Garden Center Therapy

I had a wonderful time at the garden centers yesterday!  I dragged my sis along with me and that made it extra fun!  It doesn’t matter where we are or what we’re doing, wherever we go… fun usually follows us.  I’m so thankful for my big sister and for the great best friend that she is to me.  ♥

We started out at Linder’s, it’s such an awesome place and it felt so good to be amidst all the gardening things.  They seemed to have quite a few of their displays and areas within the store designed with ideas geared more toward an urban style of gardening.  Having spent most of my gardening years in a suburban or country type of gardening setting, I found all of this very new, and cool and exciting, considering the fact that I now live back in the inner city and will need to learn a more urban type of gardening style.

Last year when I put the new raised vegetable garden in at my mom’s house, I knew I was entering strange and unfamiliar territory.  Prior to moving into my tiny apartment, I lived on 6 acres and I had never gardened using raised beds before, so I felt (and still feel) like an inexperienced noob in that area.  😉

Seeing all of the unique and interesting possibilities for gardening in small spaces was inspiring, but also a bit daunting because it’s just so completely different than what I know.  And it’s going to take a lot of thought, planning, time, and work to make my new garden area into something that reflects me, especially when it’s for a me that is sort of new too.  Hah, if that even makes any sense!

And speaking of me… apparently I’m a bee…  and a dork!

Yeah… I’m pretty sure this little cut-out thingy is intended for children.  😉

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I did make a few purchases while I was there.  Some of which were the first of my seeds!  I know, I know, this is very premature since it will be at least a month and a half before I can plant them, but I couldn’t resist!

I also bought a new suet feeder.

As soon as I figure out how, I plan to hang this on one of the branches of the tree outside my 2nd story bedroom window.  Then once the leaves start coming in, transfer it over to somewhere near my garden area.

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Speaking of which, I’m going to need to give some thought to where to put a bird feeding area.  During cooler temps when I’m inside, I’d like it to be near a window so I can enjoy watching my little feathered friends peck at the treats I put out for them, but when warmer weather arrives and I’m outside more, I’d like it be located in a place where I can watch them from the patio or from one of my couple of different sitting areas near my garden.  The space in and around my garden is so limited here that I’m not even sure there will be a spot, but hopefully I can come up with something.

Also, while we’re on the subject of birds, they have a parrot named “Baby” at Linder’s.  He’s really, really cute, and he’s so personable, chattering away and trying to communicate with people.  I could tell he genuinely enjoyed the attention we were giving him, and I loved giving it to him.  Honestly, I could have spent the entire afternoon there talking to him and watching his adorable little antics.

I didn’t have my camera with me, but my sis snapped this photo of him for me with her phone…

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Along the travels of our day, we also made a stop at Byerlys.  Not only did they have my mom’s favorite brand of butter on sale there as a BOGO, but they have the most delicious cheesy potatoes my taste buds have ever had the pleasure to savor.

Byerlys also sells these delightful little grow pots with spring bulbs sprouting in them.  For many years, during long winters where I’ve had a serious case of extreme spring fever, I have found these to be the perfect remedy, so I bought myself one.  🙂

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And just to prove that my getting these little grow pots actually does go way back, take a look at this cute old photo I found of my (now 21 year old) daughter admiring some little sprouts coming up in another grow pot from winters past.  Although, I think it’s possible that I may have planted this one myself.

Aw… ♥

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The next place we went was to Bachman’s, where we found some beautiful spring things blooming.  Again I didn’t have my camera, so we used my sis’ cell phone to take a few photos while we were there.

Oh the lovely purple.  Well technically according to the label, these are considered “blue,” but they sure look purple to me…

And ah, such pretty pink…

I love the scent of hyacinths!  I even went back to sniff these again before we left.  🙂  I can’t wait until the ones in my little grow pot bloom!

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I really liked this arrangement, it had all sorts of random things going on in it, but mostly I thought the bird planter was really sweet.

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We also came across some silly things.  Like these totally corny, but festive arrangements that I have so named “the march of the big yellow chick heads.”

And these things that my sis called “green hairy balls.”

Seriously though, what in the world could these ever be used for?

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We also made stops at the library, the co-op and Culvers, where I indulged myself with one of their mint Oreo concrete mixers.  I couldn’t finish it all, but it sure was yummy…

🙂

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Yep, going out to the garden centers was “just what the doctor ordered” for my case of spring fever.  ♥