The Honour System

Today had some sunny moments but most of the day was overcast. A good day for going to the greenhouse and look around for new flowers for the garden. I chose a big brand new garden centre today just to check it out. Of course it had all kinds of lovely and tempting flowers, shrubs, pots and colourful garden furniture. I looked around and basically enjoyed the outing. Being retired now I am trying to perfect the outing experience.  It is rather wonderful having this time to myself for a change. I didn’t buy a thing.

 Maybe tomorrow I will go to my quirky little old places that I usually go to get some new plants for my funny little old garden. There is a dear older couple that put out potted cuttings of perennials from their own garden on a picnic table beside the road. When I was driving home from work over the years I would frequently stop there and load up. To pay for the plants I would put the money using the honour system in a metal box attached to the table. I think over the years I may have spent fifty dollars there, tops.

 No wonder my garden has an ongoing if chaotic assortment of blooming perennials and shrubs. The forsythia was so bright and gorgeous a week ago and now two crooked sand cherry bushes are pretty in pink blossoms. My pink and white bleeding heart sways sweetly in the breeze. A deep purple french lilac, severely pruned back last year is bravely starting to form some blooms.  A huge bed of california poppies will soon burst in to orange glamour. Soon the white spiraea and later the white puffy hydrangea will go into huge flower heads. An assortment of wild ferns and towering Himalayan orchids will grace the flowerbeds beside my porch.  Bittersweet crawls madly over an arbour. I have planted three new soft pink annabelle hydrangea, purchased from the village greenhouse, in memory of my Mom this spring and I hope they flower this summer. They will be beautiful once they get going and mature over the years.

 I will go to the old flower store with the rickety steps in the village nearby to pick up a few things to plant such as some pink or purple geraniums and a few tomato plants. The geraniums will decorate the herb barrel at the front of the house and the tomato plants will just go into the front flower garden beside the established shrubs . The overall effect, with a few hollyhocks scattered here and there is rather nice but a tad wild looking. I live on a quiet street right on the curve and many walkers go by after supper and often make friendly comments on the things growing here and there. It is nice that they do. These plants have been stuck in randomly wherever I could find a spot. It is so comforting to see as many of these old shrubs and flowers bloom again.

Tomorrow, bright and early after I have coffee and take care of the pets I’ll go and find my two elderly friends and see what they have put in recycled pots and placed on the picnic table by the road. I will fill the car and put some dollars in the old metal box. Eat your heart out, big new garden centre.

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