Nurseries

Monday, May 19, 2014

Today I am grateful for nurseries.  Not the kind of nurseries where they toss the baby after it pops out, but the kind of nursery where you can find any kind of plant you want for your garden or patio.

We have a nursery like that in our area. . .Rhodes Gardens.  We love this place, but not just because the plants are healthy and gorgeous, but because they really know their business.  You can ask the most obscure question about plants, shade, sun, soil and they’ll have the answer.  Our daughter, Jennifer would love this place more than we do. 

There is something very special about the process of sticking a few plants in the ground after any winter, but after this one I’m euphoric.  Because we live in a town house situation, there is not a lot of room to plant. . .just enough.  The space matches my budget and energy levels. 

I’ve gotten creative with herbs and put them in oblong boxes in a double rack on our front porch.  Usually I try different plants in front, but none have done as well as zinnias.  I love petunias but hate dead-heading them because of the sticky stem.  I know there are some that you don’t have to pinch, but I don’t have enough sun for them anyway so I’m over it.  We’ve been easing away from too many hanging plants because it’s too difficult to keep them nice as the heat intensifies and they are a problem when we travel, but I still like a few.  The rest of our patio is decorated with other hanging objects that don’t require water. . .wind chimes, Indonesian bamboo, a trapeze.  Hah!  Just seeing if your listing.  We took the trapeze down last year when my shoulder started bothering me.

I know that Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart and many other places sell plants, but when you’re not sure what will grow because the trees are shading more and more and impatiens caused a problem with the soil, there is nothing like a for real, honest to God, nursery. . .and I am grateful for Rhodes Garden.