The Trouble With Plants
Our garden is coming along but slower than I would like. The hardscape has been easy, having finished lining the rock path with rainbow pea gravel. It looks pretty spiffy I must say. We bought a small bistro set and it fits perfect, just as I had imagined.
We had to take a break from the cement work as I did too much lifting and messed up my low back. Although not as bad now, I have pain and muscle spasms from my low back down into my feet. I spent one afternoon high on muscle relaxants lying on the floor because it hurt to sit.
The plants however have been a total pain. It seems like everything I did want has not panned out. My very first purchase last fall, the Apache Plume, seems like it was dead. Upon further inspection I can see about 1/4 inch of green toward the bottom, so time will tell.
All of the multi-colored bare root Coneflowers we planted last fall can't even be found. Customer service is at an all time low because of the virus and they are understaffed, so here I sit with empty spaces and dead plants. I've email both places but haven't heard back.
Buying bare root plants is the cheapest and seemingly smart way to go, especially if you want a lot of them. It just doesn't always work out though and then you're stuck with bare spots until you figure out your next option. If you buy from a green house or well stocked local store (which has its own social distancing problems), they are almost tripled in price.
Planting from seed is a darn joke. Our tomatoes might be the only thing salvageable. I bought Quaking grass seed and they are so spindly I might just have to try to plant straight in the ground. Seeds from another tall grass I wanted is faring about the same. When I have specific areas I want specific plants, it's very disappointing to have them die.
I've got a lot of other plants ordered and they will be shipped at various times this month. Wish me luck!
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| Colorful babies |
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| Big and little rainbow rocks |
We had to take a break from the cement work as I did too much lifting and messed up my low back. Although not as bad now, I have pain and muscle spasms from my low back down into my feet. I spent one afternoon high on muscle relaxants lying on the floor because it hurt to sit.
The plants however have been a total pain. It seems like everything I did want has not panned out. My very first purchase last fall, the Apache Plume, seems like it was dead. Upon further inspection I can see about 1/4 inch of green toward the bottom, so time will tell.
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| Teeny Tiny speck of green |
Buying bare root plants is the cheapest and seemingly smart way to go, especially if you want a lot of them. It just doesn't always work out though and then you're stuck with bare spots until you figure out your next option. If you buy from a green house or well stocked local store (which has its own social distancing problems), they are almost tripled in price.
Planting from seed is a darn joke. Our tomatoes might be the only thing salvageable. I bought Quaking grass seed and they are so spindly I might just have to try to plant straight in the ground. Seeds from another tall grass I wanted is faring about the same. When I have specific areas I want specific plants, it's very disappointing to have them die.
I've got a lot of other plants ordered and they will be shipped at various times this month. Wish me luck!
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