August 22, 2008

I Hate Petunias


When I was little we had lots of flowers around our house and I hated them. For one thing, they were all the same. Granted, sometimes the colors were different, but every spring we would have to plant like 3,249 plants, 6 inches apart, all around the house. (I’m not sure of the number, but it seemed like that many.) Then we would have to water them every single day and keep the weeds out. They would finally start looking good just in time to die of frost bite. And then the whole process started over. I was at home for 20 years and that means planting 64,980 plants! Think of all the things I could have done instead – there is always world peace. As a result I have been traumatized and hate petunias as all you do is plant them and they die. To help end that trauma cycle over the years, we have had a lot of greenery, raspberries, etc., but not many flowers.

I now have a new love – Perennial flower gardens. It started out by planting a few hosta & lilies. Suddenly I discovered they didn’t die, came up every year and got better and better. A couple of years ago I went to Adams (a flower, fruit, vegetable farmer’s type market) and started to look at Perennials. I found so many beautiful ones it was a good thing we had an Expedition or they wouldn’t have all fit on my way home. Of course, it’s like a mouse who wants a cookie, one thing leads to another and David found himself, along with a few helpful friends, digging up shrubs, bushes, and miniature Alberta Spruces so I could have a new flower bed in front of the porch. It is wonderful, every flower is not the same (the more the merrier) and each year they get better and better and you can split them and end up with two plants. We have now added two other perennial beds. Poor Dave, I’m sure he is just waiting to see where I want dug next…

4 comments:

Nicole said...

Oooh the flowers look gorgeous! I'm so proud you're over your fear of planting.
Too bad they'll all be dead by the time I get to see them.

Anonymous said...

Like you, I also hate petunias (although they had beautiful hanging baskets full of them in Rexburg). I am so into perrenial flowers!! Yeah for day lilies and hostas! I have added shrub roses to my backyard also because they continuously bloom ALL summer. Your garden looks amazing, keep digging David.

JoAnn Corbett said...

I love your flowers. I am excited to plant some beautiful flowers in Georgia. I think I should buy a book on what will grow out here. Your post has given me inspiration!!! (I'll start as soon as the hurricane Fay passes) I hate petunias too, but they are the only things I could get to grow in Utah.

a.b.c said...

yay for pretty flowers. As soon as I have a yard I'm totally planting flowers...and zucchini!!!!!

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