Show Temptations and Purchases

There were a few things for sale at the Indiana Flower and Patio show that tempted me. I liked the colors of this 'Caramel' Heuchera.

I would like to add some artistic elements and decorations to the garden this year. There really wasn't that much to see though. I guess that was the disappointment of the day. The only thing that came remotely close to a temptation was this bust. Several garden bloggers have similar ones and they look pretty in the garden.

I love Pam's, (from Digging) birdhouse and would love to find something similar. This was the only white birdhouse I saw, it didn't have an opening for cleaning and it was too small.

They had Piny Winky Hydrangeas...

lots of Pinky Winky. I'm sure I would have bought one had it been a little later in the season.

I really wanted an iron trellis or obelisk from Gregg's Antiques out of Cincinnati, Ohio. I will probably regret not getting one. There was a beautiful white iron fan trellis that would be gorgeous with pink climbing roses. It was such a long distance to the car and I didn't want to have to carry anything that large.

I was glad to discover that Indianapolis has a place that sales rain barrels. This is another thing on my wish list.

I'd love to attract more bluebirds, and this was a temptation, but I just couldn't bring myself to buy the mealworms. I hope to overcome that squeamishness one day soon.



So, what did I buy? Seeds of course, like I really needed more. I actually spent $32.00 dollars on more seeds.

Here's the new seeds list:

Cardinal Climber
Butterfly Bush
Malva 'sylvestris Brave Heart'
Mallow 'pink Beauty'
Frost Hardy Geraniums
Echinacea 'Pink Parasol'
Rudbeckia 'Maya'
Cosmos, early blooming, 'Antiquity'
Four o'clocks 'Tea Time Rose'
Zinnia 'Persian Carpet' (favors the 'Swizzle' I had last year)

Spring for the Day Part 2

Some people have mentioned in their garden blogs that they don't like the commercial aspect of the flower and garden shows in their area and they choose not to go. There are a lot of vendors selling home and landscaping services and wares at the Indy show too, but it doesn't bother me. My husband has been in an industry for the last eighteen years that involves trade shows, so I understand how they operate and I expect this when I go to a flower and garden show.

The purpose of an industry trade show is to reveal new products and to drum up business, plain and simple. Were it not for the small vendors hawking their wares, filling up booth space and absorbing some of the exorbitant cost for this type of production, the shows couldn't happen at all. It would be too costly. I'd rather have them there than not have the show at all.

It is still so worth it to go and enjoy the sights and smells of spring. I sat on a stone wall near the hyacinths and drank in their heady scent. It was delightful!

The hydrangeas were spectacular.

Azaleas and hostas, a perfect spring combination.

Lovely hellebores were gracing several of the gardens.

I've always gone to the show on the weekend, when it is crowded and hard to move around, much less take pictures.

I definitely prefer attending during the week. No crowds and I was able to take pictures at my leisure and not be in anyone's way. Definitely more enjoyable.

Last year I went twice, the first time was on Saturday, (first day of the show), my mom was here visiting and I took her. I went with a friend, a week later on Sunday afternoon, (last day of the show). I enjoyed both, but this year I wanted to go alone so I could take my time and not be rushed. It was a delightful day and just the little getaway I needed. I took about six hundred pictures and didn't feel rushed in the least. I even treated myself to a few chocolates from the South Bend Chocolate Company. A day of relaxation, enjoyment and self-indulgence. I think I can make it until spring now.

Spring for the Day Part 1

Today I went to the Indiana Flower and Patio Show, where spring is definitely in the air. Usually about this time of year I am so sick of winter and very desperate for spring, the Flower and Patio show is like a mini spring vacation that helps me make it through the rest of the winter.

During early spring in Tuscaloosa, Alabama azaleas are in bloom everywhere. There aren't that many here in Indy and it is one of the things I really, really miss from home. The Flower and Patio Show is where I go to get my spring azalea fix.

I don't have a lot of commentary to offer on the pictures tonight. I'm pretty tired, and having trouble even thinking what to say, so I leave you with spring eye-candy. Enjoy!

Well Behaved Kitty and Seedlings Galore

I couldn't ask for a more well behaved kitty. She really is a sweetheart. Not once has she attempted to play in the dirt or nibble on my plants. Even though I have a few gnats swarming around the plants and she is fascinated with them, she just watches from a close but safe distance.

Honest, mom, I was just looking.

Four of the five gerbera daisies are blooming right now. This yellow one has three blooms.

As you can see from my pictures I'm kind of desperate for containers. Thankfully I eat a lot of yogurt and had saved some of the containers. (Dannon All Natural Vanilla is my absolute favorite yogurt.)

In the grouping above I have pansies, foxglove, bee balm, balloon flowers and three kinds of grass that have germinated and seem to be doing well.

I bought a package of lilies the other day that had already started growing. There were six in the package, 2 Stargazer, 2 Le Reve, and 2 Mona Lisa all three types are differing shades of pink. I've never grown them before and hope they will do well until they can be planted outside. The large plastic yogurt containers are a great size for planting bulbs. I punched holes, with an ice pick, in the bottom and lower sides to aid in drainage.






The impatiens are still doing great. They were growing so fast that the dreaded task of pinching back was much easier for me to do this time. They are filling out quite nicely.










All but three or four of the 43 Purple Wave petunia seeds have germinated.
The Scabiosa, Blue flax, and rudbeckia 'Irish Eyes' have also germinated in large quantities.

The Blanketflower seeds, that were guaranteed to grow, are growing. Beside the blanketflower is liatris. I don't know if the corms are viable or not, but there were 12 corms in a package at Aldis for under $3.00, (I think it was $2.49, maybe $2.99), anyway, I thought it was worth a shot. I also bought a package with two 'Bright-eyes' phlox for the same price. They already had a little bit of growth, so I know at least they were alive.



Here is another picture of the Bee Balm.

















I don't know what I'm going to do with all of these seedlings. I guess I had better be finding more containers for transplanting, which will need to be done soon. I still have so much more that I want to plant, but I'm quickly running out of space.

What is Wrong With This Bird?

Warning: This is kind of gross. I purposefully made the pictures small, if you want to see a larger picture you can click on it to increase the size.



When I went outside to refill the bird feeders today, I noticed this female house finch on the feeder. (I'm always hesitant to name birds because I'm terrible at identifying them). She didn't seem to notice when I walked past her. After I finished filling the nearby feeders, I went inside to get my camera to see if I could get a few close-up pictures of her. It was then that I noticed something was wrong with her. She kept shaking her head and it appeared that something was wrong with her eye. The snow was glaringly bright, so it wasn't until I downloaded the pictures onto the computer that I actually saw her eye. I can't tell if she is just naturally deformed or if she has a disease. I'm curious because if it is a disease I wouldn't want the other birds to get it. I need to find out if I should remove the feeders, do I need to remove this one and sanitize it? Shirl, Mon@rch or anyone else, could you give me some insight on this situation?