And the Gift Grows On

Yesterday my family finished the container garden by putting potting soil in large pots and being sure the plants were centered. The plants seem to like their new home as they look out at a sun and shade dappled world this morning. Already the garden has given aid to a small, weary traveler…well, actually, the neighbor’s gray cat who can stretch up and brace his front feet on the bird bath for a drink.

Three years ago a  friend gave me a a leafy plant and told me its name. I put it out by the mailbox and promptly forgot its name. The first years after I planted it, it  stayed under the ground then low and behold! Last year it came up, sturdy and strong, this nameless flower, and it bloomed and it stayed green all winter.  It sprouted one lovely little blossom that resembled a geranium. One of the flowers Dawn and I chose for the garden has leaves that are similar to those of the mystery plant.  The name tag read cineraria. So, I  guess the nameless one by the mailbox may be a ceneraria and he now has a new home in my container garden.

We added some dusty millers too, for a contrast in size and color.  I love those small, gray-white plants. I can imagine a long ago miller in an apron reaching to his toes, getting covered with flour as the giant water wheel in the creek turned two millstones, grinding wheat.  I don’t know their history but I imagine it goes back for many years. And you know the funny thing about the dusty miller? When I checked it out, it turns out to be a senecio. Hmm.

Yesterday I posted several pictures of this growing birthday gift, the container garden, on my Facebook page. If you haven’t gone there, please do. And I will be taking other pictures, close-ups so you can see better the petals and leaves.

A note of an up-coming attraction: In the next couple of days, I will be giving away free e-book copies of Barbara’s and my cozy mystery, Grave Shift. If you haven’t read it or even if you have, and you want a copy on your Kindle, I’ll tell you more about that tomorrow.

In the meantime, my garden will be doing what gardens do…growing more beautiful each day.

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