Flowers

Today I went to the garden center, which was lovely.

I bought plants, brought them home, watered them and started laying them out in different arrangements in the bed.  This takes awhile.  The good news is: we have a sunny southern exposure, which opens up the potential to try a lot of plants I haven't been able to grow before.

Moving around outside in the sun, dragging the hose hither and yon, smelling dirt and various types of blossoms and foliage, the unified parts of the experience feel so good.

I guess it was a rogue trip out.  A few weeks ago, the thought of venturing out made me nauseated and short of breath, with a trembling heart.  I seem to be over that, even though the risk of getting sick is now definitely higher rather than lower.  Garden centers are open under the allowance for agricultural business to continue.  Specifically, I think that means we are supposed to be allowed to plant a vegetable garden for food.  Unfortunately, I stopped trying to grow food quite awhile ago, because I simply don't have it in me to battle the wildlife for my harvest.  I hope and pray that grocery stores will continue to provide food; my garden only holds flowers.  Spending money for ornamental plants, on the eve of the greatest recession known to mankind, may not have been the wisest thing to do.  So.  Is it a worse waste of a day to stay home, wondering what to do, and essentially end up doing nothing, or is it worse to go out and buy a shopping cart full of flowers?

I'm sorry.  I simply can't write these days.

Here are a few pictures:

This is a very flattering picture of a the rosebush by our front door (it came with the house; we didn't plant it), and by flattering, yes, I mean the photo makes it look nicer than it is.  These roses are actually tiny flowers with only one layer of petals.  The outsides of the bushes, facing the yard, have been mostly sheared off by grazing deer, but the other side, that faces our walkway, is studded with glowing red polka dots.

Our front yard faces southwest, so it gets a lot of sun.  I haven't had any open space in the sun to plant for years.  We are going to try a delphinium.  Perhaps this is foolish risk.  Delphinium is famously difficult to grow.  I'll let you know.

This is lantana.  I am not familiar with this flower.  I think it is an annual, bred for success in the hot southeast.  Time will tell.