[Cross-posted at
My Left Wing]
Good morning, and may your checkout basket be manageable. Welcome to Saturday Morning Garden Blogging, post-shopping edition!
Denver's still running on the warm side, although only about 10 degrees up, rather than 20+. Last week's snow did wonders, and now I have the tips of bulbs popping up everywhere. The good news is that the snow packs that feed into the Denver water supply are at 120% of average. This is the first year in I-don't-know-how-long we haven't been faced with below-average snow in the mountains.
Although I'm not doing a full update on the hyacinth project (I'll do that next week; I keep learning interesting things!), I am going to give you a picture:
Although in general I like the result, this has been a very difficult batch to keep healthy.
But today I'm going to recount the hazards I faced while on-line shopping.
Shit. Why do I do this to myself.
Last Tuesday I went to the Dutch Gardens website to put in my order for a couple of dahlias, and a begonia I want to try, and another plant Eldest Son thinks is "cool". At the end of my shopping session, I sat and stared at the computer screen, coming back many times over many hours, wondering how in hell I got up to $200 in plants (and still unable to eliminate any of them from my list).
See, here are the things I was going to order:
I wanted the Lilac Time dahlia ($9.95 for 3), as I'd gotten spectacular blooms from it last season, but the tubers I dug rotted before I got them properly stored. And the Gallery Sisley dahlia ($9.95 for 3) feeds my love of pink. Subtotal for dahlias: $19.90
Next was the Sweet Dream begonia ($17.95 for 3). Beautiful plant, and advertised as scented -- perfect for my front-porch reading space. Subtotal so far: $37.85
Last of the planned purchases was the Blue Star Sea Holly ($12.95 for 3). Interesting plant, late summer bloom time, and blue; plus Elder Son asked if we could get it.
Had I stopped where I had planned to stop, my total order, pre-shipping, would have cost $50.80. What happened?
Well, like all good web-marketeers, when you add something to your shopping cart, Dutch Gardens shows you nice little temptations at the bottom of the page -- to a plant addict like me, it's like having a crack house next door.
I added the "pastel spider dahlia mix" ($18.95 for 8 tubers) because, well, Mr. Frankenoid likes spider dahlias; he'd commented last year that I hadn't grown any recently. For the sake of marital harmony, I couldn't get rid of that. Adjusted total is $69.75
Then there's the Pink Accent dahlia ($9.95 for 3 tubers). It's so cute. And pink. And, well, I could mix it with some of the spider dahlias, or the Gallery Sisely dahlia, and put them in pots. I have a lot of big, beautiful pots that need filled. Face it, I needed that dahlia. Damage so far is $79.70
Next came two gladioli: Mon Amour and Purple King (for each, $7.95 for 10 bulbs). Except for a few years ago when I picked up some dahlias at Home Despot on whim (which turned out to be the wrong colors), I haven't included gladiolus in my beds. But my 85-year-old father loves them. They were always the pride of his garden in Oregon, and he misses them. I had to do it, for my father. And besides, they're skinny and I can just shove a few in here and there -- it will work, right? Up to $95.60
Oh, and that marvelous sunset coneflower ($11.95 for 1)-- never seen an echinacea that color, and it's scented, damn you... the rosemary bush finally succumbed to the cold, and that will fit perfectly in the newly-bare spot. Now at $107.55
From the corner of my eye, I caught a picture of this lovely dianthus, Laced Romeo, shaking its petals and the promise of its scent at me. When I went to check on it, Dutch Gardens did me in -- Laced Romeo was part of the "Bright Dianthus Collection" -- White Gold, Cardinal and Rose Queen -- guaranteed blooms all season long! Who could resist?
OK, into the basket goes the "Bright Dianthus Mix" (3 plants of each, 12 total, for $39.95 -- a bargain!). That gets me to $147.50.
Ooh, but look at that beauty -- Raspberry Swirl dianthus ($7.95 for 1)! Well, since I'd already ordered the other ones, I might as well add another -- $155.45
Since I'd been ordering fragrant flowers, lilies started appearing in front of my eyes. Despite having sworn last Fall, after having trouble finding room for the 35 lilies I'd ordered then, I found Elodie (3 for $9.95) -- a double-asiatic type, blooming in early summer -- to be too tempting. So I add that, too -- $165.40
I took a break from shopping to go to the bathroom -- and there next to the can was the new! improved! Dutch Gardens catalog. On the cover was Fantasy monarda ($7.95 for 1). I love monarda; they are so funny looking -- like they should be growing in Whoville. And this one was so different than the other ones I have! Up goes the total to $173.35
And on the back cover was the Manhattan poppy (3 for $19.95). I really love oriental poppies; I've killed a lot of them. But this one... maybe I can get it to thrive. Tolerates dry soil; hardy to zone 3; blooms spring and fall. Yes, yes indeed, I just can't do without it! That brings my grant plant total to $193.30. Add in $21.26 in shipping, and we have $214.56.
So, that's how going online to order just a couple-three things ends up with my having ordered dozens of plants. And when they arrive I'll slap my head and say "what in hell was I thinking? Where am I going to put all this stuff?" And then I'll find a way to shoehorn it all in.
But that's it for the year. Really. I am a rock -- no more perennials for the garden! I swear! When I go and buy annuals for the planters, I'll not even glance in that direction.
Yeah. Right.
So, what adventures have you survived this week?
