"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Friday, March 12, 2010

A grateful Fertilizer Friday.

I've said before I had no idea that starting a blog would allow me to meet so many new people. This year my garden will be full of flowers started with seeds that were shared with me by some of the people I've met since starting blogging. Some are seeds saved from their gardens (Darla, Rain Gardener, Robin, Ginger, Dirt Princess, Laurie, Lona, Tina, Cameron and please remind me if I didn't mention you, I have them all written down somewhere around here ☺) or sent to me through the Gardening by Letter project. Many were from trades. One trade I was very lucky in was with Donna who sent me a box of chocolates in return, something I never expected but loved! Another blogger sent me a gift for my garden but asked that I not mention it, but you know who you are and thank you!
I want to give Lona of A Hocking Hill's Garden a big thank you. A few weeks ago I commented to Lona about the fairy that is on the top left of her blog. I've always thought it was very cute and wondered where she may have found it because I thought my daughter Sweet Pea would love one for her fairy garden. Lona told me she found it at last year's garden show and offered to look for one when she went back this past weekend. Imagine my surprise when I saw a package in the mail the other day and found the fairy from Lona's garden inside. Not a new one, but her own fairy. Her note explained she didn't see any others that were very good and she thought Sweet Pea would "enjoy it much more than I do." The kindness that she showed is something I'll always remember, especially when I see the fairy in Sweet Pea's garden.

The fairy sitting in the Navelwort (Omphalodes cappadocica) 'Starry Eyes'.

And in her new home, Sweet Pea's fairy garden. It was raining pretty hard when I took these pictures so I didn't really get the full view of the fairy garden.

Through blogging my thought that gardeners were generous people has been confirmed, not just in my own experience but what I see on other blogs as well. And it's not always something material that is shared, even more often it's supportive words or encouragement that I see written in comments on other blogs. I'm happy to be part of the garden blogging community.

Now on to the flowers blooming today:
Pulmonaria and Muscari.

Frittilaria were just planted about a week ago, I was surprised to find them already started and with buds. I was hoping they'd be purplish checkered type, but these are still pretty.

Leopard's Bane (Doronicum orientale) in full bloom.

White Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis).

I planted two different types of Crocus hoping they'd bloom together, but so far just the dark purples have bloomed.

I hope you will visit Tootsie at Tootsie Time to see what she and other gardeners from around the world are flaunting today. Thanks for stopping by to visit!
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53 comments:

  1. Great post Catherine, and what a touching story about Lona's fairy. Beautiful growth around your garden, it's always a pleasure to visit.

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  2. Yay...I love the fairy garden..so beautifully charming..and whimsical...so pretty! Gorgeous! I also love that picture of the Muscari..woah..a feast for the eyes! Have a wonderful day..
    Kiki~

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  3. aren't the gardeners we have met wonderful? I agree whole heartedly with you in how grateful I am to have such a wonderful family of friends now!!!
    your photos are just loaded with beautiful spring colors today!!! Just gorgeous girl!!! Love that fairy!
    thanks for linking to me this week again!!!

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  4. Thanks Catherine, for your lovely comments, always. Gosh, that pulmonaria & muscari combination is unbelievable! I'm thinking my pulmonaria bit the dust last year, & the 3 bleeding hearts I got on Monday turned out to not have anything viable in the packages... but, there are lots of things beginning to bud & bloom. There are 25 wintersown containers I have great hopes for. Lots to be joyful for!

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  5. Lona is awfully sweet to do this for you. I must say you have touched many bloggers with your cheerfulness and style and I'm sure she only wanted to give back to you-but what a big give! Many kudos to her.

    I noticed just yesterday my pulmonaria began blooming-very sparse compared to past years. I hope it picks up. I'm looking for my frittilaries too since I see what yours look like maybe I can not spot them.

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  6. What a beautiful little fairy garden and you have made so many wonderful friends through your gardening blog. I so enjoy looking at everyone's green thumb projects too. Have a Happy Day!

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  7. What a sweet gift for your daughter Catherine. We are so lucky to have the internet! As you say the seeds of friendships that have grown from our blogging community is precious... to think we will all be growing plants too ... shared from our gardens ... from around the world. Your blooms are lovely!! As always your photography is beautiful! ;>) Carol

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  8. Lona is just too much - how thoughtful of her to send Sweet Pea her fairy!
    WoW your white Bleeding Heart is going strong now. Nothing here yet.
    Great pictures for today's FF! I have nada!!!

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  9. So happy to have stumbled upon your blog! I enjoyed your story about the goodness of fellow gardeners and I say Yes! What wonderful relationships you've made :)
    Cheers ~ Jenni
    http://www.rainydaygardener.blogspot.com

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  10. Catherine, that was so sweet of Lona, and the fairy looks so at home in Sweet Pea's fairy garden. I think gardener's are very generous by nature, but some go the extra mile.

