Friday, November 13, 2009

I Went a Bit Overboard!


It seems I just can't resist a good sale - especially if gardening is involved. The other day while shopping at Lowes I saw a display for spring bulbs. I wasn't planning on planting any bulbs this fall, but when my eye caught the 50% off sign I was hooked!

Andy knew when I saw the sale sign that I was a goner so he left me standing there blurry eyed in a "sale stupor" while he roamed around the store to do more manly things (whatever that means). 30 minutes later he comes back to see me standing in the same spot. "What on earth are you still doing here?" he says annoyingly. He then looks down at my cart and sees what must be 30 packages of bulbs. "You're not planning on buying all of these are you?" "Of course not," I say as I cross my fingers behind my back. "Well then why are all those packages in the cart?" I then say to him confidently, "I'm planning the spring bed in my head and trying to figure out a planting scheme." ...Actually I'm just confused at that point. "Well just make a selection and let's get out of here before you buy the entire display!" "Maybe I will -- After all it's a darn great sale!"

The rational thing to do would have been to buy maybe one or 2 packages, but obviously I'm not rational so I ended up buying a total of 200 bulbs! Here are my purchases spread out on my kitchen table (along with the 2 packages of amaryllis bulbs and 1 package of paperwhites that I intend to force indoors this winter).

Looking at them all spread out like that makes me want to procrastinate - something I'm really good it! I have no idea where I'm going to put them all, but this spring should be full of color. Now I've got to hope for a few days of nice weather so I can get them in the ground before it freezes. Some how the actual planting part wasn't in my head when I was standing at the 50% off sign dreaming about spring - UGH!


Before I sign off on this post I'd like to mention a some things I've been thankful for these past few days:
  • Thankful that Andy was able to rent a leave vacuum and shredder to get up most of our leaves. Boy if we had to rake them all by hand we'd be out there for a week straight!
  • Thankful that Andy's eye was not seriously injured while using the shredder. He usually wears goggles but had forgotten to put them on. Thankfully no long term damage was done.
  • Thankful we were able to find Ellie after she decided to chase after a squirrel and wander the neighborhood for an hour... jeez she's so little and it was so cold outside that if we didn't find her she would have never survived - I shudder to think.

16 comments:

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

What fun!!! I can't wait to see your blooms in the Spring time!!!
I am glad everyone is safe too! I know how scary that is when Jack disappears. It really freaks me out!

Gail said...

Love it! Some years 200 seems like too many and then the next not enough!
It will be a beautiful spring in your garden!

So glad Andy and jack are fine!

gail

Anonymous said...

Hopefully you'll have some pretty weather to plant these and you can remind yourself what a palette of color you'll have next Spring. I hope you'll share photos next year. So thankful Andy and Ellie are ok. Enjoy the weekend!

tina said...

Overboard?? Never!! Your spring will be most lovely and you'll be ever so thankful for buying them all-and Andy too!

Nell Jean said...

Why do they show 15 blooms on a package of 6 bulbs? They'll seem like too many when you're digging and planting, never enough when spring comes and you wish you'd bought the whole display as your hubby suggested.

They'll be beautiful. Get your paperwhites started by Thanksgiving to bloom by Christmas.

Anonymous said...

You shall have the prettiest garden on the street with all those bulbs. I love your 30 days of Thanksgiving.

LeAnn

Tootsie said...

I can hardly wait for the spring edition of Fertilizer Friday when you share this!!!! You are not alone in the self control dept...when it comes to seed...I am just as bad!
have a great day

Shady Gardener said...

Hi Jackie! Aren't you in for some fun planting?? Have you seen the wide drill bits someone invented for drilling holes, for bulbs, in the ground? Perhaps this is what you need??

Do you have a discount store nearby? They are usually a good source for Christmas cactus - we will be seeing them soon. If not, please let me know... I'll send you a few sections of my plants. :-)

Teresa said...

I can't find one thing amiss about your behavior. Sounds perfectly logical to me.

Wren said...

You go girl! Things are going to look fabulous this spring...

Anonymous said...

Jackie hits the jackpot!!! I've always waited for the sale before buying bulbs. There is still plenty of chilling time and saving money makes me feel oh so much better about my addiction. Sounds like we're on the same page.

You know what I always tell myself? Two words: container planting. If you can't find room in the garden or the ground is too mucky or frozen, just get a big bag of potting soil and left over containers and have a heyday. They can chill on their own and when they're showing signs of emerging you can bring them up to the porch and enjoy them. When they're done, set the pot back in an obscure corner and next summer, plant them in the garden proper. Voila. :)

sweetbay said...

Ha, Gail is right!:) 200 sounds like a lot and then you always want more!

I can't wait to see your flowers next year, I'm sure they will be beautiful.

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

How is it possible to pass up a great sale like that? I had finished planting bulbs until I found another sale, so of course I had to get more. Think of how pretty it'll look in the Spring!
Glad you found Ellie, it's scary when they disappear like that.

Stacey said...

Jackie, just imagine how happy you will be in the spring when those bulbs start peeking through the dirt! I can't wait to see the pictures. Happy Saturday.

lynn'sgarden said...

Jackie, I think we'd get into ALOT of trouble shopping together...200 doesn't sound ENOUGH...haha!

Lynn ;)

joeltheurbangardener said...

Look, if people were rational, there wouldn't be gardens. I mean the planet was full of plants already, right? So good for you for being uninhibited. Good luck with the planting.