Monday, June 30, 2008

Free plants!

One of my neighbors is giving away her massive flower garden before she and her husband move. I'd stopped to compliment it late last week on my way into work, and she invited me to take whatever I wanted. Cue heart palpitations.

So after spending all day Saturday and a little of Sunday morning putting a significant dent in my weed population and laying mulch, I trundled over there with my wheelbarrow. I took away a white geranium (cranesbill), a hybrid columbine, hens 'n chicks, an entire bag full of creeping sedum, and a few other groundcovers. Two wheelbarrows full of plants, and I only stopped because I wanted to be sure we'd have time to get everything planted right away. She's invited me to come back and take more whenever I want.

In other happy plant-related weekend news, Syl and I went with Kitten and Meimei to the arboretum yesterday. It was marvellous. Why don't I go there more? We wandered through a bunch of the garden collections, then took the 3-mile drive on our way out. We'll have to catch the maze garden next time! I could spend a whole day out there so easily. Syl and I have both fallen in love with smokebush, though now that I'm away from the heady influence of the arboretum, I'm willing to concede that it might be just a bit too flamboyant for my yard. (Syl's, on the other hand...)

Oh, and Syl? Here's that tulip I was telling you that you needed for your Dr. Seuss garden (tulipa acuminata). It's even winter hardy to zone 3!

4 comments:

Ms. Huis Herself said...

Yay, free plants!

Yeah, our "this was a rock garden? It looks like some rocks with grass growing over them" is now tilled up and replanted with donated hostas from the neighbors.

Also, that is a very Seussian tulip!

Kashka said...

Found a peony bush in my neighborhood -- in bloom! I'm sure the owners were wondering why some strange woman had her face buried in one of the flowers yesterday. And then wandered away humming.

Anonymous said...

You really hit the jackpot. That's awesome. And YES to the smokebush! That's on my short list of shrubs for that NE corner of my house.

kashka - doesn't everyone do that?

DiploWhat said...

Have I mentioned how I miss having any kind of yard or green space? I did, however, get one bit of good news. Apparently our place in Beijing is across the street from a flower market. Yea flowers!