I Did It Again

What?  I bought a bunch of plants (36) sight unseen from a garden-landscaping place going out of business.

I did this once before, two years ago, acquiring 48 potted bushes. 

Jumping into the dark back then, I came away thinking I’d actually gotten a good deal.

It’s the same on-line auction house this time, and the two most notable purchases are 20 winter-hardy ferns (unknown species) and 4 Mountain Fire Pieris, both of which are destined for the dappled shade under my 90 foot oaks in the backyard.

The other 12 plants are bee-feeder plants of various types — a sop to the residents of my five bee hives. 

With about 125 new day-lilies in the ground, and many, many Black-eyed Susans and Cat Mints split from an overcrowded bed back in June, the orchard area and side yard should be fun to see leaf- and flower-out next spring.  

This area already has about 400 daffodils planted two years ago under 8 apple trees, 3 peach trees, 2 cherry trees, 3 plum trees, 2 crab apple trees, and an Asian pear. The fruit trees are all doing well and getting too tall for deer to harm, and I hope to see more produce next year.

On the upside, I now have a working lawn tractor and cart (the mouse in the carb problem has been sorted), a good pile of screened dirt, and several piles of wood chip mulch to help the new plants along.  

But will I still have to dig 36 holes in rocky soil?  

Nope.  I’ll have to dig 61 holes.  I’ve still got about 20 Hay-scented Ferns to get into the ground, as well as five larger evergreen ferns in pots.

No rest for the weary, but no complaints either.

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The picture of the Mountain Fire Pieris is NOT what mine will *ever* look like.  I’m a realist.