Plants!

Over the weekend I did what I said I would as soon as the weather improved on Sunday.  I planted some flowers!  Oooh I love it.  I love picking them out and arranging them in planters.  I have some favorites I always buy, including marigolds, geraniums, petunias, and of course the proportion balancing spikes.  I also like to experiment with something new every year . This year I bought those dark purple things which you can see in the right corner, which don't get flowers but instead add interest by trailing over the sides of the pots.  

I visited three greenhouses to get my full inventory and they were all busy and chaotic. I could barely push my cart around. It was like the Black Fridy of buying plants I think.  I guess I wasn't the only one who was excited by the idea of bright flowers and working in the sun. I always have to reign myself in to avoid buying more plants than I have room for.  It is hard to grasp the idea that each pack has six plants that grow and spread quite fast.  Last year I put one too many plants in some pots and some plants were overgrown. 

I set up my little work station in the back yard and got to work. The sun felt so wonderful and I could hardly remember when I last felt that kind of warmth!  It was delightful.  We are accumulating quite a large collection of planters which is great. There could never be too many in my opinion!  Our neighbor has two large discarded planters shoved out of the way by the fence in his back yard and it was very tempting for me to just grab them and plant stuff in them and set them in front of his house! 

They look so sparse but I know they will fill out in no time! 

Our front steps are perfect for displaying planters!  Once they grow and get heavier some will be displayed on the ledge.  Last year that trough shaped planter blew over many times was looking kind flat on one side!  There is a hook under the roof overhang so I intend to get a hanging basket also...perhaps in a few weeks when the plants start going on clearance.  

I love those dark purple leaves!  I also love the smell of geranium plants.  Not only the flowers, but also the leaves smell pretty good. Someone should bottle that!

I love the little labels that come with each pack of flowers!  I don't save them but I had to take a picture before discarding them. 

On a note not related to gardening, it is Constitution Day in Norway!  I was there for this day in 2006.  It was only our 2nd full day there and I was jet lagged and confused but the day was still quite an amazing experience.  That day was cold and raining but masses of people still celebrated in Oslo. I have never seen so many umbrellas.  I saw the photos of a friend who is currently living in Norway on Facebook today and they looked just like this except the sun was shining and the weather looked warm.  It made me so jealous! 

One day I hope I will see this sight in person again!