~a grasshopper~

~a grasshopper on a variegated flowering maple leaf~

~~~~~

Today, for lunch, I was invited to the home of a fellow gardener - she's the spouse of a colleague, and from time-to-time, she has a few of us over for a wonderfully british lunch - complete with freshly made scones, topped with whipped cream and raspberry jam.  She knows my work situation, and I had laughed over lunch about how I had put myself on a 'plant purchasing diet' and she looked horrified at the thought of such a thing. 

Before I left, she and I were walking through her beautiful garden - and at some point she stopped, disappeared for a minute, and came back with a pot and a trowel - and dug up a small clump of toad lilies.  She then handed the pot to me and asked 'Will this get you through the weekend?'

I love gardeners.  They just understand these things.

Now, the upside of this 'plant purchasing diet' is that it's made me think about seeds, and my substantial stash of seeds that I've ignored for a few years.  The reality is that I love growing things, I love watching plants grow and learning about how a plant grows - so I think all of this is a good thing, and right now the table outside of the Airstream is covered with a flat of foxglove seedlings that will be ready to transplant into the garden in the fall.  Also, two begonias, with wonderful leaf shapes, are being propagated - and there is mountain mint in a pot and crinum seedlings just taking off. 

And tomorrow I will add my friend's toad lilies into my garden.

Comments

[Pat]

"Will this get you through the weekend?" I just love that! She definitely understands.

[Janet]

What a sweet lady she is! I love the shades of green in your photo. Good luck with all the seeds....I have mixed results with them.

[compostinmyshoe]

The grasshoppers have been fierce in tour garden this year. All sizes and shapes have consumed much leaf matter.

[Lynn]

I smiled at this. We're on the same diet, and I had big visions of making a garden (almost) all from seed. Some worked, some didn't, some disappeared, and I've learned a lot. But some of the best plants in our garden were gifts from generous gardening friends. Enjoy your lilies :)