Monday, November 17, 2008

The Pansies are in!

I've had a hard time convincing myself to let go of the profusion zinnias even though I knew it was time. After a little encouragement (thank you Tina!) I decided Saturday would be the day to pull them up and plant pansies. Of course, I didn't know Saturday would also be a cold windy day-too windy to plant. But determined to start the process, I headed out to a local garden center to at least buy pansies. I drove up expecting a full house like I usually find, but I had my choice of parking spots as I was the only one there. The people who work there were not even outside, they were inside putting up Christmas lights!


I found the pansies and proceeded to pick out flats. I am rather late in buying them, but they still had a pretty good selection. I bought 5 flats: 3 with yellows, reds and oranges, and 2 with purple. I like to mix pansies using those colors. I headed inside to pay and warm up. I guess I felt the need to explain why I was out on a cold day to buy pansies and chatted away while the owner checked me out. I told him I was late because I couldn't pull up the zinnias I bought there back in the spring, so really it was his fault I was out today. He just stared at me, handed me my ticket and said "pull 'um up!"

He did offer to help load them in my car, but I declined and he didn't argue. I brought them home and put them on the patio for shelter from the wind hoping Sunday would be a better day to plant. And it was, only I had church obligations until late afternoon. That was okay, it had warmed up, the wind was not blowing, good time to work in the garden. I asked my son who happened to be there to please move the flats from the patio to the front. Of course first I had to pull up the zinnias, so I took a deep breath and starting pulling. I pulled fast and tried not to look at the flowers as I went. As I worked my son walked around front carrying 2 flats of pansies. "What are you doing?" he asked. I pulling these up so I can plant THOSE I said. He stood there staring when hubby walked around the corner. "What is she doing?" he asked. My son said "she is pulling up still alive and blooming flowers to plant these!"

I thanked them for the comments and told them to please go inside and take grand dog who at this point was trying to get in the bag of blood meal.
And they did go inside and leave me to work. It was getting really late afternoon by that time. You know that time of day that is not still light, but not dark yet. It was quite and peaceful as I finished planting. I looked at the front beds and tried to imagined how pretty they would be in spring.

So I can check one more thing off my to-do list for fall. I still need to re-plant the wheel-
barrow. I decided to make some plans as I walked in back to put my spade up. I think I want to use kale and pansies, maybe something else. However, I already see one problem--the coleus is still really, really pretty. I hate to pull it out!

13 comments:

tina said...

You are very welcomed! I did it also this weekend. Planted the pansies and pulled those zinnias. And don't I feel better-you too I am betting. Time to move into a new season in the garden. Soon it will truly be too cold to garden outside. Then we can do crafts inside-I'm thinking a really pretty painting with hydrangeas...wonder where I got that idea from?:)

Meadowview Thymes said...

Tina, I hope you are feeling better! Funny you should mention crafts (and yes, bet I know where you got the hydrangeas idea!)--I just came back from a visit to my dear neighbor's. She sent me home with the cutest gardening angel embroidery project! I have so many things to do inside to pass the time till I can be outside. Hooray!

Susie said...

It's really tough pulling out great looking plants. I pulled out some blue ageratum a couple of weeks ago that looked really good. But I needed to plant my blue pansies. They have settled in pretty good just not blooming much. Looks like you got some pretty colors. They look great together.

Meadowview Thymes said...

Susie, it seems like it always takes pansies a while before they look very good. I think that's why I don't get overly excited about planting them, but I am always so glad I have them in dreary January!

JenningsJunk said...

Pretty colors!! I had to laugh out loud (and did) over the "men" comments. Sounds just like something I would hear at my house other than the part where I really really admire and enjoy y'alls plantings but it's not happening here.

Meadowview Thymes said...

JJ--it was pretty funny...the gardener man said pull um out, the non-gardener man wanted to know why
I was pulling blooming flowers! The dog just wanted the blood meal! :)

tina said...

Linda, Watch for the dog and the blood meal. Mine will find where I put the blood meal in the ground (deep in the ground)and absolutely dig it up just to get to it. Mixed with dirt and all they'll eat it. Yuck! I absolutely cannot use blood meal in the back, but it works wonders in a front bed that needs the extra nitrogen.

Anonymous said...

Maybe some of those zinnias will reseed where you had them. Wouldn't that be something next year! I think you will happy with the pansies once they fill in that area. They will last all winter long keeping you cheered!

Nola said...

The pansies are beautiful; I though it would NEVER get cool enough, I've been looking forward to pansies since early September. I got snapdragons to go with mine. I love snaps because they can stay in the ground and bloom all summer, too.

Brenda Pruitt said...

I don't know that I could bring myself to pull a blooming flower out myself! You must have real discipline. I am thinking now I should have purchased that many flats instead of the two I did get. I want more pansies!
Brenda

Unknown said...

Flowers are lots of work ... but worth it. What house or room or lawn doesn't look better with them. Their presence signifies the presence of a person with a refined sense of culture and social graces.

Meadowview Thymes said...

Thanks for the warning Tina. This is Allie the grand dog who doesn't live here. She, of course, was VERY interested in the smell! YUK!


You are right Racquel--I will enjoy the pansies. I love pansies, I just hate pulling up blooming flowers! :) I love the fragrance that pansies have when the sun hits them. Ok--re-seeding: I was told they DO re-seed, but the volunteers will be pink. Interesting, huh!


Well it was sure cold enough Saturday wasn't it Nola? Brrr! Did you get yours in? I love pansies with snapdragons too. I just have one small group, but they did bloom some during the summer. Be sure and post pictures so I can see yours!

Brenda, you have to just go out and do it!! You can't stop and think about what you are doing. I never use to buy enough pansies, so I made a note in my garden journal how many flats to buy. Works every time--until I want more for containers! :)


Hi Robert--I couldn't agree with you more. Flowers are hard work, but I couldn't live without them!
Happy Gardening!

Nola said...

Waaaay off topic: Re: the Cat Who books: I was scared, too that the latest book would never get published, and if it does, I'm sure it will be the last. So sad, I've come to love KoKo and Yum-Yum. I have not been able to find the book that introduces YumYum, I think it's "The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern". My library said they'd try to locate it as a "loaner", but I haven't had them do it yet; kept hoping I'd run across it 2nd hand or on ebay!