Flower Fever

Mom used to say to me, "You remind me of a bumble bee when spring comes, buzzing around from one flower to the next".  She was right.  I just can't help myself.  I have a seasonal disorder called Flower Fever.  It begins every year when March arrives with warmer, sunnier days and ends during the hot, humid days of May or June.  During this time I must dig in the dirt and put some new plants in my gardens.  It may be as few as two plants or as many as fifty, depending on our circumstances at the time.  My sister made it possible to add several additions to my back yard gardens this year.  She did the majority of the back-breaking work.  All I had to do was place the plants where I wanted them in the gardens.  I was able to re-pot some new plants for our back deck.  

Pictured below are Purple Hearts which are planted in a beautiful aqua colored ceramic pot that I purchased last year from Barrett's Garden Center.  Below that are some Portulaca Cupcake or Purslane, Verbena and some pink Creeping Phlox.  Charlie purchased some wonderful planters with coconut liners which look great on our back lower deck.  The local titmouse has already been stealing beak fulls of coconut fiber for her nests. 

Charlie also purchased five big, beautiful Knock-out Roses for me- three red and two pink.  We moved a vacant garden box (a handmade one from the year before) to a spot further back in the yard and we'll use that for a rose garden. It's going to take several bags of soil, compost and mulch to fill in this 4x8 ft box.

My favorite lantana didn't survive through this past winter :(  I searched for the same variety of lantana but couldn't find it so I purchased something similar.  I'll have to wait and see how it does.  I like for lantana to be bushy and fill in a space thoroughly but I'm not sure yet if this variety is going to work well.

Two bleeding heart plants have been added to our back yard gardens.  I chose a spot that I initially thought they would thrive in, but after planting them I'm not so sure.  Another one I'll have to watch.  I love the tiny heart shaped flowers that dangle from the plants tender limbs- can't wait until it reaches full bloom!  Also added to the garden are 6 small Encore azalea shrubs, Autumn Embers.  This is the first time I've planted Encore azaleas.  From what I understand, they're supposed to bloom twice annually- during spring and during autumn.  Since the spring bloom has passed, I'll have to wait until autumn to see the dramatic fiery orange-red blooms claimed to be produced by these azaleas.

I decided to give in and purchase a Hibiscus this year.  I love the big bright orange-pink tropical blooms and it looks great on our lower deck.  I hope it does well.  But wait- one more "first"- Charlie bought me a gorgeous Bromeliad plant.  This one takes the prize on good looks! It is stunning!  I placed in on our upper back deck, between the pair of wicker chairs.  It really dresses the area up.  I love it.

There's still a lot of garden work to be done- pots of plants sit and wait on our deck to be placed into their new homes.  Thank heavens for my wonderful sister who intends to help as much as possible.

Just look at all of those plants!  I felt useless when I tried to plant several of them myself and couldn't do it.  The bending really intensified my back pain.  I felt guilty placing the extra work load on my sister, but she said she doesn't mind doing it and I believe she's sincere.

Count the garden by the flowers, never by the leaves that fall.  Count your life with smiles and not the tears that roll.