oooh, Arnold's! You have to go there!" or "What?! You haven't been there?!" Not being familiar with Arnold's, I was a bit overwhelmed by the variety of plants available - over 3500. Arnold's doesn't have a regular plant catalog, they have a Plant Wishbook & Garden Guide. Presented with more plants than I remembered from my college days, my list of one quickly became a list of a dozen and my shopping list had to be hacked back to the original One. So, if you're still reading, "why a witch hazel?" you ask. Well, why not? Seeing one is slightly more unlikely than finding a source for one and it blooms earlier than a (currently blooming, but fading) forsythia or daffodils.

I made a short-notice call to several gardening, or otherwise adventurous, friends to make the trip with me. Going to a nursery is not something that Rhonna finds very inspiring - that is, not a nursery that involves plants. At least she's very good natured and indulges my habits when she finds herself in such a place. So she is planning to stay home with the boys while I make my trek. It just so happens that driving to Arnold's means, or could mean, going on of the more scenic roads through the Flint Hills. Not the well-known road, which is also, more-or-less, on the way, but another less-traveled one. (all together now: "And that has made all the difference") Although I will have to turn off at Eskridge, the next stop will make the trip worthwhile even if I don't get to the nursery. I could then eat my pastry in the company of wildlife just a few minutes away.

I will, eventually, get to Arnold's. It just didn't happen today as planned. Apparently I gave too short a notice. Coupled with $3.50/gallon gas, I just couldn't justify going it alone on a half-day road trip. Especially so close to Earth Day! Some things are more important than a witch hazel. I hope to find time in the coming weeks to go so if any of our local readers (and we have sooooo many) are interested, let me know. Happy gardening.

Hibiscus

In response to Sara's comment I had Kirk go out and take a pic of the Hibiscus. Congratulations, Sara. This plant has made for many happy views out our front window. We get comments on it all the time. I can't take any credit for it. All plants are Kirk's responsibility and his joy, but that doesn't keep me from enjoying them. My walk from the house is filled everyday with something that looks like Black Eyed Susans, although Kirk insists they aren't. I complain a lot about our house, but at least Kirk has made our yard beautiful.