Coughs, Rocks, Mold, Geraniums

1. We're all sick with colds and coughs so gardening was limited the past week.
2. The Chief Rock Finder brought home some rocks the other day.
3. Despite the coughs and colds we moved rocks, piling them in the vicinity of the patio wall.
4. I discovered mold on the languishing lavender in the garage.
5. I panicked at seeing the mold so we planted the twelve ground phlox in the front yard, the nine miniature roses in three pots and the three lavender plants in two pots. The lavender will have to be moved to the raised bed around the patio eventually. But I thought it best to plant it immediately.
6. We trimmed all the dead growth off the lavender. It looks extremely sad. I don't know if it will make it.
7. Being ill, I forgot to tend the newly planted miniature roses the next day so parts of them died from lack of water and the heat.
8. I cut off the shriveled parts of the miniature roses.

I'm noticing a change in my attitude. Plants used to be disposable. Plants used to have little value. But never have I felt so rotten as when I saw my dying lavender. I had connected to it. I wanted it to live. I did not want it to die. Expense or no expense, the lavender represented something good and green, fragrant and hopeful and I wanted it to flourish. I feel ashamed and sad.

I was too sick to go out today but the Chief Wallet of the Rose Support Team and our daughter went to a real, true nursery today, the Homewood Nursery & Garden Center. I felt bad that I wasn't up to going with them. Last week, a friend took me there and it was exquisite walking around looking at so many fantastic plants. I impulsively almost spent hundreds but my gardening friend was more sensible. So I ended up spending nothing but got tons of ideas. Today at the nursery, our daughter picked out 7 geraniums in pink, salmon and coral for my planters on the back deck. She also bought some heather for her heather garden and a maidenhair fern which she promptly named Cyril.

I'm very excited about the geraniums and will plant them tomorrow, along with the still-ok, not-moldy Cascadia Petunias.