A Slow Record?

For me, this year's planting process was a record... of sorts. Slow to get started (didn't get my flowers until really late in the season), but a record finish (normally the flowers sit on the deck for quite a while before they're planted, and then the planting happens over several days - possibly separated by several non-planting days...). Slow to start, record finish - I hope that's not indicative of the flowering season this summer... =)

Because of busy schedules and Memorial weekend camping, I didn't go flower shopping early on. Once I determined that I wasn't going to be able to go until the end of May, I figured that it would be slim pickin's at the flower stores. I mean, there's always something at Lowe's or Fred Meyers, but I guess I'm a flower snob. I like to do most of my flower shopping at Forget Me Not Nursery in Indian, about 15 miles south of Anchorage. The owners plant gorgeous displays and they're different every year. If you look closely at the picture above, you'll see that it's a clock with different types and colors of flowers. Very cool. Last year they had a rainbow - see here. Plus, the starter flowers are always well tended and healthy. And it's a nice drive out along Cook Inlet.

On Saturday (after Greg's biathlon), my friend Heath & I made the trek out to Indian. It was a great day for it - the weather was nice, great chance to chat & catch up, views were spectacular. But, as I suspected, I should not have waited 'til the end of May to do my shopping if I wanted to get my things at Forget Me Not. It was pretty sparce - which is good for them & thier business. But it wasn't so good for me. So I settled for a couple starters (my only supertunias this year) and two beautiful hanging baskets. (Normally I plant my own hanging baskets, but I so wanted to give more business to this local company - and the ones I got are really nice - that I opted to get them pre-made this year.) Then we headed to Bell's Nursery.

Walkway Pot
Pink Cosmos, Osteospermum (either Lemon or Orange Symphony), & Lobelia

By the time we were done shopping, I ended up with three flats of flowers and three hanging baskets. On Sunday evening, I decided I'd get some of the planting done - at least the deck & walkway pots, and I could save the flowers for the front bed for another night. When I gathered all my implements and the flats, I really wondered if I was going to have enough for what I wanted. I should not have worried in the least...

Petunia Pot

Deck Pot

Red Cosmos, Sunny Sheilas, Asters, & Lobelia

Supertunia Pot

When I was done planting the pots, I consolidated the flowers and considered what I had left. Would it be enough for the front flower bed? And did I want to water them on the deck tonight (they were really dry), or get them planted and just water the bed? Since it was still early (just after 9pm), I opted to finish up the planting. Greg tilled the bed for me while I moved all the implements around front. The front bed has a mix of all the flowers in the different pots: petunias, pink & red cosmos, Sunny Sheilas, more Osteospermum (Lemon, Orange, & Melon Symphony - I love the little purple centers), and Lobelia. There's also a few other types, but I don't remember everything I got. It'll make for a nice surprise as the flowers start blooming...

Front Bed Flat

Planted Front Bed

Even though I just purchased the flowers and they're just barely unfolding their little roots in the beds of soil I plopped them in, I find that I'm already anxious to have them grow. I want them big and full and blooming. RIGHT NOW. I mean, I did my part, so grow already!! =)