the pondering pomegranate: the little blue rooster

ever since the vegetable disappointment last summer, i've been thinking about planting (surprise!) flowers. we'll go back to vegetables another year, but this year i'm going to put in some annuals that will be nice to look at and, maybe, make some decent cut flowers. Mike put the plot in last spring, in the full sun and close to the house - we've got plenty of wildlife, so vegetables towards the back of the yard were devoured before we could even harvest them. we just wanted something simple - some tomatoes and a few peppers. that's all. Mike carefully fenced the entire thing - debating the pros and cons of various fencing for long enough that i was ready to grab whatever and call it a day. to no avail. something must've been in the soil of the little tomato plants we bought - and something managed to figure out how to get through the fence and ate the bell peppers, one by one. all that survived the summer were the hot peppers.

Joseph has been particularly interested in the possibility of caring for living things, so (in lieu of, say, a dog) he and i headed out this morning to pick up some plants and seeds. generally (really, always), i am pro-perennial. i never buy annuals; just don't see the point. but i didn't want the burden of transplanting when we turn the plot back over to vegetables, so annuals it was. well....except that those perennials really caught Joseph's eye. plus - oh, poppies! how can you pass up a poppy?!? (Joseph inquired if, indeed, you can hear them pop.)

but i was determined not to transplant, so the few perennials we purchased have (hopefully) found a happy home around the light post. it is my little flower oasis in the front yard & really endures a lot. neglect (me), sniffing (not me), peeing (again, not me), and the like. a few hardy plants have survived over the years, but every spring i have to replenish. so, we'll see how these fare.

Joseph's picks

lots of blue&white - plus the rogue POPPY

i was reflecting today, as i prepared the plot to receive its new tenants, that the tale of The Little Red Hen may bear revisiting throughout a child's life. remember the story? mmmmmm.....freshly baked bread, what could be more delicious? everyone agreed it was so. & the industrious hen tilled the soil, planted the seed, watered the plants, harvested the wheat, ground it into flour, formed the dough, and popped that tasty treat into her oven. i think i would rewrite the ending, though, and have her bring the bread to a potluck.

the little blue rooster watering the soil

the red hen planting some snapdragons (photo by Samuel)

photo by Samuel

i didn't find too many annual plants that i really wanted, but i did settle for some marigolds and snapdragons. the rest, we bought as seeds. Joseph picked out two varieties of sunflower plus some alyssum; i chose zinnias. we also had some mixed wildflowers from last year, and enthusiastically tossed the seeds everywhere. i'm all about increasing our flower odds.