What a difference a few hours make. This morning I was admiring the grass grown from seed in our backyard and noting that we need to reseed to fill in the gaps, and looking outside now that same yard is blanketed in snow.

This past monday I had the opportunity to walk in the back yard, first time since fall when we seeded and fenced it off from the dog. It was really mushy from all the snow and I think it was softer than usual from all the tilling. I walked to the back where my garden is, looking around at where I planted all my Michigan Bulb purchases last fall. I had ordered Mums, Allium, Coneflowers, Coreopsis and Annabelle Hydrangeas.

I am so looking forward to Spring and am very anxious to see what comes up from my purchases last year. I am very worried about the Annabelle Hydrangeas. I walked over to the four Annabelle Hydrangea twigs that I planted and dutifully marked with an orange ribbon tied to the fence behind them and then also tied to a nail in the ground about an inch before the plants. Terrified, as you can see, that I might inadvertently pull them up thinking they were weeds. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. I couldn’t even see the twigs that were visibile last fall. Granted, I didn’t move around the leaf mush (technical term) that was covering them but still, nothing.

Makes me want to go out this summer and buy four “Mentor Plants”. You know, the $40 garden center variety, already blooming, and plant them near the young, naive, less experienced Hydrangea and give them something to aspire to. Kind of like plant role models.

I know that I should have more patience. All the plants - not that there have been that many - but the Spirea Little Princess, Autumn Joy Sedum, Coneflower, Coreopsis and Allium have all been bigger, flowering plants purchased from Lurvey’s. Instant gratification. Also expensive. I have a lot of garden to fill especially since I am not done with the back of the yard and I still want to create beds on the sides of the back yard and along the rear of my house.

I am looking forward to getting donations from friends as they split and divide plants this year, and I will supplement that with some purchased foundation plants. It really is economical to order the little plants by mail - I just wish I had more experience in knowing that they will, in time, actually grow.

I wonder how old the Hydrangeas that you buy in the 5 gallon pots (I think they’re 5 gallons) for $40 at garden centers and even Home Depot really are.
I never thought to ask and I guess I just naively believed they were 1 year old but from everything I am reading, it looks like they may be much older than that. Anyone know?

Come Spring when I trek over to my Garden Center for more inspiration, I’ll have to ask. In the meantime I guess I’ll just have to be patient. Easier said than done.