We finally got back from our trip back to Kansas late Saturday night. We had a wonderful time visiting family! Everyone was so great; offering us shelter and feeding us like we were royalty!
The trip back was uneventful. I didn't even get searched on our way back (I have set a record in getting thru airports twice in a row without being searched). Our luggage did get searched - they cut off the locks to do so, which was fine. We have never had the luggage searched before. So, we still haven't been classified as non-dangerous, just less-dangerous it seems.
There was a ton of stuff to get done on the two days before going back to work. The most exciting things were relocating the pepper plants from the cold frame to the garden, and relplanting the 4 O'clocks from under the grow lights to a fence-side location outside. As usual, the Morning Glories didn't bother to sprout but I added those cells in with the 4-O'clocks just so I didn't waste the soil. I also cleaned out the last of the flower gardens that still had dead stalks. While doing that, I noticed that one of my Azaleas is starting to bloom (Yay!).
Since it rained most of Sunday and today, I spent a lot of time getting indoor stuff done (we don't feel picked upon - according to the rain gauge we got 4" of rain while we were gone). One of the things I accomplished was getting on the Internet and buying more bulbs for fall planting.
I got a bunch of daffodils, of which at present time we have none. I got the itch to have daffodils because I don't really have many spring blooming plants. I saw bunches of them on my way to work earlier this season and they looked really nice. I got a whole variety of colors and am especially anxious to see the Butterfly Daffodil "Changing Colors" bloom. It sports a flower that changes color as it matures. I also got daffodils that are good for naturallizing (they multiply quickly).
Additionally, I got several different lilies (like we don't have enough around the fence!). "Creme Brullee" should go nicely with WS's "Tricyrtis Hirta" Toad Lily that he took a fancy to when we were at Agway a couple of weeks ago.
Last but not least, I got Sicilian Honey Garlic which should add dramatic interest to the frontyard side of the fence where I only have bushes planted.
Those will pretty much be what I spend on plants this year. I won't receive and plant the bulbs until fall, so will have to wait to see what areas need filled in next spring before buying anything else. I also want to figure out what seasons (besides winter) are lacking in blooms before I decide what else to get. Plus, since we want to replace the two front windows in the basement, and remove the back window entirely, the budget is geared more towards work on the house instead of yard work. Of course, that is subject to change if we get any work done on the backyard this year (doubtfull).
We are not anxious to get back to work tomorrow - we have gotten used to sleeping in late. However, bills must be paid, so retirement is not an option at this point - Darn!
You and WS were great "guests", Bogie, following the family tradition of leaving the place cleaner than you found it. The cherries are almost ripe enough to eat and I picked a pint or two of strawberries, today. I put the daffodils in all the wrong places (and probably planted them too deep for Kansas), so I should follow your lead in ordering some for fall planting--doing a better job, this time.
Enjoy your challenges at work. It won't take but about 30 milliseconds for you to get back into the swing.
P.S. Your dad says that he will take good care of the Smirnoff Ice that was left!
Posted by: Cop Car | May 31, 2005 at 12:23 AM
Welcome back! I'm glad to hear the return trip was uneventful.
Your bulb choices are eye-poping. I'll have to show your blog to my mother. She'll be interested in what you chose, especially the Honey Garlic.
I'm conservative. One of my favorite daffs is "Ice Follies." It's the first to bloom and does really well in cooler weather. It's been really prolific in my gardens.
Posted by: buffy | May 31, 2005 at 12:39 AM
1st challange - actually sleeping before going to work. Went to bed at 10 (should have been 9) and took a good hour to get to sleep. Then I was awake a bit before 3 (should have been 3:45) because of a combination of hot flashes and animal restlessness (dogs and cats, not WS).
I can tell it will be a dandy day!
Posted by: bogie | May 31, 2005 at 04:13 AM
Buffy - I just highlighted the most colorful or unusual bulbs that I ordered. One of the naturalizing bulbs that I will be getting happens to be "Ice Follies" - so now I know that I made a good choice!
Posted by: bogie | June 02, 2005 at 04:09 AM
Your Grandmother H liked alliums (your Honey Garlic), but she liked the purple ones. They've never really appealed to me, but this one looks interesting.
Posted by: Cop Car | June 02, 2005 at 10:01 AM
I didn't realize it was a type of allium. I am not a fan of the big purple ball type alliums either (but it figures that grandma liked them).
Posted by: bogie | June 04, 2005 at 07:50 AM
Elegant Friend and I went to a couple of Derby Days events, yesterday: the quilt show and one of the gardens that was open for touring (most of the gardening done by the man of the house--who had a couple of quilts on display at the quilt show!) He had actually spray-painted a bunch of allium heads. I don't know whether it was because they were past their prime or what. I should have asked. His vegetable garden was wonderful! The corn was about 3 feet high, the beans were lush, and everything was beautiful.
The woman of the house had "fenced" some of the flower beds using dinner plates implanted (on edge) around the beds. It turns out that I had seen her at the Disabled American Veteran's thrift store on East Central a few months ago when she was buying the plates. I had asked her what she was planning to do with the odd assortment of plates that she was picking out. I just had not learned that she lived in Derby.
Posted by: Cop Car | June 05, 2005 at 12:55 PM