esrosedotblog

BOTANICAL EXCURSION

My husband is going to call in a few minutes to let me know he is on his way.

He will pick Booker and me up and we are going out to lunch at the local Panera which is in a failed shopping center and, therefore, under-attended. It is one of the few fast food places that I will go. The food is healthy and good and the service is fast. They bring the stuff to the table. You can sit outside. Which means that Booker can be with us. Did I mention that the people are nice too?.

Then we are going on down Valley to Moller's Garden Center to pick up some plants for the courtyard (front) and patio (rear) of the condo.

Mollers is an upscale nursery which has a larger variety, healthier specimens and all around more enjoyable surroundings than the other alternatives. Lowes. Homo Depot.

And they are locally owned.

Sure it costs more but it is worth it.

We need a bevy of small potted cacti for a table that was given to us in the courtyard. And another collection of "regular" plants for a second table that we brought with us and has always been meant as a potting table because that is what it is.

I won't be potting on it but there will be potted plants.

I am also going to get two bird of paradise plants to match the one that sits smack in the middle right of the horse tail bed against the house.

I cut down all the scraggly horse tails. To the ground. I read that will encourage rooting and new sprouting and the new stalks will not try to be gargantuan. Merely tall.

The bird plants will help fill in the empty space which now yawns there although not too badly. We could almost leave it alone.

For the patio, remember, in the rear, there will be plain old petunias for pots, big ones, that were already here for us to use.

I have been doing a lot of pruning and cleaning up. It is now cool enough that will not stress the plants.

I cut away a huge encroaching grapefruit limb from the neighbor's side which had all but overcome an old, beautiful hibiscus.

I am waiting for the HOA gardeners to drag the limb away. I called and feigned ignorance about the policy. You are supposed to dispose of your own cuttings in the trash. The Super bought it or, more likely, granted me a one-time wish and says they will take the limb away. It is still there but I am patient.

OOPS! John just called. We will finish this later.

OK. We have been to Panera (very hot today and had to ask for the misters to be put on) then to Mollers where we got succulents and cacti.

As it happened, we didn't have enough cactus so I went to Lowes.

You really cannot tell the difference and they are the same price. Maybe Mollers isn't really worth the drive except that you get great advice and help.

Here are the two tables. Left and right.

And that is the whole afternoon.

Labels: condo, garden, horticulture