Surprise!

Two years ago, I ordered a tomato collection from Burpee, and waited and waited and waited for those plants to arrive. They finally did, two weeks after they should have gone into the ground. All my complaints were answered with "We ship them at the right time for your zone" but I think they either did not plant enough or the first crop failed. I decided to risk it again this year, ordering both a nine-plant tomato collection and a six-plant pepper collection, but bought an Early Girl from a local nursery as a hedge against another late arrival. So guess what showed up on my doorstep last Thursday? Yep, my plants from Burpee. I am holding them for a few more days, as the nights are still a bit cool for 'maters, but I am very pleased to have them sitting on the patio.

My son did help with the digging of two holes, one for the Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood' and one for the Viburnum dentatum 'Chicago Luster'. I let Arbor Farms plant the Liriodendron tulipifera. I did not watch their every move, but it looks like they left the roots wrapped in burlap? Not sure if that is a good idea, but these guys are not newbies. Hopefully they know what they are doing.



I gave my son some other "heavy lifting" kind of tasks, like digging up the sod where my vegetable garden paths will be. It's peculiar now men have more upper body strength than women, but women seem to have more endurance.

What else? I took the dead laceleaf Japanese maple back to Lowes today. No argument from them, although the woman at the returns desk was not very cheerful. I'm guessing sometimes she has to deal with some real wieners.

I have visited about every nursery there is to visit in these parts, buying marigolds here, admiring the redbuds there, but it seems to me that the variety of offerings is getting, well, less varied. I'm particularly disappointed in the herbs this year. Part of my future kitchen renovation includes a corner for growing plants indoors, so maybe I will just have to start my own.

These phlox are self-sowing, and I celebrate their return each year. They smell great, too.



The Viburnum prunifolium is the most robust of all my Viburnums.



The rabbits are becoming quite tame, except for the babies. I was surprised this one let me get so close.



Maybe if this guy lived in my yard instead of down the street, I would not have so many baby bunnies.



Anything that eats mice and rats is okay by me!

They Grow Flowers, Don't They?

My son and I have been on vacation this past week, traveling from Fort Rain (which has been hot and dry in our absence - my poor Japanese maple!) to Niagara Falls, where - surprise! - I found hostas and daylilies. Just like home!



I'm so used to taking photos of my flowers that my natural reaction when I saw these was to snap away.



From Niagara Falls we moved on to Cooperstown, but due to a lodging crisis, we were pressed for time and did not linger over the lovely gardens there.

Now we are in New England, on the cusp of heading home, but we did wander about the Robert Frost Farm in Derry, NH. There was milkweed, but with rather languid flower clusters instead of the tight little fists I have at home.



And there were butterflies! Lots of them, including this little beauty who stopped long enough for a quick pic:



The field full of milkweed undoubtedly helps attract the monarchs, but this tidy side garden also makes a difference:



The monarda blossoms were huge.



I'm hoping my 3B garden looks as good some day.

Before the mosquitoes drove us out of the woods, we heard the ovenbird calling, "Tea-cher! Tea-cher!" and saw this trio sunning on a log.



The two turtles were keeping company with a frog.

The mending wall provided shelter for this lovely fellow.



And the only reason I took the following pic was to remind ourselves to find out what kind of maple leaf this was.



We live in the land of silver maples, so did not recognize the sugar maples of New England.

It has been a good vacation, but we are ready to turn our faces to the west.