Another mail order source - Wayside Gardens! Woohoo!

Yay! Another online gardening source to order from. Wayside Gardens. Yes! I practically hyperventilated exploring that site. The Quick Facts sidebar is so handy to get info about a plant. That info alone is worth repeat visits to the site.

The first thing I placed in my shopping cart was Rose Pharm Insecticidal Soap. I must say that pink canister is mighty cute. I can see it displayed sweetly on the buffet in the dining room next to a pair of gardening gloves and a gardening book or two. I better buy some gloves then. The spray does have a funny name though and sounds like something Bath & Body would sell to keep your bugs clean. I hope it works to keep the aphids off my roses.

The second item I placed in my cart was lavender because I fairly destroyed my first three. Well, one is doing ok, the second is in Plant Rehab but the third is nothing but a tombstone.

Very sad.

The lavender I bought was Munstead, well known for it's fragrance. What a thrill that will be. Yes!

The plant I wanted the most from Wayside Gardens ended up being sold out. Rats. I clicked Buy Now the instant I saw it and got a pop-up that said "Hydrangea Kardinal is sold out. We would like to recommend the following item in its place..." and then displayed another hydrangea not nearly as spectacular. Ooo, I was not happy. No sir. The Kardinal blooms in shades of lavender, blue and mauve all at the same time. The description of the Hydrangea Kardinal on the website was:

One of Europe's best-kept secrets, this exceptionally floriferous Hydrangea displays the entire range of purple and blue, from deep lavender to dusty mauve -- often within a single 6-inch flowerhead! Needless to say, it is absolutely unrivalled as a cutflower, where a single bloom makes a varied and colorful bouquet, but I have to admit I am too fond of the sight of a fully-blooming garden specimen to cut many of the plentiful blooms. The flowers open a rich lavender-blue, then quickly change to various shades of lighter lilac and purple, eventually settling on a pleasing mauve. Spectacular by itself or planted among pink or white Hydrangeas (my favorites are the color-stable pink 'Forever Pink''Annabelle'), and the billowing white clouds of 'Annabelle', it reaches only 4 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide -- small enough for the patio, yet large enough to make a dramatic impact even in a large bed or border.

I'm the type of person who clicks on every square inch of a gaming screen just in case there's an easter egg somewhere. I don't give up on internet shopping cart technology either. So I went back to the site numerous times over a two day course and finally sneaked three Hydrangea Kardinals into my shopping cart. Woohoo! I won't be surprised, however, if I get an email that says "Ma'am, we repeatedly told you we were SOLD OUT. Please do not click on BUY NOW so much next time!"

I also ordered two Bi-Color Butterfly Bushes and a Wayside Phlox Collection, which contains five garden phlox in various colors to put in the Snake Garden. I call it the Snake Garden because somewhere in that little side plot in the back yard lives a poisonous snake. It will NOT be me that plants the butterfly bushes and phlox. I think the Rose Support Team should have a little nature challenge now and then to keep them sharp.

That Hydrangea Kardinal and the Bi-Color Butterfly Bushes remind me of a flower that grew in the backyard in our Miami house years ago. It was a lantana. I have yet to find a source for lantana so I'll just keep hunting. Our plants had shades ranging from cheery gold to bright pink to scarlet. I just love flowers that look like God washed them with a whole rainbow of watercolors. Alas, the only info I found about lantana was that it was a weed. No matter, I'm good with weeds anyway so it should thrive.

I'm having a hard time figuring out how to garden in moderation. I want to buy every plant I see and include all sorts of landscaping design. The last time I talked to my mom, she told me I'm trying to accomplish in one year what normally takes people many years. I don't know about that. All I know is that my heart thumps wildly with excitement when I see a gorgeous plant. And since I'm a new gardener, 99% of the plants I see are gorgeous.

Who am I? What happened to that woman who just three months ago spent all her time at the computer or crafting table? What happened to that woman who thought a well-spent $20 was buying a printer ink cartridge but a 5 buck geranium was an outrageous extravagance? What happened to that woman who would rather read about a flower than touch one? I don't recognize my own self. I'm changing. What am I becoming?

I feel as though I'm joining a mystery. Each time I touch a leaf or hold a fist of dirt in my hand, I feel as though I'm leaving my life of paper and entering a world where things live. It's exhilarating. I'm constantly breathless and loving every minute of this new gardening rush.

The Pat Austin is opening up. There are literally no words to describe it's seriously swoon-worthy scent.