Strange things happen when a landscape professional walks into his local RONA in search of nails. The last time I did this I bought a handful of nails and the cashier had no clue how to ring them in. So I was smarter this time and I picked up a small package of 50 1 1/4″ nails.
Plant sale
On the way out I couldn’t help noticing a 5 perennials for $10 sale so I walked in to check things out. Just to take a look. And ten minutes later I had five baby perennials in my car.
Now what? Now I had to find space on my humble condo patio for the new arrivals. But since it was a nice sunny afternoon it was a nice project to have. The whole thing was a nice distraction. I didn’t need new plants but planting them on a sunny afternoon distracted me from thinking about my wife and kids.
All three were on their way home to visit grandparents in Western Japan. And I find it extremely hard to relax until they arrive safely at Narita airport.
So planting new perennials and groundcovers was a lot of fun. It was also a chance to handle new plants and learn from their tags. And since I purchased the plants, I didn’t have to steal any tags.
Groundcovers
I picked up two groundcovers for full sun. Veronica repens, the tag tells me, is an excellent small scale groundcover. It feels like moss with its creeping mats of glossy green foliage. The light blue flowers should bloom in May-June.
Thymus praecox ‘Coccinea’ is more suited for rock gardens. I am expecting to see red flowers in mid-summer.
Part-shade perennials
I like perennials because, well, they are perennial. Annuals must be purchased annually. Perennials should keep on coming every year thus making the $2 investment look like a bargain.
Ajuga reptans ‘Mahogany’ is a well-known plant. Ajugas are on many of our work sites. The tag tells me I can expect spikes of blue flowers to emerge between April and May. This is another great groundcover or border edging plant.
Lithodora diffusa ‘Grace Ward’ is another groundcover promising lots of blue flowers. I bought two because the other plants on sale didn’t interest me. But who knows, once I run out of nails…..
Conclusion
It’s amazing how enjoyable it can be to buy and plant $10-worth of groundcovers. It gave me a chance to enjoy the afternoon sun on my patio, slowly read all plant tags and check on my other plants.
It was also a nice distraction from thinking about my kids flying for 9.5 hours to Japan. As was writing this blog post.
Next time you visit your local RONA check out the plant sale. You never know, you could bring home new friends.