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  11. Gardener's are cut from a different cloth for sure..I am grateful for that. I cannot imagine the leap your heart took when you saw Lona's fairy in your daughter's garden....precious..great blooms today Catherine!

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  12. I fully understand what you are saying and I feel the same way. I have been so blessed this year with seeds from so many and you too Cathering. I never dreamed last year that I could be anticipating such beautiful gardens this year.

    That was nice of Lona to send Sweet Pea the fairy. I am sure she must be proud of her new fairy. I love Sweet Pea's garden - so cute and colorful.

    Have a good weekend - Catherine.

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  13. Dear Catherine, You are absolutely right when you draw attention to the kindness and generosity of gardeners throughout the world. It is quite amazing to consider the unseen ties which bind us all together.

    And so much spring colour in your garden. I thought the combination of Muscari with Pulmonaria to be most attractive. Definitely something to be copied.

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  14. Love your pictures! How good it is to see things blooming once again. Smiles to you,have a great weekend!

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  15. Your flowers are looking so great. That fairy garden gives me a new idea for a planting in an area that is hard to plant in. I can maintain it and not put it in the ground. I love the white bleeding hearts.

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  16. G'day Catherine ~ What gorgeous beauties you have. Makes me want to go play in the dirt ... but not yet.
    Snow nearly gone ... crocus are blooming.

    Happy St Patrick's Day ~
    Have a great weekend.
    TTFN ~ Hugs, Marydon

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  17. Hi Catherine! Pulmonaria and Muscari look wonderful together! And the fairy, of course, is precious.

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  18. I love looking at your garden photos. My yard in the woods is a disaster so I dream via yours ...

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  19. I need to get some of those bleeding hearts. Beautiful, they are.

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  20. I am a rather new blogger, but have also been touched by so many wonderful people. I think it is because gardeners are wonderful :^) I love the muscari. It reminds me of seeing large drifts planted by Leeds Castle in England that we saw on a visit. So beautiful!

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  21. Catherine, You are right. Gardeners (like you!) are wonderfully (and wonderful) generous and ready to share. This was a nice post! And you are experiencing Spring! :-) Yea! It won't be long, here.

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  22. Stunning flowers and photos!! That was very sweet of Lona to send Sweet Pea the fairy :)

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  23. Oh, she looks so good in Sweet Pea's Fairy Garden. She looks quite happy there and at home with a basket and the dragonflies. ;-)

    What a pretty picture of your Pulmonaria and Muscari.
    I have got to remedy this no Crocus and Muscari in my beds. Isn't the Bleeding Hearts looking so pretty?
    It has been so nice here this week and I got out today and clean some beds. Things are starting to grow now and good grief I just heard some thunder! It has been awhile LOL!
    Have a wonderful weekend!!
    Lona

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  24. Love that muscari/pulmonaria combo, I think I will have to try that in my garden. Do you have it planted in part shade?

    What a sweet little fairy, and such a nice thing for Lona to do, sending it to you for Sweet Pea's fairy garden. It is such a cute little fairy, and so appropriate for you, with the little birdie sitting on her outstretched foot!

    Thanks for visiting my embarrassingly paltry little blog. My very first follower was, hmm, how shall I say it.....odd. Possibly a spammer? I'm not sure, I just set it to Private after that so that it would be read by invitation only. Just recently decided to try going Public again. I need to update it, lots has happened in the garden since my last post.

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  25. The fairy garden is adorable. How nice that Lona gave her fairy to Sweet Pea; she fits perfectly into the garden.

    The Pulmonaria/ Muscari combo is beautiful.

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  26. aloha catherine,

    i love your post and your little fairy garden and critters...its very sweet :)

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  27. Oh Cathaerine, you have pulmonaria and muscari and dicentra in bloom already? Sigh...I have snowdrops, at least. this is a lovely post, and just highlights how wonderful the world of gardeners is, around the world. Love that your garden will have seeds from so many different gardeners!

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  28. I agree Catherine. Garden bloggers are an amazing bunch and that includes you. The fairy looks perfectly happy in her new digs.

    The flowers are beautiful .

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  29. Frittilaria, huh? I forgot about them! I had them planted in my old garden, but there are none here. Must remedy that this fall! You mentioned the tiny purple plants I have coming up, and guess what. There is anise hyssop planted in that area! It didn't do very well, so I thought it was gone!

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  30. So pretty, spring is my favourite time of ear, with the earth and its awakening beauty.Thanks for sharing yours.

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  31. A nice place for a fairy- her own garden maintained by a girl!

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  32. How amazingly generous of Lona to give Sweet Pea her fairy. Lona, you ROCK! She looks terrific in your garden and will be a nice keepsake for your blogging friendship. Gardeners are really great people, that's for sure.

