Dear Dee and Mary Ann and Gardening Friends Everywhere,
Do you want to hear a funny story about pansies and violas?
After work yesterday, I cruised by a local grower’s to see if she had any pansies and violas out front, and she did! So I stopped in, liked what I saw, and decided to get some.
After a minute or so, her Mom came out and just started laughing and said she should have guessed it was me, one of their frequent customers. She then told me that they had just put the flats out about a half hour before I got there.
I couldn’t believe my timing, either, especially after writing that post awhile back about trying to get the pansies and violas as soon as they showed up at the garden centers. I think this set a new speed record, even for me. I bought two flats of pansies and a flat of violas and also got a sneak peak at what’s growing in their greenhouses for spring. I can hardly wait until mid-May to go back and start buying summer annuals.
I also stopped by Lowes and picked up some seeds for several more varieties of hot peppers and snow peas, along with some seed starting supplies. Mary Ann, I promise I didn’t buy any more seeds than I can handle! Dee, I’ve enjoyed reading the blog posts you’ve started writing for Lowes. You and all the other writers who are doing that are off to a great start. I like what they are doing to engage gardeners.
When I finally got home, thanks to Daylight Savings Time, I had time to eat dinner before I planted the pansies in a few containers on my front porch and a window box. I’ll have to plant the violas later this week because a day doesn’t last forever, even with DST. But even though I was rushing around a bit as the sun set, it felt good to have my hands in the dirt again after the long winter break.
Tomorrow, I’ll hopefully be out digging in the dirt again, following my tradition of planting peas on St. Patrick’s Day, along with spinach and sweet peas. I’m going to hold off a week or so until it is a bit warmer before I plant any lettuce, and I’m waiting until March 30th to plant root crops like radishes and onions, when the moon phase will be right for them.
Yes, the gardening season has begun again. Isn’t it great?
Hortifully yours,
Carol
Thank you to everyone who posted for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day this month. I’ve enjoyed the posts I’ve visited so far, and plan to try to visit a few each day, but it is nearly impossible to read all of them. I encourage everyone who posted for bloom day to visit the two bloggers who linked before you and the two who linked after you in Mr. Linky. (As always, if you see someone who added a link for outright commercial purposes, let me know and I’ll “deadhead ‘em”.)
There’s still time today, Tuesday, to register to win a Fiskars® Momentum™ Reel Mower! Go to that post, read the rules, and register by 9:00 PM EDT. A winner will be chosen later in the evening. Good luck to all!
Dear Carol, It really is the start of the season when one is putting out bedding plants in readiness for the next few months. Pansies have such wonderful expressions but, for me, the choice would be the tiny, pretty violas.
Tee hee! I can just imagine you cruising down the road casually, hiding behind sunglasses, scoping out the fronts of garden centres in search of those first few hints of hardy colour. Pansies are just so happy a flower, even though their faces sometimes look like those of wise, wizened elderly people and cats, but their colours are irresistable. I'll be glad when the Johnnys and violas put in an appearance here in our garden. Soon, Carol, soon!
You make me want to run out this am and look for some pansies. I couldn't find any on the weekend except very expensive ones at a local flower show.
Eileen
Apparently your years as a gardener have developed your ability to recognize the presence of Pansy-sonic rays in the atmosphere, Carol! No violas can speed past your horticultural "May-dar"!
Happy planting,
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I'll just say the luck of the Irish was with you on this outing…great score here!! It does appear is really going to be Spring.
Yes, garden season has barely begun. I've still got a lot of work to do, but I just keep plugging away. Your post reminds me I need more pansies and violas. Thanks.~~Dee
Simply delightful posting, Carol!