20 July 2010

"Round and round the spicy downs the yellow Lotos-dust is blown"

Curse you, Myrtle Money.

This past weekend was the Crape Myrtle Festival at Homestead Gardens. It almost slipped past me this year, but Saturday afternoon I was sorting some mail and found the postcard reminding me, with its cheery 'bring this in and get $25 in Myrtle Money" note. And of course, I had another chunk of Myrtle Money stashed away in my wallet.

Without a thought, I said, 'of course, I'll go tomorrow morning.'

As the sage of Springfield would say: Doh!

Seriously, what sort of fool am I?

The sort who will go to the garden centre at 8:30 on a Sunday morning in July and buy big perennials, apparently.

No, really:

Baptisia x 'Carolina Moonlight' in a 1-gallon pot. What's worse than buying a big perennial in July? Buying a big yellow perennial in July. I am not, foxgloves and primroses aside, a great fan of yellow flowers, and yet I bought this plant: this plant that will grow to 36' x 36' at least, this plant that will be covered with yellow flowers. Did they attach a brain slug to me when I walked in there?

Willow-leafed Eastern Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana Walter var. salicifolia in a half-gallon pot. This also grows up to be about 3 feet in all directions, but I can almost forgive myself because it's a beautiful blue-flowered native, and it will fill a spot in the border that could use a little grace.

A camellia (japonica, 'Lester M. Allen,' semidouble pink) in a 2-gallon pot. A camellia, people. It's July and I bought a camellia for which I will have to dig at least a 5-gallon hole before I go to the beach next month.

I tried to console myself with the fact that I managed to use exactly the amount of Myrtle Money I had, and when all was said and done it was like getting all three plants for 50% off, but still. July. Big holes. What?

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

1 comment:

  1. Our camellia (sasanqua, 'Cleopatra') bloomed for the first time (as far as we know) this past autumn - it was a surprise to see it all showy in pink on Halloween.

    Here's hoping the holes you dig under the hot July sun will give you similar happiness in an otherwise unflowery time!

    ReplyDelete

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