Fibermania

When the Sun Comes Out

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It rained and rained and then the clouds parted and we went shopping! Here in middle Tennessee we are the nursery capital of the country. Farm after farm grows trees, bushes, and flowers for the garden industry. Almost all of them are wholesale only. Darn. But a local friend mentioned Mary's Nursery in McMinnville and we took a ride out there.

O my!

Greenhouse after greenhouse, loaded to the brim with everything imaginable.

I went nuts.

And then ran out of energy. Decisions sapped the mind. I went for Heuchera and found many that I wanted. Then herbs in different varieties popped into the picture and had to have them too. Mostly everything was a perennial, so I am thinking investment.

I did not buy pansies.
I should have.

Returning home with the goods, I began to adjust the PH of our beds. Here you see white powdered lime applied to most of the soil. The dark patch in the middle was where my short arms couldn't reach. I got a plank of wood and that worked as a bridge to the middle.

Lime will sweeten the acidity of the soil, and make it more conducive for the veggies I planned for this spot. I dug it in, and then reapplied a second layer, digging that in too. Then I did the other bed. I can reach all of that one without the plank. Then came the plantings.

Not to be anal about it, but I wanted to plant peony roots in front of the walk-bricks and vegs and flowers for the rest. Keeping things neater is the plan. Ha. We'll see how long that lasts.
I purchased four packs of peony roots from Lowe's and of the 12 roots, only 6 weren't rotten. I am pissed. So six went in this bed and then I will buy growing plants for the other one.

The veggies are in ! Half the bed will be decorative edible vegetables and herbs, red and green cabbages, Red Sails lettuce, Romaine, parsley, thyme, marjoram, sage, and space for the soon to come multiple flavors of basil. A Husky Red salad tomato is in the very front. Only grows to 4' tall, they say.
The other half will be flowers. And we'll see which of my seedlings will make it here.

I couldn't resist the specialty mints from the nursery, and knowing how they can get out of hand in the garden, I replanted them in gallon containers, and tucked them into the openings of the brick walk. A perfec fit. I have Apple Mint, Lime Mint, Pineapple Sage and Grapefruit Mint. Weird eh? Pretty and smelly, in a good way.