Spending spree #8

My gardening hat is off to anyone who can manage to plant over 1,000 bulbs! Nice to have a sweet helper, too.

A puppy helper.....that's what I need! Patti, you are the Johnny Appleseed of the bulbs & the world will be a prettier place because of it.....Great adventure going to Cuba....wonder if they will let you photograph anything?

I feel a bit like crazy lady after today's marathon planting, but I have visions of grand swaths of spring bulbs exploding in my head while suffering shooting pains in my back and legs. We didn't finish, but will in the morning before I head off to Boston. We worked until dark, and enjoyed a great sunset. My DH never stopped drilling for a second and I was hopping he might hit a gusher and we could buy even more bulbs. No such luck.

We planted 1949 bulbs today, and we have another 1239 to plant in the morning. So the grand total for 2011 will be 4637. I have to check and see what last year was. My little doggie helper took off with a couple of bulbs again today, so after I caught her, I may have planted them in the wrong spot. I guess I will know in the spring. The first year we planted bulbs at this home was in 1983 and my little son thought he would help by picking out a random bag of bulbs at the nursery when I wasn't looking. Of course his random tulips in clashing colors came back reliable for years while my carefully picked palette didn't return the next year. But the narcissus from that year are still putting on a grand show. Patti

What a project! Love the story of the clashing tulips...isn't that always the way?

I know, the ones I don't like so much return forever or a no name one. But it is a TA DA moment. We are done planting bulbs for 2011 so all 4637 are in the ground. Off to Boston. Patti

Yay! Have fun in Boston....

Haa, 9:45 pre-op, Weds morning surgery then home on Friday. Hopefully with a fixed esophagus. I do have a pottery show opening on Thursday night in Brookline, but I will have to see if I am up to going to that or if I am even sprung from the Hospital. It is suppose to be day surgery, but they aren't sure yet what they are going to do. Medical mysteries, where is House when I need him? My ceramic work is still pretty lame, so I doubt that much will sell. I am going to set my space up tomorrow afternoon so it is ready, even if I don't feel up to going. Off to bed early tonight. I will post pictures of my display, but not my surgery. Patti

Best wishes with your pottery. Hoping sales exceed your expectations.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Patti.

You are one BUSY lady!!!! Praying for speedy recovery

Prayers going out to you, Patti! And your ceramics are NOT lame....I've seen photos of your pots, & they are amazing.......

Oh, yes, they are Teeeriffic!!!!

Best of luck with the surgery, Patti! I love that you kept that sweet puppy from going to a kennel! You are one special person in so many ways! Speedy recovery!
Louise

Hi guys, I haven't been here much, but I guess I might be considered kind of a Northeasterner since I live in eastern PA 10 miles south of route 80. Actually, we've lived in Harrington Park, NJ until we decided to retire here 5 years ago. I have met Jan23, Flowajen, and Onewish at the Mid Atlantic seed and/or plant swaps and can appreciate the quick wit of all the other Northeasterners also.

Wishing you good luck on your surgery Patti.

The catalog that I have from Bluestone seems to have the same prices as the previous season's, but I haven't checked everything. I like to buy their specials all winter because they do not ship until the correct planting time in spring which is when I request one shipping price for the orders that I place all winter. Of course they have that wonderful half price sale in mid June or so, on everything that they have left. Teri

Hey Teri!!!!!

Glad to meet you, Teri......

Nice to meet you, Teri. I was just at Brodheadsville PA and environs at Thanksgiving.

Thanks Teri and everyone for all the good wishes. Surgery went well, went into the hospital at 7:00 and was out of the door at noon, but then I had a horrible night last night, so I think the surgery didn't fix my problem. grrrrrrrrrr. Many calls back a forth today and they will revisit my troubles soon. I am very sore today and not able to eat except for a drink of orange juice and tonight some chicken broth. Skinny times a coming, which isn't a bad thing.

