SPRANG!

From ice storms to shorts weather...that's how we roll in North Carolina!

Warmer temperatures have made my brain turn to gardening and according to the NC Cooperative Extension Service I can start planting things on March 15th! Woo! 

My excitement doubled when we went to Ollie's this weekend and they had roses and bulbs for $3.33. A year or so ago I purchased a million bulbs from them and had great success so I had been eagerly checking the aisles for a repeat performance ever since with no luck....until now. They have gladiolas, dahlias, hyacinths and daffodils. 

I bought a ton of gladiolas because they are very low maintenance, deer proof and terrific for cutting and bringing inside. (If you shake all of the ants off.) The dahlias are deer-licious but so pretty and so easy to grow. Ollie's had a ton of cool colors too! I have a yard full of daffodils that are either new or established so I didn't need to buy those. And really, if we're being serious here, I didn't NEED to buy anything...

Would you like to see my ridiculous secret plant collection?

I knew it was getting bad but it was easy to be in denial because it was all over the house. I decided it'd be good to face the music and gather everyone together for a group photo.*

Brace yourselves, spring is coming.

Yeah! It's a lot. In my defense I've been collecting things for over a year. With our house on the market last Spring I couldn't garden very much. I had some feeble containers on the porch, and some cold weather crops in the beds so they wouldn't look too sad....but nothing too exciting.

Also, a lot of the things I've been collecting have been either on sale at Ollie's, on clearance or from the dollar store. I just check the expiration date and plop it in the soil. If it doesn't work I've wasted a quarter.

And some of these, like the peas, carrots broccoli and corn, were Christmas presents!

I'm on Spring Break so tomorrow I'll be rolling around in the dirt finding homes for everything that is ready to go out. Some of these beauties will have to wait until later when we are beyond the frost date. (Yesterday was 65 today is more like 45....so it's good to wait.)

*Not pictured: roses, a bay bush, a rosemary bush and alllllll the tomatoes and peppers and herbs I'm going to buy when it gets warmer.

#sorry

#notsorry