poppies

After 2 long years of waiting, the poppies have finally popped. Once upon a time, I went to a far, far away greenhouse with the hope of finding poppies for Kevin. He is the real gardener of the family unit - I pretend to weed once in a while, but weeding is no substitute for breaking sod, hauling in dirt, planning garden design and planting. And he LOVES poppies. Oh yes.

Once a season I choose flowers for 3 planters. I use my little trowel to plant them in dirt that Kevin has already filled my pots with and I call it gardening. In the past, I have gone on excursions with the ladies to greenhouses out of Ely - Swanson's, the Cherry greenhouse (I am not sure of its name and I cannot tell you how to get there, but I can drive you there), and the greenhouse between the two. I have loaded the Subaru with hydrangea bushes, these lovely purple shrubs, a mountain ash tree, tomato cages, and of course poppies. Swanson's the greenhouse closest of the three is still over an hour away so I now frequent the in-town greenhouses - the Fat Chicken and the Ely Feed and Seed more often. The Fat Chicken for their fantastic begonias; the Feed & Seed for succulents.

I only purchase flowers to fill my annual pots (and my NEW WINDOW BOX). Most of the plants we have in the yard are from a previous owner - we have just relocated them around the property - but we have invested in shrubbery and bushes and trees.

I am not sure which of the out of town greenhouses I picked up the poppies - or I would get a few more. They are so stinking beautiful. Tall and majestic. Vibrant and delicate. I was scared to touch the first one that opened - scared that I would crush it - it looked like crinkled tissue paper - ripable and unrepairable But then I put my brave face on and touched it - after I took photos for Kevin.