To New Homes

Today was the big garden sale. Many friends, a few friends of friends, and a few strangers came and dug up many of the perennials in what had been my garden. Fortunately there is enough left for the birds, bees and butterflies- many of the shrubs planted especially for them had grown way too large to be dug up. The monarda 'Mahogany' had spread so much that there was more than enough left. And, at 10.5' tall, the Joe-pye weed was left undug. I was a bit amazed at how many plants I had- darn I had worked harder than I thought. Over the past year, I had been so wrapped up in trying to save this place that I had ignored the garden and in combination with the heat and dry weather we've been having, it looked pretty dreary. But people were able to see that amongst the jewelweed there were some real horticultural gems.
To my utter amazement and joy, some dear friends came up from Long Island and New Jersey to say goodbye to my old life. I was very choked up and grateful to them for their support. I was able to keep focussed on the plants for most of the time instead of dwelling on the losses- I was very much in work mode, as if I was at my weekend job at the nursery- a blessing to keep busy helping others.
Now it is quiet and I don't know if that means it is over for today. Someone may still show up- I hope one friend in particular, a very knowledgeable native-plant gardener, will. There is a clump of the double-flowered Bloodroot that with his name on it.
I was shocked by the number of large terra-cotta pots I had amassed- but I should not be shockable anymore considering how I have had to face my acquisitiveness in the house already. For a time I was greatly enamored of the lush overplanted pots seen often in British gardens but I am not good at keeping potted things alive even outdoors. And I find annuals, while charming, are very expensive in the long run. But they have moved to the homes of some good gardeners who will keep them filled with beautiful plants instead of filled with dead soil in my garage.
This week I will continue on my search for a new home and continue packing.