At this time of year, it's inevitable; we become consumed with planting fever. That's the irresistible urge to respond to all the tantalizing displays in local plant nurseries and big box stores displaying annuals and all the paraphernalia required to indulge full steam ahead on planting season. But in this part of the woods it is yet far too early to put out tender annuals. 

 

The thing of it is, May has a tendency to give us days of really warm weather with a magnificence of sun exposure after April's rains. We see our perennials resurfacing tentatively, as though testing the air for license to emerge from winter's clasp deep in the soil. And not satisfied with that, even when those same perennials begin to bloom and liven up the garden, we're itching to plant annuals.

 

People don't tend to learn necessarily from experience. That's because hope springs eternal, and we think this year it'll be different. This year we won't be fooled. This year the warm, sunny delectably plantable weather will be constant. This year we won't be pranked by nature sending in day after day of frost after teasing us with planting weather.

 

 

This year like any other we allow ourselves to fantasize because it's what we want, not what we should know we're getting. That feverish impulse to begin planting to take advantage of weather that we know, we really do know, is susceptible to sudden change and overnight frosts plays a game with our common sense, and common sense and experience defer to fantasy.

 

We went out this afternoon to our most favourite of all venues a half-hour or less drive from home where at a former farm a family business has long attracted area gardeners for the quality of the annuals they bring in for spring planting. They cannot be beat for begonias, and this is a flower that we both appreciate as one of the most beautiful, everblooming the entire summer, both the wax and the tuberous types. We just can't resist them, and new colour-combination cultivars appear as though by magic wish annually.

 

 

So, off we went after our earlier-than-usual ravine hike with Jackie and Jillie. They both accompanied us, excited to be taken along on our little mission. As anticipated, the parking lot was pretty full. That was the negative, so to speak, the positive was that there was more than ample choice there, from canna lilies to Margarita daisies, marigolds, bleeding hearts, impatiens, geraniums, and of course, our beloved begonias.

 

 

Their assortment - a huge, colourful one - of hanging baskets, and patio floral arrangements is second to none. Their prices, always a bargain in our opinion, have risen, just as they have everywhere else, for all products. It's hard not to exult seeing the form, texture, colour and extent of choices on offer. So didn't I indulge! The business proprietress knows us well, as annual clients. We hug when we see one another. I often bring along a little gift of jewellery for her because she loves jewellery.

 

When we finally arrived back home after a few other errands, I further indulged by planting a few flats of wax begonias in a few of our garden beds. We'll have to be prepared to protect them from frost should the need arise, but it is exciting to see all those promising, bright little floral faces, cheekily looking back at  us.