Seeds of Temptation
Crayola colors! These 'Hot Crayon Colors' zinnia are full of ZING
Seed catalogs should carry a warning label "Beware, this may be hazardous to your …." You fill in the blank.
There is a certain addictive quality to them. You know that all you really need are parsnips and lettuce. OK and maybe you'll swing for those nice heirloom tomatoes you tried last year. Mind you that kale would be fabulous for fall. Oh and just look at those new zinnia…. And so it goes on . Before you know it you've ordered twenty packets.
Last night I sent my daughter the link to possibly the most dangerous of the online seed catalogs; Renee's Garden. BIG mistake. She's getting married (in our garden) this summer and I was looking for easy to grow annuals that we could use for cutting so I sent her links to a few ideas that would work with her chosen color scheme of soft-blue green and gentle sunset tones.
Delicate foliage and pure white flowers, 'Seashells' cosmos are perfect for a wedding bouquet
White cosmos is always pretty and the variety 'Seashells' would be delightful with its unusual three dimensional petals while the feathery green foliage would add a softness to bouquets and table settings.
LOVE this color combo! Zinnia 'Decor'
Zinnia can be relied upon for lots of flowers over an extended period of time. I noticed that 'Decor' comes in a blend of chartreuse and warm apricot which would be perfect. To balance these round daisy shapes I thought that spire-like larkspur would add interest and there are several beautiful color blends to choose from.
Determined to be the well behaved, non-overpowering Mother Of The Bride I emailed the links to Katie and asked her what she thought.
Ten minutes later I had a LONG email which went something like this;
"Cosmos 'White Seashells' CHECK (& 'Snow Sonata' look really pretty … and 'Little Ladybirds' are gorgeous too…) Zinnia 'Decor' sound so fun!!! (& 'Apricot' sounds fun! The 'Hot Crayon Colors' sounds fun too…) The Larkspur are gorgeous – SO FLUFFY!!!
Tall spires of 'singing the blues' larkspur - I'm sure we have room....
Pure party time with 'Mardi Gras' globe amaranth
So in just a few short minutes with a seed catalog, the entire color scheme of her wedding had been challenged, I may need an extra greenhouse for all the seedlings and we probably won't have quite as many vegetables in the garden this year since I need to make room for all the flowers!
Enjoy the 2013 catalog at Renee's Garden at your peril. But I warn you, if the new organic vegetable seeds don't get the better of you, her utterly romantic sweet pea blends will. And don't tell your daughter.
What are you growing this year?
All photos courtesy of Renee's Garden
Oh what joy! I'm glad our daughter got married last December though!
Funny Susan!
😀 I love you Mum!!! However, I'm going to have to be careful what I write to you if it is going to end up on public display 😉 xxx
You know I love to tease – and blame my plant addiction on someone! We'd better get these ordered….
Just a quick warning about parsnips. Don't let toddlers help you harvest them as the exterior contains a compound that is caustic and causes burns on little ones. My cousin's grandson had burns on his face, arms, and hands, and it took the doctor forever to figure out the cause.
I've never heard of that before – thanks Nancy
Your daughter is getting married in your garden! What a fabulous excuse to grow all those fabulous flowers. No doubt you will be in a frenzy, but in the end you will have wonderful memories and a garden that will reflect the romance of the happy newlyweds.
I was perusing seed catalogues just today. What else to do since the weather outside is miserable? You are so right about the addictive qualities! It doesn't take long to spin garden fantasies, till suddenly I realize my limitations and a reality check occurs. But it sure is fun to dream!
I'm sure it will be a lot of fun Deb but I'll be primping and preening those flowers all summer! What are you growing this year?
Last year a friend brought me some lupine seeds from England! I was a little distraught, because lupines don't like our hot summer. Then I thought to plant them in late fall, hoping they will bloom this spring. I have read they may not produce flowers the first year, but maybe fall counts as last year! I planted them in my wildflower area. The other day I noticed they had produced seedlings. We shall see what they do!
[…] Original article found at: http://www.lejardinetdesigns.com/2013/01/14/seeds-of-temptation/ […]
[…] Original article found at: http://www.lejardinetdesigns.com/2013/01/14/seeds-of-temptation/ […]