Planting for the Future

I spent today planting flowers. I love having blooms beautifying my yard during my favorite season of summer. Last year I planted Earthwalker Sunflowers. It was actually amazing that any of them bloomed since the squirrel dug up most of the seeds and my cat ate the tops off seedlings. I finally got wise and moved them to a secure place and for about a month during July and August I had the brightest colored sunflowers I had ever laid eyes on.

I have been meaning to get out in the yard and plant this whole month but other things kept getting in the way. I finally remembered what joy I had when the first Morning Glories opened up to the sun. The variety was Scarlett O'Hara, a gorgeous deep pink...almost hot pink really. They climbed the fence and the fig tree and bloomed all season.

I can't have an actual real garden because of all the wildlife that surrounds us. We have everything you can imagine and they eat whatever they can get their little grubby paws on. Part of the problem I guess is that I feed them seed regularly so they just must think my flowers are part of the deal.

The iguanas like to eat the heads off the Marigolds...the ducklings like the sprouts of the Morning Glories...the squirrels of course like the Sunflower seeds and all the birds, especially the White Ibis which have long, curved beaks like to dig up even the deepest of seeds.

Still, I have been surprised with what has survived and still gone on to bloom. I thought none of the Heavenly Blue Morning Glories survived. The ducklings last year ate all the seedlings and then we had torrential rain that tore up the rest. But, yet at the end of summer there they were...not where I planted them in the backyard, but in the front yard. Probably dropped there with some extra fertilizer by the sweet little ducklings!

Luckily, living in Florida we have perfect weather to plant anything and have it grow. You just have to make through the wildlife first.

Today I planted Sweet Pea, a variety called Heathcliffe that I purchased in Haworth, home of Emily Brontë the author of Wurthering Heights.

I wonder if it will be as wild and untamed as the character Heathcliffe?

I planted two varieties of Morning Glories with the hopes that the two from last year will re bloom. Grandpa Ott is a deep purple and Milky Way is a pretty white with light pink stripes. I also decided to plant Oxford Blue Scabiosa with the hopes to attract more butterflies. I did some more Marigolds for the iguanas and this time I thought of my cats and planted Catnip! I had some seeds left over from the Earthwalker Sunflowers so I planted them in a place where squirrel nor the cat could get to them. Finally, I planted Zinnia, Spanish Omelet Poached Eggs (yes, that's really the name!) and lastly Moonflower with the hopes that I'll have it blooming at night to fragrance the patio area.

I spent this one Spring day planting for the future. I can't wait to see what Summer brings!