I did it again

[shadesofmauve]

Really, how could I have known that going to the annual water-wise plant sale would result in spending money I don't have and getting plants I may not have space for?

Your line: "Because there's plants, and that's what you always do."

It was a lovely little plant sale, with lots of local nurseries who aren't always open to the public selling things proven to work in our area, and staffed by really informed volunteers. And it was sunny and pretty and I got to use a little green garden wagon with big fat tires and and and and --

And now I have to plant them all.

*hides*

• Antennaria dioica (Pussytoes or Catsfoot) -- labeled as a PNW native but google says otherwise. I suspect I've once again been mislead by a naturalized species. At least this isn't on the invasive weed list, like the orange hawkweed I pulled out.
• Sarcococca Hookeriana var. Humilis (Sweet box) -- I already have one of these, but I have far too many single specimen plants and need to move more towards groups, repetition, and massed plantings, so I bought it a buddy. Should've bought two buddies, but I still don't have a renter.
• Sambuca Cerulea (Blue elderberry) -- PNW native! I'm a little leary of the fact that it spreads by runners, but it's a shade-tolerant small tree that doesn't sprawl and grows FAST, so I gambled six bucks on it and I'm plunking it in front of one of the Narsty Neighbor's windows. I planted a vine maple to block Narsty last year, but it's slow growing, and over the winter half the lilac (which was blocking half of the windows) broke off, so I need a replacement fast. Of course, after I got it home I realized that the 11 foot tall spindly thing rising out of the blackberry thicket may also be elderberry, so maybe I coulda saved myself six bucks.
• Gaultheria shallon (salal) -- PNW native! I already have some, but I kinda almost killed it (which should be basically impossible with shaded salal) and it needs a buddy.
• Mahonia nervosa (low Oregon Grape) -- PNW native! I really had to double check to make sure I didn't end up with Mahonia repens, which is native to eastern WA, not western. This is going in to provide contrast with the oxalis and replace the one that died last year oh Freddie I kill everything.
• Erysimum 'Apricot Twist' (wallflower) -- mm, pretty smells.
• Coreopsis verticillata 'Route 66' (Tickseed) -- I don't know, it had COLORS and it's FALL and it just hopped on my little wagon I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WILLPOWER.
• Ledum groenlandicum (Labrador Tea) -- PNW native which is probably going to die, because I don't have a moist place to put it. I did ask one of the experts whether I should even bother. "Excuse me, this says 'prefers moist soil.' Is it a really a preference, or a need?" Expert: "Well, I've only ever seen it growing where it's damp, but I don't know of anyone who's tried. Experiment and report back! It's only 12 bucks!"
• Cornus canadensis (Bunchberry) -- PNW native! Bought because it's a beautiful plant so I bought another even though I killed it the last three times. In my defense, the first time I had to plant it through six inches of snow. Oh hell I just kill all the plants.
• Penstemon fruticosus 'Purple Haze' (Penstemon) -- PNW native! Purple clashes with EVERYTHING I've planted so far, but I couldn't resist a low native evergreen perennial. Who knows? The tag could be truthful and the flowers could come out electric blue! Though somehow with the name 'purple haze' I doubt it. Probably best to give in and just figure out an area of the yarden where all the purple things can live in peace.

The wagon was a bad idea. Once you have a little green garden wagon you have to fill it so you don't feel silly pulling around an empty wagon.

Comments

[emony42.livejournal.com]

You need to take a chaperone! Need a volunteer? *waves excitedly in a "pick me! pick me!" manner*

[shadesofmauve]

Somehow I don't think you would've been a voice of restraint. :P

I should have called you, though. I wasn't sure I was going at all until Sunday morning, but since some of that was not knowing if I was driving up to help Kiyo with a bed, and you were already helping her -- yep. Definitely shoulda called. Next time!

[emony42.livejournal.com]

Restraint? I can do that! Observe:

That's pretty, but where's it going to live?

You already have five plants. What's your budget for this trip, hm?

Do you have time to plant all of these tonight when you get home? I'm going to nag you incessantly if they're still in pots next week, and heaven help you if they're still waiting come Christmas!

Are you sure you want to try that one again? You've already killed three...


See? I can do this! (Just kindly ignore the contents of my own little green wagon.)

[shadesofmauve]

Ha, 'Do as I say, not as I do?"

I suppose the best way to achieve plant restraint is to go together and share a little green wagon. Then we have to stop when the wagon is full. :P

[shadesofmauve]

By the way, I already planted the Tickweed, Penstemon, Wallflower, Bunchberry, and Pussytoes. I'm hoping to get at least the salal and sweet box in the ground tonight (they already have spaces). I'm going to try for the elderberry and Oregon grape, too -- I know where they go, I just have to pull other stuff out. That just leaves the Labrador tea (I'm trying to figure out where it'll get the most rain -- in some areas the maple blocks too much).

Are you sure you want to try that one again? You've already killed three...

It's worse than that, actually. I tried planting them three times, but two times involved multiple plants, so I think I've killed twelve or so. I actually DO have some from the last batch that are hanging on, but the one I bought is about three times as big, and I'm hoping it'll have an easier time of it. All the ones I killed were tiny, and planted in spring (so they weren't established and dried out in summer). See? I rationalize.

[pyoor_excuse]

"it just hopped on my little wagon I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WILLPOWER"

Oh, I'm so with you on that. I just wander round the nursery picking up things and going 'oooh, the pretty'. Thankfully, our garden is basically a marsh at the moment, so unless it says 'partial shade, any soil' or 'partial shade, would like to live in a bog' then it pretty much won't grow.

Anyway, you don't want to upset the plants by dissing them, I mean, if they *want* to come home with you, you should let them :)