Girls' Day Out

Sometimes a person just has to take a break. I have felt like a workaholic the past week, sinking into my favorite armchair each evening too tired to move. First there was my wet basement, which has finally dried out and been partially restored to order. Then there were all the gardening projects delayed by the rain we had last week. At the top of that list was the vegetable garden, which I would never show you here because the weeds had begun to take control. Carol has recommended you "embrace weeding." Well, my vegetable plot needed more than an embrace; it needed a giant bear hug! For two days I worked during the cooler parts of the day to chop, hoe, and pull every unwanted plant in that plot, and then I mulched the tomatoes to avoid having to work so hard the next time we have a big rain.

In the middle of all this I had a birthday last week. I told my granddaughter, though, that this was going to be an "un-birthday." My theory is that if you don't acknowledge it as a special day, then it doesn't count and your age stays the same. Makes sense, doesn't it? She was quite amused; after all, she's only twelve and is excited about becoming a teenager in a few months. She doesn't yet understand the prospect of growing older. My husband, though, took me quite literally and decided a kiss and a quiet "happy birthday" were all I needed. He still doesn't understand me after all these years; a new piece of jewelry or even a gift card to a garden center would have been gladly accepted even if it were just another day.


All this is a rather lengthy way to explain why I was excited when my friend Beckie called to suggest we go out for lunch and celebrate my belated birthday. This has become a yearly tradition between us, but this year I really was ready for a day out. We had a nice lunch, catching up on family news, her leaky roof, and my wet basement. But more and more our conversations turn to blogging and gardening. So it should come as no surprise when I tell you how we spent the rest of the afternoon--plant shopping and visiting a local garden, of course!

We stopped at two of the nicer garden centers in town just to window shop. I had only one plant, a small caladium, on my list, because I had vowed to buy no more plants until I have planted everything still sitting in their original small pots on my patio. (And of course there's my problem with EWS.) Beckie wasn't going to buy anything. Of course, neither of us stuck to our resolutions, though we showed remarkable restraint compared to previous trips. One nursery had two tables of perennials on sale, and I couldn't resist buying three foxgloves after seeing all of Cheryl's appealing photos of them.

These will make a nice addition to my shade garden, which still has several bare spots, so I don't regret buying them. I did tell Beckie, though, that our problem is that we are both "plant enablers."


After a few other stops, we ended our day by visiting the Master Gardeners' Idea Garden on the University of Illinois campus. We have visited this garden twice this spring, and I posted some photos of it at the end of April. At that time there were a few remaining blooms from spring bulbs and flowering trees, but mostly the growth of perennials was just beginning. This was a photo taken at that time.

This is the same area (although in a different direction) taken yesterday. Isn't it amazing what a difference a month can make?

One of the things I like about the Idea Garden is that every plant is labelled so that if you find something you like and want to plant in your own garden you know exactly what to buy. It also has different sections in it ranging from traditional perennials and Illinois natives to more experimental plots. One section contained tropical plants so popular now, including this plant which was probably labelled, but of course, I forgot to write it down. I think it is some type of bromeliad?

There was a small section, too, called the bog garden. I didn't take any pictures, but I probably should have looked at it more closely since my roadside garden has been more of a bog garden lately.

One of my favorite sections is the children's garden. It includes plants that not only appeal to the eye but also to the sense of touch. It encourages children to stop and look, smell, and touch the flowers. Whimsical additions like the topiaries draw the attention of visiting children. There were several animals including the giraffe below; more are pictured on Beckie's post today.

I thought this metal ornament was cute and would surely appeal to kids as well.

The Idea Garden gives the Master Gardeners a chance to experiment with different plants, and they do include some unusual ones. The plant below was simply labelled "Burnet"; its spikes are topped with reddish plumes. I did find out that it is a member of the rose family and is a native wildflower in some areas.

Two of the more unusual plants were these two: an "Egyptian walking onion" (where does it walk to??) . . .

and an "Adam's Needle."

Interesting, but I don't think I'll be rushing out to buy either of these two very soon.

On the other hand, there was this lovely tree simply labelled "Willow," Salix integra. I wanted to show the whole tree, but this picture doesn't clearly show the attractive foliage which was tinged with pink.

The best part about the Idea Garden, though, is to see the plants in different stages throughout the season and to see how they actually fare in a central Illinois garden. A photograph in a catalog might show these blossoms of an oak leaf hydrangea, but it couldn't capture the size of this plant which must have been six feet tall and just as wide. (I do hope I've identified this correctly; the label was obscured by the plant.)

Obviously, this plant does well in Illinois and would be a good choice for local gardeners if they have a spot big enough to accommodate it.

Beckie and I plan to return to the Idea Garden several more times this summer and fall. We may not be Master Gardeners, but we are learning from all their hard work!

All in all, it was a great day out, all the better because we spent it together. And now it's time for me to get back to work--all those root-bound plants are crying out for care. Wishing you a happy day of gardening!