A Glimmer of Hope

Over the weekend I ventured out to my first garden shopping trip of the season.  Natureworks, a small independent nursery located in Northford, CT opened for their annual event, Seedy Sunday.  Throughout the growing season I pop down to Natureworks occasionally when in search of some cutting edge perennial or to check out the small but well designed display garden.  Owner Nancy DeBrule is a talented garden designer who has an eye for creative plant combos and tends to stock her nursery accordingly.  Nancy also maintains a blog Natureworks...it's all about the plants.

Due to the blizzard last weekend Seedy Sunday was rescheduled to this past Saturday.  Like most nurseries in the area, Natureworks is closed in the winter but opens just for this sale.  Although growing from seeds is not my thing, Seedy Sunday is also the time when Natureworks closes out garden decor from the previous season.  Last year I scored big at this sale and scooped up a couple of unique glazed blue planters, one in the shape of a foot and the other a fish (seen at the lower left of the third picture).

Although I didn't really need anything, I also was reluctant to take a chance that something I couldn't live without would be on sale.  Sale items (including the rusty tulip sculpture to the left of the sign) were both outside and tucked away in the greenhouse and the shop.

One of the first items to catch my eye was this self contained glazed blue water feature.  For $79 it included the pump.  Cleaning it up would be fairly easy.  But where could I put it?  I already have two fountains in prominent spots.  In order to tuck it into the garden somewhere I would need to have a level surface and a power source.  Hmmm...  

Fairy and miniature gardens seem to be all the rage but they don't float my boat.

A few plants were scattered here and there.  February is way too early for me to think in terms of new plants.  At this point I've barely perused the 2013 catalog offerings.  And let's not forget all the plants on my lists that will need to be dealt with.

The small terracotta planters and plaques were intriguing, especially the piece with the sweet little pair of birds.

A square shallow planter would be perfect to re pot a bowl of mixed succulents I planted last season that have outgrown their current container.

Only a few items were scattered around outside.  No surprise that the Patron Saint of Curmudgeonry was on sale.  For someone who allows or perhaps even encourages scowling in their garden he would be perfect.  Mr. Happy Sun is more my style but he did not appear to be part of the sale.

In the end I decided to pass on the water feature.  To get power where I need it would require the assistance of an electrician.  All of a sudden a $79 fountain becomes a $500 project and I didn't love it enough.  I also passed on the terracotta bird plaque.  In the shop I mulled over a few glazed birdbaths but passed on those as well.  By my standards I walked away relatively unscathed with just the square shallow succulent planter.

When it comes to the garden I find it's easy to fall into a trap of buying things I really don't need (plants included) just because they're on sale under the assumption that I can find a place for them somewhere.  On Saturday I was not in a buying mood but honestly nothing screamed "buy me" either.  Trust me I'll make up for it in May when it comes time to start designing the containers.

So cold zone gardeners, are you anxious for your local nurseries to open?  Thursday marks the start of the Connecticut Flower and Garden Show weekend, another harbinger of spring for us winter weary CT gardeners.  I'll be among the maddening crowd on Saturday morning.  See you there!


Sue~