    Now, let's talk about your blooms! The white fritillaria is SO pretty. I know what you mean about wanting the checkered one tho. I planted a whole package of those bulbs two falls ago and they never showed up. :-(
    Every day I look for the first crocus but none here yet. Yours made my day (as well as your muscari). Is it warming up any or still cold? Have a good weekend.

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  33. Pretty much confirms what I already knew, that gardeners are the most generous people. What a lovely and sweet surprise to find that fairy on your doorstep! I'm sure she will be happy in your daughter's well-tended garden. I think we might need to start one of those this summer. I have those fritillaria too, although I think they aren't blooming yet. They always come as "mixed" when I buy them and no way to tell if they'll be white or the checkered ones. I think when my first purple one bloomed I probably did a little dance. Maybe next year!

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  34. Another great post Catehrine! I just love to look into your little blogosphare(spelled it write?) and often it feels like I'm visiting oýour garden for real. How kind of Lona to send Sweet Pea that lovely fairy!
    The white Frittelaria is more attractive by gardeners around here then the purplish. I have both of them in my garden. If you want me to I would love to send you some seeds from the purplish later this season. Just let me know / gittan

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  35. Catherine girl that was wonderful .. so sweet of Lona to do that for Sweet Pea : )
    The fairy looks totally at home : )
    You have so much blooming it is amazing .. my favorite is the old fashioned white Bleeding Heart .. that was a feast for my eye : ) Thanks !
    Joy

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  36. Thanks to everyone for visiting and also confirming what generous people gardeners are!

    Kathleen - It's been very rainy and cooler, although not quite freezing. It's in the mid 30's at night now. Too cold for me :)

    gittan - I would love to have seeds for them, they would be the seeds from the farthest place for sure. Thanks! :)

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  37. Love your fairy garden, magical.
    Your flowers are all so pretty, love the Muscari...some of my fav spring bulbs.
    *hugs*deb

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  38. Your flowers are so pretty! I'm so glad the fairy garden has a fairy. I've just become mildly obsessed with fairy gardens!
    Brenda

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  39. The gift of the faerie for Sweet Pea was heart touching.

    I just love visiting. The bleeding hearts are phenomenal. They don't like it in this garden, but they loved it when I gardened at Heart's Ease in Cambria. Cooler and more friendly for them.

    I am journeying your way this month. Can't wait to see the gardens in the north. Doing a talk at the Columbia Center for the Arts and know I'll meet other passionate soil mates. All garden joys to you Catherine, Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island

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  40. Garden bloggers are just the bestest! I love sweetpea's little fairy garden. I have crocus in flower in the garden but even though I have many of the same plants as you Catherine they are nowhere to be seen yet about the earth. I love the way you have pulmonaria and muscari planted together - thats really pretty.

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  41. Stunning photos of your blooms and sweet pea's fairy garden is charming.

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  42. What a fabulous gift. Wonderful gesture.

    I know I've said it before, but your spring seems way ahead this year.

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  43. How kind of Lona to send the little fairy in your direction - Sweet Pea must have been delighted :)

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  44. Hi Catherine, Love the pulmonaria, love the fairy and the picture of your pond at the bottom of the comments section! Your garden is looking spectacular!

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  45. Hi Catherine
    Nice to visit and see your lovely plants and flowers again :). Thanks for visiting my blog and post re Banksia. Unfortunately I have no idea what that hungry bird is. But if you would like to know more about the plant, here is a link http://www.anbg.gov.au/banksia/
    Have a wonderful week, Ev

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  46. How beautiful it is really to be with kindhearted people of the earth. I always believe that if all the people are like us here in the plants world, maybe there will be no wars, anxiety, ill thoughts, etc. I also remember that Skeeter offers to send me seeds of the bottle gourd only waiting for the regulation in my country. How wonderful and generous people are. I also felt like giving some orchids to Autumn Belle and Steph but very difficult to send them.

    BTW from these photos i love the purple crocus with variegated leaves. If only it can be grown in very hot climes! thank you.

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  47. The white bleeding heart is stunning. I also have one but it's not made an appearance yet.

    Nice of you to mention my name in your blog. I'm starting to fret over when/where to plant the breadseed poppies. Also, should I start them inside or plant them directly outside. I'll do a little search to see what's best for planting them in zone 4. Thanks again for sharing your seeds.

    donna

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  48. Hello,
    I just did a post about fairy gardens. We are going to do one for our littl love bug this spring. Which will be after Mothers Day here in the Midwest.
    Would you mind sharing what kind of container you used if any.
    Thank you
    Londen

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  49. Londen - I just visited and left a comment on your fairy garden post. You and your daughter will have fun creating it. We used a 1/2 wine barrel, it's the perfect size and height I think. There's quite a bit of space in it too. We actually go the barrel at a winery and my husband cut in in half.

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