Whether you plan to refresh a weathered balcony terra cotta pot with vibrant geraniums or vivify a secluded patio with the perfume of gardenias, exploring your local garden shop will provide you with technicolor possibilities for putting your earthy creativity to work.
My mom and I wandered past tables of pink tulips, blossoming strawberries, and golden daffodils into her local garden shop on my favorite kind of winter day in Southern California ~ the air cool and washed by rain, the foothills green with new grass, and the mountains, now covered with snow, sparkling in the sunshine ~ certain inspiration for anticipating Spring with floral additions to the garden.
In my favorite garden shop back home in Santa Cruz, my first consideration is whether the gorgeous plant I’m fond of is likely to become a tantalizing treat for the region’s popular deer smorgasbord. Now familiar with the section marked “Deer Resistant,” I can’t help but notice the proviso written there in bold letters: Any claim to being deer resistant does not constitute a guarantee. In fact, a master gardener friend of mine informs me that deer “appoint” one of their herd to sample exotic plants. If everything goes well after the first nibble, the rest crash the party later. May all gardeners be protected from Epicurean tasters!
Here in the foothills of San Bernardino, it’s the rabbits that romp freely on the lawns to feast on luscious pansies, impatiens, and primroses. Unfortunately, no one in Mom’s garden shop seemed to know what bunnies don’t eat nor could they recommend rabbit resistant plants. So we took matters into our own hands and choose a soft pink azalea and garnet baby mums.
Once home, having carefully located a compatible pied-à-terre for our volunteers, we admire the unmistakable beauty they add to the garden. We hope that loving attention will carry them through the hot summer and into Fall, but, for good measure, we also whisper a wishful benediction ~ To prosperity and long life!