But the pottery show seems to have gone well. There were tons of people there tonight and I sold quite a few things, so with 3 week- ends of shows to go, I ought to do OK. It is nice that some people like my work. We are going back to Nantucket in the early morning and then I plan on doing zippo for a few days except maybe some raking. Patti

Feel better, Patti! You have your Mom's mettle.

I'm sending my get well wishes and prayers, Patti.

Oh, Patti....great news with the pottery! Hopeful your physical problems will heal soon!

Oh Patti, I hope it was just a fluke and time will heal. I'm sorry you had to go through that and not have a good outcome. Prayers being sent for complete healing.

Hi, again, Teri!!!

Great news about your pottery, Patti. Prayng for a good recovery.

Feel better Patti!

Thanks all. Home in Nantucket and now roasting a couple big pans of veggies to make pureed soups so I can eat something yummy and healthy. DH is making up smoked turkey stock for me. I am feeling better as I got a full night of sleep last night, but my throat isn't too happy. No matter, beautiful day out, so I hope I can just get out tomorrow for some fresh air. Anesthesia is always hard to clear out of my body, so some time outside will help. And there are more leaves to rake. Isn't there always? Patti

Fresh air cures lots of ills! I'd rather be outside than in except if it's under 30 and/or snowing!

very glad you are feeling better patti

Recover soon.

Sure hope you are feeling even better soon, Patti! Glad to hear you are able to get outside and think about your raking and the yummy soups on your menu. That's got to be a nice distraction.

Hello, Teri! Glad to see you dropping in. Hope you keep coming!
Louise

Hi Patti, Hope you're feeling even better today. As far as the "Spending Spree" goes, I'm trying not to buy anything but Christmas presents at this time. It's so hard not to buy for my garden and myself with all the e mail discounts going on. I did order a few things from Brent and Becky's 50% off sale and bought me 2 new holiday outfits at The Crossings. I think I need an intervention.

Don't we all?

At least Crossings is an outlet mall.

I keep saying my garden purchases are an investment for the property. There are nice pretty hills, but not much of value was planted there when we bought it. This fall shade garden plants were put in where we had just finished construction, so that was justified. It's like there's a force to buy to make a beautiful space, and another force to save.

Rosemary, I like your thinking, but I can't pull it off with a straight face down here, because i'll have to pull up all the annuals I've planted before we come back north. Maybe I'll tell myself that they increase the value of our property here during the winter. LOL

Why not? Maybe it's true. Maybe you can reuse the annuals in pots or baskets, or give them away. anyway, the joy a garden brings is priceless.

OK. Here's my big splurge for spring. Ordered from Camellia Forest Nursery: two tall narrow pink flowered 'Winters' Joy' to start an arch, 'Korean Fire' a bright red japonica; 'April Remembered' creamy pink, 'Ashton's Ballet' deep pink, and japonica 'Kuro Delight' maroon colored peony form, and 'Snow Flurry' the earliest white. The selections had to be particularly cold hardy once established,a variety of forms to fit their intended spots, and enable different types of blooms to continue from fall to spring. They're all going to create forests near each side of my house if I can grow them successfully.

Oh, way to go, Rosemary! I see beauty in your future!

Hoping for a huge success in your forest growing!!!.

I look forward to a neighbor's blooming away.

Will be waiting to hear of the camellias' progress.....

Rosemary, That is way exciting. I had a long chat with a lady on Friday when I was at the airport about Camellia's growing on Nantucket. There are quite a few that seem to be thriving over many years, so maybe I should follow your lead and take the plunge. Love them. Patti

Here's a pic of 'Winter Waterlily'.which I'm gowing inside for now. This and 'Kuro Delight' are supposed to be hardy to -15 F, while Korean Fire was selected for surviving -23 F on a Korean island. Patti, You probably have milder conditions in Nantucket than I do. I am learning a lot from Ackerman's book "Beyond the Camellia Belt."

Oh, and thanks for the encouragement, folks. I figure the only way to learn is to start growing and see what happens.