And I remembered how, this time last year, I drove past a different house with a magnolia, and I instantly wanted one, and even looked into the details of getting one, but then realized that the backyard where I was renting was already pretty shady, and did I really want another tree, and hey, I wasn't gonna live there forever anyway, RIGHT?
What a difference a year makes.
Now I am in my own house, with my great big backyard (photo taken last year; everything's still pretty brown right now):
Jeezus, I love that backyard. Even if it DOES get squishy this time of year.
And I can plant all the trees I want.
But not too many. I like sunlight, not shade.
Side note: According to my neighbor, that tree to the right of the willow is an elm. Evidently the neighborhood was once full of them, but then Dutch Elm Disease came along, and I've got one of the only ones left. Go, elm tree!
Back to the story: I went on line and bought a magnolia. I thought about buying a Catalpa, but you guys told me they were a pain in the ass, so I'm going to pass for now.
I don't know about you, but I find it impossible to go to a nursery website and buy just one thing. Plus, Michigan Bulb (I know. I KNOW.) is having a special where if you buy forty bucks worth of stuff, you get twenty bucks off the order. Who can resist?
Not me.
So now I've got a magnolia on the way, and a weeping cherry tree, and a butterfly bush, and three hardy hibiscuses. Hibisci?
Oh! Oh! And then I was in Crapmart the other night, and there was a whole shelf full of peony plants, you know how they come, just the bare roots in dirt in a bag? And one of them was struggling to start growing, inside the bag, inside the store, under those crappy Crapmart lights.
I'm not made of STONE, people. I bought that peony. If it's trying THAT HARD to grow, against all odds, I'll give it a home. I know this photo is blurry, but check out those shoots poking up:
And then I had to stop at another store, and they had a display of starter lilacs for four bucks. Four bucks! I had two lilacs, a white and a purple, at the old place, but they had grown too big to move and I had to leave them behind. So I had to buy one of the four-dollar lilacs, natch.
Time to start digging some holes. C'mon over!
4 comments:
I have a pretty good sized magnolia tree in my front yard, but then I live in the land of magnolia trees; they're all over the place.
I don't think I've ever seen one in NY. I assumed it was too cold for them.
I can't wait to see your garden in the summer! It's so huge I just love it!!! And all these new plants... like I said, I just can't wait.
What a big yard and just ripe for new plants and trees. Sounds like you are going to busy for awhile. Good luck and don't forget to take some pics.
Ex, according to the zone charts, magnolias should be okay here.
And yeah, guys, I'm gonna have a pretty busy spring. Almost everything that I transplanted from the old place is up and growing, and with the rate I'm picking up new stuff, it's gonna be hectic around here. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it.
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