Flower Fever

Okay, so yesterday I made it sound like Matt only talks about cars. This isn't really true (I might've exaggerated just a little bit), so today I figured I'd bore you all with what I talk to him about the most.

Lately I've been really anxious. I can't say I've been feeling Spring Fever since it's already Spring. Maybe it's later-spring fever, or even summer fever. Let's just call it what it really is... Flower Fever.

Since the first hard frost back around Novemeber, I have been flower-less. Back when we bought our house almost three years ago, Matt helped me (well, I helped him) put in my first real flower bed. Since then, we've added 4 more beds and about 8 trees to the yard. It's been a learning experience, and I've killed many things in the process (Ace has killed the most though). Anyway, I love having flowers in the yard and also having a selection that I can cut and bring inside as well. I've had to live without fresh flowers for the last several months and am itching for the weather to warm up so it can all start again.

Here are a few of the things I've already bought and added to my collection this year...

We have two climbing roses on a pergola over our back patio. One red climbing rose and one white. I researched and found two clematis (flowering vines) that should have long bloom periods and go well with the roses. The white clematis goes with the red rose, and vice versa.

I bought some begonias, dahlias, and oxalis from Brent & Becky's Bulbs to put together in the 3 large pots on the back patio. Hopefully I can keep reusing these every year instead of buying new annuals every spring.

I had also been thinking about starting a small rose collection. After almost killing my white Climbing Iceberg rose last summer, I finally figured out (with the help of the Nicols) how to take care of it. I now felt confident enough to buy a few more roses... especially since they're all disease resistant and supposed to be easy-care cultivars. Two of them are AARS winners (All American Rose Society), which rates roses for performing well with little-to-no care.

The first two are Jackson & Perkin roses that I found at Costco. ("Dream Come True" and "Mardi Gras") The third is a David Austen English Rose ("Tamora") that I ordered from Park's.

The plant I'm most excited about (wow, am I really excited over a plant?!) is the pink "ever-blooming" daylily, "Rosy Returns", that I ordered several of last fall from Bloomin' Designs. I'm ready to have another color besides the orange Stella d'Oros. (I've added several more types as well, but they just don't bloom as often).

Oh, and last weekend, Matt took me to Lowe's and let me buy three new cultivars of Calla Lilies to add to the back bed. (He really is patient with me!)

My parents joke that my favorite stores are Lowe's and Bennett's Nursery (and probably Costco too). It's true though; I could spend hours walking through Bennett's, sipping on their glass bottle Cokes, or find something new in Lowe's that I just have to have every time I go. Matt jokes that he doesn't know any other girl who would WANT to buy cow manure for her birthday present.

To anyone who couldn't care less about plants, I'm sure this is quite a boring post. (Matt, thanks for listening!) However, I'd be happy to share some fresh flowers with you once they all start blooming!