I'm trying Persian Shield also this year.

Plus I've added Carolina flower, turk's cap, and something else purple that I can't remember at the moment.

Have fun!

Here is a link that might be useful: Creative Soul

This year I'm going nuts for batisia and thalictrum. Found two new varieties today. Isn't it fun to go plant shopping? Was my bday today and that's what DH and I did. So much fun...

Well happy birthday Nikki! Yes plant shopping is the best!

Happy belated birthday to you, I did a little shopping myself yesterday and to my and everyone else's amazement I came home with just (drum roll please) one tomato plant.

Annette

msscarlet....a Bonica rose????? I have been desperately searching for a Bonica rose for more than a year. I did find and buy a Royal Bonica and was disappointed that it wasn't the same. Can you send me the name, address and phone number of the greenhouse you bought this at in hopes that I can get them to send me one? I would really appreciate it.

Bonny
bonny_slater@hotmail.com

Sounds like a great day.
I did something similar on Thrursday. I wandered a round and then sat for a while at a shaded fountain.

Another happy birthday wish to you, Nikki.

Kathy

Belated happy birthday wishes, Nikki! I'm glad you enjoyed your shopping spree. You won't be disappointed with the heliotrope when the sun sets off the fragrance. Mine gets going in mid-Summer and the scent wafts over the garden from midday through late evening.

Brian and I did a little retail therapy at Annie's today. We came home with a full flat + four, and got them all planted this afternoon. What a great time of year!

Best,

Steven

Msscarlet, nice haul! You'll have to share pics with us when you get them all planted.

Happy birthday, Nikki! I can't think of too many better ways to spend a birthday. : )

Bonnie, have you tried Heirloom Roses? They usually have Bonica. Too bad you live so far from me because I had 5 of them I gave away. They were just too light pink for my gardens and bright sunlight but they are a great shrub rose. Hope you find one!

Diana

Here is a link that might be useful: bonica at heirloom

Msscarlet (great name by the way)-
We used to live in Carlisle- have you been to Blanchett Gardens? It was the best, and therefore the most dangerous perennial nursery I've ever been to. We live in Louisville, KY now-not so many great nurseries here.
Robin

Nothing is more joyous for a gardener than getting new plants - anyway we can get them!

On Saturday, I went to WalMart to shop at the new super center near here. I got a gallon pot of Maiden Grass and a variegated grass, lots of red, white and blue annual & perennial flowers of various kinds to start my holiday flowers, and four bags of compost! I loved it.
Then we went by the bait shop - I wanted to get some of their cheap-y gold fish for my lily tub and they had some real beauties, so I bought seven. All around the shop were planted tall, dark purple-leafed cannas (name unknown). They grow to be very tall with deep red flowers. I have long admired them. I asked if he would give me a start. No, he had been thinking about dividing them and selling them. (ya, right). Anyway, I got six nice big, healthy rhizomes for $10 and that was a very good price. Will be lovely near the Don Juan red climbing roses, in the red, green, & purple garden area.

So I had a great day "shopping" for flowers, too.

~ sweetannie4u

Yup - I got to spend my gift certificate to a local greenhouse yesterday, and that was fun. I did have dd with me, tho, so I was a little bit more rushed, but that may have been just as well. ;)

I got:
3 tomatoes (Brandywine, Early Girl, German Johnson - the last I've never heard of before)
1 basil
2 yellow peppers, 1 red (sweet) pepper, 1 purple pepper (and that one was HUGE!)

big basket of fuschia for the front door - first time for that, but it looks gorgeous, need a pic

2 4-packs lavender snapdragons
2 4-packs, oh, heck, I can't remember what they were - short, with little purple button-y flowers
1 godetia, I think?

Since they were all inside the greenhouse, I'm letting them harden off a little bit. At least over the weekend, I got everything *else* planted!

Robin, where is Carlisle? Can you name some towns around it. I have never been to Blanchett Gardens. Is that in Carlisle? Do tell. I am always looking for a new source for plants :)

Annie sounds like a great day shopping! Love the fishies too!

Irene, cool. I wish I could get a gift certificate for a garden shop! Oh the fun I would have ahhhhhhhhh

Steven, I am glad to hear you say that the heliotrope does not start giving off it's scent until mid-summer. I bought several plants and some had budded but there was no scent :( I got the Fragrant Delight variety. I am dying to smell it because I have read so many wonderful things about it's scent :) Sounds like you and Brian had a great shopping day and planting them all too boot! Days don't get better then that!!!

I forgot! I meant to post I was back to the garden center today for 2 knockout roses, 2 stella dora's, and more annual salvias...

I got hydrangeas for the first time.

Carol

There's a new nursery about 10 miles from here. It is owned and operated by Amish folk who live just up the road from there. Mother & I are anxious to go check it out. We're always on the look-out for plant nurseries, statuaries and garage sales! :)

~ sweetannie4u

Hi-
Carlisle is between Concord and Westford. Blanchette is in Carlisle-here's a link with a map
http://www.gardenguides.com/resources/nurseries/nursery.asp?store=2051456
Happy shopping!
Robin

Msscarlet - well, I was sort of responsible for the gift certificate myself. ;) I think I mentioned a while back that I had bid on a kids gardening set at a silent auction, which I gave to dd? (I had also donated some of that set originally, too!) They had grouped a gift certificate in the basket, so I got it as part of the package, which made it a really good deal for me, since I spent less than the face value on it, not to mention getting the stuff for my dd! It was a nice discovery - it turns out my next door neighbor (a pretty good gardener) gets his tomato plants there, and I ran into another gardener I know when I was there!

Well I might have been very, very good the other day but... I took a ferry ride yesterday morning, spent the day with DS1 in Vancouver, it seems about 2 dozen new Fuchsias followed me home. I actually found several that I'm not familiar with so I had to buy those. The catch of the day for me was I was able to replace a Fuchsia that someone with sticky fingers removed from my lathhouse a couple of years ago. This one is called Lechlade Gorgon, the flowers look like sprays of a miniature lilac when in bloom, needless to say I've already taken cuttings. The link below gives you some idea what it looks like.

Annette

Here is a link that might be useful: Lechlade Gorgon

Robin thanks for the map and heads up. It is definately worth a trip east to check it out!

Irene, hey I like your style :) Playset for the grandkids, and a gift card to you! A win-win! Meeting up with gardening friends...priceless!

Annette that is a very pretty plant! It does look like a mini lilac! Get that baby planted :)

Lol - no grandkids yet!!! DD, not dgd!!! But, thanks, anyhow - I hardly ever manage to score that well!