Life Lesson: Going to the Botanic Gardens in the spring is a mistake.
A BIG mistake!
Hubby and I visited the Denver Botanic Gardens on Earth Day. We saw amazing displays of flowers. We took lots of pictures of plants and flowers, with their name tags, to remind us of what we want to have in our garden, eventually.
On the way home we stopped by a nursery we have seen, but never visited. That was the mistake. We bought a bit of this and that.
Tall snapdragons - in a brilliant red
Dahlias - in lovely pinky-reddish-orange colors
Raspberry bushes - well, they aren't bushy yet!
A yellow-flowered Barberry - the one at the garden was magnificent
A bleeding heart
Lupines
Pasque Flower
Poppies
Ice Plants
and more...
and more...
$
$
$
It all adds up so quickly!
Now, I want to plant. But I can't! The gardens are at a lower elevation and I suspect there may be an additional climactic difference due to the heat sink effect of the city. They are a few weeks ahead of us. Our 'last frost date' is May 30. We have been known to have 2' of snow in May. So... I tend my beautiful 'Garden in a box' and wait.
Pretty! I can't wait to see what you garden looks like when it is planted! Me. . . I can't keep a flower alive at all! I have tried many many times, too. Me and my husband will get flowers, split them up, and plant them in two separate window boxes, on the same side of the house. Mine never make it, his thrive.
ReplyDeleteYou will have a beautiful garden that will make you forget all about the $$$$ you spent. We have the same problem with late frost dates; last year the last snow came on May 26. I only know because I blogged about it.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is going to be so beautiful! You'll have to make sure to post pictures of the finished product (finished for this year, that is). I like that you bought a good number of native plants, too. That will make your garden really special.
ReplyDeleteIt would be fun to go to the Botanic Gardens...like you I would have bought and bought...but heck why not! Nothing is nicer to the eye and soul than plants!
ReplyDeleteLinda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
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very pretty! You made some good choices! We are not safe til June 1st..many ladies are planting pots and they drag them in and out. I used to do that. I like my perennials just fine:)
ReplyDeleteYou are going to have such a pretty garden!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flowers. Do keep in mind that Lupine is toxic to horses however. I've been attempting to get my beds cleaned up to get mulched. Have over 100 Impatient flowers waiting to leave the plug trays and hit the gardens LOL.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I didn't know that. The flowers will go inside the picket fence. Although that doesn't necessarily insure the horses won't get to them... it does limit their exposure to those rare times they escape in the middle of the night when we have left the gate open! Then, I figure (hope) they will find other tasty options before they go for the flowers!
DeleteI love impatiens. That's just about the only thing we could grow in our shady yard in SC. I planted a few for a shady area here and may get two hanging baskets with them.
Your green thumb is itching, huh? Glad the botanic gardens were inspiring. I am wishing for gentle rains instead of snow.
DeleteSame here! I feel your pain. We are over 2,000 feet above Albuquerque, but only 20 minutes away. It's been 85+F down there and everything is green and growing. People are planting veggie gardens even!
ReplyDeleteI have to stop myself from being tempted to plant anything because we've even had snow on Memorial Day weekend up here!
Sure do love those purple puff ball flowers. Our Albuquerque Botanic Gardens have an entire 20-30 ft section planted with them. It's just magical!
~Lisa
Colorado in the summer is the best! We will miss it this year... You could always plant and cover on the potential chilly nights, but it's always best to wait. Hard to resist, no matter what option you choose. In WI we plant Allium (the purple puff balls) in the Fall, for a colorful early summer. Yep, I wanna see your garden in bloom too!
ReplyDelete