Gardening is infectious--make that catchin' as my grandmother used to say. You start out planning something fairly modest. Next thing you know, you're knee-deep in a load of top soil, and doing crazy things like planting by moon light.
Then other people catch it from you. At least you hope they do. I'm sure the passionate gardener sleeping inside my friend Melissa would have emerged with out me. But I like to think I nudged it a bit.
Giving away gardening is a heady feeling. Not only does it feel good to give something I love so much-- but every thing I pass on comes back ten fold. The best plant in my yard was a gift from a former co-worker who became a friend in the garden. Every spring when my purple Japanese irises bloom, he gets another thank you note.
I got a pretty cool thank you last week for passing on the rain lilies pictured above. A friend outside Atlanta woke up to 10 blooms on plants just planted this spring. She was excited.
"Thank you for giving me all the best things in my yard." she wrote (I told you this was heady stuff)
This spring Melissa reached a milestone in her evolution as a gardener when she had a sunflower and cypress vine surplus and could actually give plants away. They are blooming in my yard now.
Another of her gifts is this blog. She encouraged it, nagged me about it, and finally made it happen. We hope to fill it with our favorite plants, ideas, and the kind of back and forth between two amateur gardeners that you don't find in books. Please join us and share your experiences. Our gardens will grow better for it.
Note: The rain lilies are Habranthus robustus and if you don't have them, let me be the first to say, You Should Grow That--
Rain lilies are truly care-free. Their big season is August--another plus. And there is nothing so refreshing as seeing them in bloom after a much needed rain. Start shopping for them in your friends' gardens. Rain lilies produce a lot of seed and anyone who has them will probably be happy to share.
Then other people catch it from you. At least you hope they do. I'm sure the passionate gardener sleeping inside my friend Melissa would have emerged with out me. But I like to think I nudged it a bit.
Giving away gardening is a heady feeling. Not only does it feel good to give something I love so much-- but every thing I pass on comes back ten fold. The best plant in my yard was a gift from a former co-worker who became a friend in the garden. Every spring when my purple Japanese irises bloom, he gets another thank you note.
I got a pretty cool thank you last week for passing on the rain lilies pictured above. A friend outside Atlanta woke up to 10 blooms on plants just planted this spring. She was excited.
"Thank you for giving me all the best things in my yard." she wrote (I told you this was heady stuff)
This spring Melissa reached a milestone in her evolution as a gardener when she had a sunflower and cypress vine surplus and could actually give plants away. They are blooming in my yard now.
Another of her gifts is this blog. She encouraged it, nagged me about it, and finally made it happen. We hope to fill it with our favorite plants, ideas, and the kind of back and forth between two amateur gardeners that you don't find in books. Please join us and share your experiences. Our gardens will grow better for it.
Note: The rain lilies are Habranthus robustus and if you don't have them, let me be the first to say, You Should Grow That--
Rain lilies are truly care-free. Their big season is August--another plus. And there is nothing so refreshing as seeing them in bloom after a much needed rain. Start shopping for them in your friends' gardens. Rain lilies produce a lot of seed and anyone who has them will probably be happy to share.
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