It's Time for Summer Annuals

In March

pansies come to the prairie

I adore pansies

They're the flowers that "smile" at you!

And I put them on cookies and cakes and fairy cakes and on salads

Who doesn't like food that "smiles"!

But, alas, warm weather causes the pansies to wilt and die

So their time in the garden is short lived

Although they are prolific bloomers

during March, April and May!

Well worth the money I spend on them!

And although they were still pretty

Annuals in the garden centers are getting scarce.

Today was the day we said goodbye to the pansies!

The good news is that most of my summer annuals

were half price -- it pays, sometimes, to be late!

But not all garden centers feel like that after Memorial Day

there should be a price reduction on remaining stock --

They should

for many plants at the garden centers definitely need TLC

And are not the healthy specimens that they were in April!

I did find some nice, healthy plants

And these in the herb garden planter

Were half price!

I saved a whole $20!

In the middle are the annuals that I plant

Around the edge is the thyme

(because there is always "thyme" in the garden)

And permanent planted pansies

(I'll see if these come back this fall)

Here, too, early on the grape hyacinth bloomed

 The yellow violas, really

(I call both pansies -- which is incorrect)

filled the bottom of the armillary

I replanted this area with

Profusion zinnas and salvia

White Profussion Zinnias

Four individual plants which came in 4" pots

They do well here on the prairie

They don't seem to mind the heat.

White, because I like white flowers in the garden!

And purple annual salvia

A four pack -- four of them -- one for each side

And at the "back door" as we call this entry

Are red begonias

I consider it the workhorse of annuals.

I try to plant the red ones --

they go so well with the brick

And match the ones in the planters in front

(which I planted way back in April)

We're having an all school reunion this year

And were encouraged to plant red and white flowers

(the school colors)

I think the red flowers in the white planters fit the red and white bill!

Oh, and the pansies

They did get pitched

But before they did

I picked blooms

Some for a vase on the living room desk

And others

I candied!

Such a treat to top baked goods in the winter

It brings a touch of spring to a winter day!