New Plant Time
I dug up one of the Turk’s Caps yesterday. The Marie Pavia rose in the front porch flowerbed is down one competitor. It was easier than anticipated. Sixteen years of rotting oak leaves has given me nice, loamy soil. I’d like to think the next ones will come up with equal ease, but I’ve discovered the way of the world sometimes lures you in with something easy before banging you over the head with the hard thing.
Still, now I have the pleasure of thinking about replacements and that’s a fun winter exercise. I’d like to get something in the ground before the first frost hits, but nurseries tend to aim at spring so fall plant supplies tend to be low. Of course, native plant nurseries are way more abundant than they once used to be, especially here in the Hill Country. So, my chances of finding something might be better than average.
Also, I’ll dig out the planting plan we had when the house was built. A friend recommended using a landscape architect to help us situate the house and plan the gardens. We did, and it worked out well. So, I might as well go back to that well. And that’s a lot of wells, and there should be water in one of them, metaphorically speaking. Even if I don’t find something I like, it will be fun looking at the plan, and thinking about the old days, when everything felt fresh and new.