Diggin’ in the dirt

April 9, 2014

2014-03-28 13.34.50Are you excited about spring yet? Yeah, I know. If you live in some parts of the country you can’t get excited just yet. But hey, like death and taxes, spring does come. Eventually.

It just came sooner here. Which means it’s time to garden. Well, I don’t really garden. I’m good at killing plants, but just can’t seem to get the knack of the green thumb. .I’ve tried, but really, anything I plant faces a death sentence. So, we have Kenny.  Kenny comes every two weeks to do our gardening. He’s been busy ripping out the detritus from winter and finally, it’s time to plant.

Now that we’ve finished our Moroccan garden up front (except for replacing plants that didn’t make it through the freezes this winter), the mostly barren back yard is our focus. We dropped by the nursery the other day to pick up a few things for Kenny to plant.

2014-03-28 13.34.14I love the intricate, symmetrical pattern of dahlias. I have a few outside the family room door and I wanted some more.

2014-03-28 13.33.28These delicate, feminine blossoms make me feel the same. Yeah, I know, I’m not a delicate flower, not by any means. But down deep? Yeah, I am. I love these frilly, tissue-thin petals.

2014-03-28 13.33.40Pops of color so bright they always look over-exposed make for a happy-looking garden. Also, M’s color blindness means he only sees hues of red/orange/yellow. I always like to include colors that he can see, something that a gardener we once had didn’t seem to understand at all. So now, I pick the pots of color, Kenny plants. M can see these just fine.

2014-03-28 13.33.34Color. Living color. My house is full of color and my yard has to be full of color. There seems to be a lot of purple in my house and now there’s more outside.

rohoRoses in back are mostly yellow, but some other colors have begun appearing as well.

yellsYellow’s not my favorite flower color, except for daises. There’s not a cheerier flower than a daisy.

hotlipsHot lips, that’s what these are called. They’re doing very well in a spot that doesn’t get much sun and I got another pot of them to fill in.

purplewhitVariegated flowers lend texture and interest. Purple again.

pkwhitebestMore pink and white. I never get sick of that combination.

Kenny hasn’t finished, but once he does, I’ll be happily sitting in the back yard with a book, looking a little like this:

Tiptoeing through the tulips. If I had tulips.

11 comments on “Diggin’ in the dirt
  1. Suzanne Fluhr says:

    Our house was always a place where plants went to die. My mother planted impatiens for us a few years, but we finally accepted that we’re not gardeners and we downsized, sold our house and moved to an apartment in Center City Philadelphia. Now the gardeners in charge of Rittenhouse Square do our gardening 🙂

  2. I miss my plants …they all froze this year…and I need to get in the backyard. I think you just inspired me with your gorgeous images. Thanks! I will be off to the nursery Saturday!

  3. I am so glad I am not the only one without a green thumb!! I always felt sorry for the plants I picked out at the nursery because I new they were going to be dying soon! This year (we moved into our new house in October) I am leaving the gardening to mom. Not only does it keep her active it saves the plants from me! She treats her plants like they are her children and lavishes love on them generously. I have no doubt that my yard will have the best flower gardens in the neighborhood (as long as I stay away from them that is)!

  4. Hi Carol! Thank you for sharing all your flowers with us! And I want to see a photo of it when everything is planted in the backyard….and you are tip-toeing through it all! Happy spring for sure! ~Kathy

  5. Diane says:

    I LOVE flowers! Can’t wait for PICTURES!

  6. Oh man, I need to get me a Kenny! 🙂 Beautiful flowers, so glad spring is finally coming to NJ as well.

  7. These are GORGEOUS flowers. And pictures of them, too. I love the colors and I’m kind of jealous. ‘Cause we have a guy, but we have no flowers. Just our lawn. Maybe I need flowers now … got me thinking!

  8. Haralee says:

    Beautiful! Spring is great! Your pictures are gorgeous.

  9. This is so lovely! Now I want to see your garden. If you ever come to south Florida, please stop by and have wine in my garden with me!

  10. Kathy says:

    What beautiful flowers you have. I love flowers and my day lilies have started growing. It is still too cold at night to plant but hoping by the end of the month we can plant. Would love to see all the flowers once planted

  11. Your flowers are fantastic and so far ahead of what we have here at the moment where the elements continue to conspire to prevent me from even planting potatoes. It sounds extreme but looks like retirement and so being available on those days when the sun shines is the only way I’ll ever get my garden properly sorted

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