Opportunists

The primary weekend activity was to get flowers and peppers onto the deck. Now that the last day that we could, in theory, have frost is passed, it was time to make that space more inviting. On Saturday, I hauled flower pots and deck chairs out of the storage shed. When it became clear, during the potting, that I'd bought more flowers than I had originally brought pots for, I had to rummage through the stacked pots for the ones most likely to handle the overflow. That's when I decided the shed needed to be cleaned.

I didn't take a photo of the before state of the shed. Heavens no. There are some things I don't wish to share. The floor of this Rubbermaid storage shed was covered in about an inch of potting soil, spilled, over the years from shifting stacks of flower pots. I have a lot. This is another place I could, conceivably, pare. I don't think I'd ever fill all the pots I have with flowers. My deck isn't that big. But, until I'm motivated to cull, I'll just clean this shed out, sweeping all the potting soil onto the ground and maybe the new chair will fit in here come October. That's when I noticed them.

Wasps. There was one, at first, but he was followed by two more and then another one after that. They flew around me and I know to stand still and let them pass. But where were they going? Aha! They were going inside the wall of the shed where the metal stake is for holding up the roof. Opportunistic buggers.

Now, in theory, I won't get into the shed very much until October and putting things away. But, in practice, wasps could build a hive that encompasses the entire wall of the shed. This would not be a good thing. So, I got out the wasp killer and hosed the area down, spraying inside as best as I could see. Then I finished the cleaning of the interior, replaced everything neatly and put the top back on. As I was putting the top on; it snaps on very nicely which is one of the reasons I bought this; I found a small nest. It was located on the top over the area where the rod is in the wall. They were covering all the bases I guess.

So, the storage shed is good for the time being. I probably should open it up in June just to make sure they didn't decide to take over a corner.

Beverage:  English Breakfast tea

Deb

The Things I Do

If you recall last summer, I finally got the deck chairs out, scrubbed off and on the deck. This was a major accomplishment. Double that accomplishment was having the girls come out and join me.

First Pilchard.

Then Mija.

The problem was, if I was outside sitting, that left just one chair for them and that did not go well at all. I sort of joked that I'd need to get another chair so they could both be outside with me.

What color would I like?

I pulled into the Ace Hardware lot and was rather floored by the color selection.

I could even get one in, what's that material on the left there, wood? 

I love color. This much choice in plastic Adirondack-style chairs filled me with happiness until I went to get out of the aqua chair I sat in. Oh dear. I don't get up fast anymore. Although my RA isn't giving me problems, the osteoarthritis in my knees is. I don't know if anyone was watching but there was this gray-haired old lady struggling to get out of one of those chairs. She did it, but she knew this was not something she wanted to sit in on her deck. So, I looked at the tan and forest green basic plastic deck chairs. 

Again, I was drawn to color. The forest green chair would look sharp, sitting between my white deck chairs. But the deck gets sunshine for 75% of the day. About 2 p.m., that thing is going to be hot. I wouldn't sit in it. Why expect the girls to? Tan it was.

Actually, it doesn't look too bad.

I no longer see the bird bath from the office window to monitor who is using it. But now we can ALL be on the deck, sitting in chairs. We'll give these a test run next weekend.

Beverage:  Water

Deb

Only What You Can Carry

I decided to buy plants this weekend and get them in pots. The last frost free date is, technically, tomorrow, but there's slim chance we're going to have frost again until October. Time to hit the nursery.

Normally, when I want to buy quality plants, I head west to Planter's Palette. An area staple for upwards of 20 years, they have acres of plants which give you more ideas than sense sometimes; not that I'm speaking from experience, mind you. That was the plan. I got myself up early, showered, had breakfast and went outside to start pulling pots out of the shed.

The overwintered geraniums were slated to be repotted. My spindly little peppers and sunflower plants could come outside now. I think I might even put plants on the front steps, something I haven't done in years. This looks about right. Fill these and I'll be good.

With it slated to be a glorious weekend, I knew there would be dozens, scores, maybe even hundreds of people browsing the too narrow aisles and taking the too few carts. Carole's friend, Phillip, worked at PP for years, starting at age 16 and continuing through college. I've spent a lot of money there.

As I headed west, I drove right by Wheaton Nursery and Garden Center. They have, at best, a fifth of the area PP has. I've driven by them for all of the 31 years I've lived in Wheaton, but never stopped. I thought of the battle to find a parking place at PP, the quest to find a cart for the few things I wanted to buy and the wait time for checking out and I decided it was time to stop at Wheaton Nursery.

I was their first customer of the day and I got the most personal service I think I've had in years. I pulled out my list and the gal watering flowers pointed to places where I'd find things. She got me a red wagon and a couple of cardboard containers for the plants I was buying. Yes, I went with a list. I could go nuts at a nursery and I really didn't want to come home with three times more plants than I had room for or ambition to plant.

I wanted another geranium. I have white, red, light pink and salmon. What would go good with those colors? Sometimes choice is NOT a good thing.

I wanted to get more peppers to make sure I get something this year. They didn't have the orange peppers that I really want since I only got one plant to sprout. I did find a couple to bring home.

They have plants to encourage kids to garden.

I was sorely tempted to buy a couple pots of corn. I might still do that. I'm not sure how corn would do in a deck pot, but it's tempting. These pumpkin vines were also tempting. I could make a trellis off one corner of the deck and grow the pumpkin that way. Reality smacked me upside the head and wondered exactly where I thought I'd put this. The pumpkins stayed at the nursery.

Here's what came home with me.

3 sweet potato vines.
3 four packs of begonias
1 four pack of zinnias
2 four packs of alyssum
1 geranium
6 four packs of marigolds
1 four pack of salvia
1 four pack of nicotania
1 four pack of cosmos
1 four pack of snapdragons
2 pepper plants

Not bad. I did a fairly good job of resisting the siren song of a lot of different flowers. There's a nice variety this year with a wide spectrum of colors. That's all I want, really, variety. I still may go back for corn.

Beverage:  Water

Deb

Images of Spring

A collection of photos showing off spring.

 

Just now the lilac is in bloom,
All before my little room;
And in my flower-beds, I think,
Smile the carnation and the pink...
(Rupert Brooke) 

 Beverage:  Darjeeling Tea

Deb