The Perennials Arrive

'Veilchenblau' has shipped!

*performs the Dance of the Happy Old Garden Rose Nut*

Various perennials have also arrived -- sedums and Siberian irises, inter alia. It was with great joy that I found that White Flower Farm has not only made Adenophora confusa a regular item in its catalogue, but also made an attractive 3-fer price for it.

It was with somewhat less joy that I opened a package from another nursery and found that in addition to the charming things I had ordered, they had sent me a bag of 10 bulbs of Gladiolus 'Cheops.' For one thing, I really don't care for Gladiolus in general. They're stiff and awkward in the garden. They aren't hardy in this zone, and would have to be lifted every fall and wintered over, a task I don't enjoy and frequently don't manage even with the plants I do like. 'Cheops' in particular is not to my taste, as it is pink-and-white (the photos I've found show a particularly pernicious bubble-gum shade of pink) and ruffled. It looks like a party dress for an over-indulged little girl. Bleck.

That said, if anyone out there truly desires these splendid specimens of modern hybridising, drop me a note. I will be glad to send them to someone who loves them, free of charge.

I have indulged in a few things that must be lifted and stored for the winter, though I intend them to be container plants which, in theory, should make the business of keeping them over the winter somewhat easier. For one thing, scrabbling to find the bulbs in the soil should be less difficult. Anyway, we'll see if the purple Ranunculus, the tuberoses, and the anemone-flowered dahlia 'Baronesse' make it through to next year.

Update: Lady Rhi has claimed the gladiolus. Rhi, I left a note in your guestbook with my email. Drop me a note with your mailing addy and the glads are yours.

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