It’s beginning to look a bit like SPRING time…

… and not only in my dreams.

Laura, who is a member of the Florida Native Plant Society, was kind enough to take me with her last night to the preview of this weekend’s Semi-annual Native Plant sale. I’ve always wanted to go, but also kind of been afraid to go in that my love for pretty, native, good sun, butterfly plants usually exceeds my budget for same. So I set myself a budget (and only went over it by $12!) and Laura and I went and… well, I know it looks like we went a little crazy there, but … prices are really good! We got just under 30 plants (split about 50/50 between us), and both of us are now itching to get in the garden.

It’s been almost a year since Laura, Jag, and Jenn helped me to reclaim the center of my front yard, and while I haven’t had time yet this spring to really get in there and weed, I am not at all displeased with how it looks (schmutzy, but not as horrible as it’s been). I think that last year, after the big cleaning, since I went out every couple of days and pulled weeds….? Well, that seems to have worked because there’s not much coming up so far that isn’t supposed to be there. And my flowers from that week, also, have survived!

My shopping plan for the sale was for plants that are good with sun, drought tolerant, and attract/offer something for butterflies, because I want to fill in more with that butterfly garden in front of the house. I also wanted to get something for the island, with a vague idea of grasses, since most flowers I’ve done there previously have perished. I came away with both — a good selection of flowers and two sets of two different grasses for the front area. I may also relocate the potted pampas grasses to the front (if I can talk Tim into digging holes for them).

Hooray, spring!