The Bush on the Hill...

Since we moved the irises to the flower beds that were supposed to be garden spots, this has left a vacant place on the hill. This vacant spot is under a low-hanging fir tree. It is also at the place where the drain that is buried underground and carries the water from gutters on the house away from the house and down the hill making the spot moist most of the time. I wanted to put something in there and wasn't sure what.

Monday, June 3rd, I had an appointment on the border of Georgetown and Franklin County. When I was returning, I drove to Shooting Star nursery. This nursery only grows native Kentucky plants. We purchased plants from them for the butterfly garden and a rain garden in Sadieville a couple of years ago. I knew these ladies would have the right answer for my planting dilemma.

I explained to the lady that came out to greet me about my planting needs, the amount of sunshine (or lack thereof) and the potential for moist ground a lot of the time. She asked the lady who appears to be the owner for a suggestion. The owner asked me a question regarding my feelings about something herbivorous. I was puzzled and began to have visions of Audrey 2 in The Little Shop of Horrors. Then I realized that would carnivorous and felt better. In just a few minutes she said, "Show her the Virginia Willow. I believe that would be perfect."

We went outside and right by their office doors was a tub with several pots of the Virginia Willow, also known as the Virginia Sweetspire. It was already in blossom. That seemed like a great solution. I was told I only needed to plant one as they will grown 2-3 feet tall and spread out over my 4 foot square spot. We went back into the shaded area of their nursery and found the one I would actually purchase.

While paying for the plant I was told it would have these lovely flowers during the summer. Then in the fall the leaves of the plant will turn a bright red. Yes!!! Loving the fall color on our hill.

Monday, afternoon I headed back to Georgetown for another appointment. This time I stopped at Lowe's and felt impressed to check out the markdown racks of plants. I found a really pretty blossom on one plant called a Dipladenia. Where do they get these names??? I picked out one of those for the front porch in the cow planter. Then I went inside and looked at the other plants. I found one the is just like one plant in the front flower bed that I love, only this version had pink flowers. The one we currently have has blue flowers. I purchased it to help fill in the front flower bed.

Monday evening found me planting the two plants in the front of the house. Then I grabbed my shovel and bag full of weeding and planting supplies and headed down the hill with my Virginia Willow in hand as well. I weeded the spot for the Virginia Willow and around the concrete bench on that landing. Then I planted my Virginia Willow. With the remaining daylight I finished pulling some weeds in my big flower beds on the hill.

This is my Virginia Willow / Virginia Sweetspire.  You can see the while blossoms that are already on there. They have a nice fragrance. When that bush gets larger with more blossoms they will provide a lovely fragrance when sitting on the bench on our hill.

Planting is done for now. I would like to find something to fill in on either side of the peonies in the front center flower bed. I'm not sure what that will be but I'll keep looking until I find just the right thing.

My other success story in planting is on our upper deck. The nursing home gave me a package of flower seeds as a thank you for helping at them. I put them in a planter on the upper deck and have watered and waited and was about to decide they were not going to grow. Before I left the house this morning, I took a little bit more water out to them. As I watered the dirt moved a bit and I saw a green sprout popping out from under the soil. We had a little shower this afternoon. I went back outside after and sure enough there are a couple more sprouts. I may get flowers in that planter yet.

Now for the humor...my dear friend, Laura, was quick to point out to me the irony of me choosing to go to a nursery that ONLY sells Kentucky plants and then by something named Virginia Willow. That never occurred to me until Laura pointed it out. I'm still amused by this.