Plantworld...Sigh...

We had a touch of spring fever a few weeks ago, and then it felt like winter was attempting a revival.

Thankfully, that was fleeting and we're back to spring again. I don't have the car very often, which is fine except when you want to go to big box stores or supermarkets or nurseries. But, what I do have is a 'mommy-friend' who is mucho sympatico. We both love crafting, coffee and gardening. So, whenever she wants to hit a fabric store or nursery out of our neighbourhood, she drags me along with her. Yay!

Today's outing was garden-themed, which probably ranks higher for me than a fabric store. Seriously. 

I spent a very large chunk of my childhood in nurseries, generally waiting for my parents and/or grandparents to decide which staghorn fern (oh, how my Dad pored over those!) or rosebush (Mum's favourite, our garden was fairly mixed) to purchase. We had gardening books up to our eyeballs and watched every gardening show on tv with a passion, and my Grandma always used the scientific names for plants. 

In my twenties, I was struck down by Fibromyalgia and moved back in with my parents, quit university and jobs and stopped living a normal life for quite a while. Over the two years I spent back home, I managed to potter in the garden or at least watch my parents doing so. It was a wonderful bonding experience in retrospect, and with my Dad gone it has even more meaning to me now.

My love for gardening really took hold at this time, but I've always had a love for the outdoors, for being in gardens or the bush. It's a wonderful setting in which you can let your imagination soar.

I'm trying to instill this in my own child (think my husband may be a lost cause) and she has her moments. But she's just as happy with a book, or the tv as she can be outside. Hey ho.

I recovered eventually, moved back out, met my now-husband and we started our life together. Gardening was always my 'thing' and not really his. That's completely fine, as long as he does some heavy lifting from time to time (though I can be too independent and try to do that all myself). The thing is, I only have a deck here so I can't garden as I'd like to. But I'm managing a few pots and will amass some more in good time. 

Anyway, back to today. We went to Plantworld. It's a huge nursery which is absolutely packed with flowers. You can buy so many plants here which are usually only available in seed form in Australia. With the long winter in Canada, a lot of plants are given a head start at the nursery so the spring gardens look amazing instantaneously. I bought some Salvias and Snapdragons and drooled over the rest.

I would almost kill for a Kangaroo Paw and some Eucalypts right now, but will have to settle for Hydrangeas and Hostas and Birch. I am so used to raising drout-tolerant plants but in Canada I'll have to learn a new gardening language. 

And that's just fine with me.

Typically of spring, the sunny day turned into a stormy and wet one. Those Salvias will have to wait a few more days to be potted. Mother's Day perhaps?

P.S. If you are looking for a gardening tv fix, I really recommend Monty Don's Around The World In 80 Gardens. It's a fabulous view of gardening and the history of gardening around the world. I am watching it all at the moment.