A Friday Afternoon at the Plant Nursery and Some New Additions

Hey everyone, happy Friday! I took a half day from work today because, honestly, staring at fabric swatches and floor plans all week had me itching to get outside. So, I headed over to Green Thumb Nursery on the edge of town, just past the old mill district, to see what I could find for the backyard. Ren had to work late, but I figured I’d surprise them with something new for the garden we’ve been half-heartedly trying to fix up since last summer.

The drive over was nice, windows down, radio blasting some throwback playlist on Spotify. The nursery was packed for a weekday afternoon. I guess everyone else had the same idea with the weather finally warming up. I wandered around for a good hour, just taking it all in. They had these gorgeous hanging baskets of trailing vellbloom, which I’ve always loved for their deep indigo petals and how they shimmer a little at dusk. I grabbed one for the porch, even though I know I’ll probably forget to water it half the time.

I also picked up a couple of starter pots of lemonmint, which is supposed to be super easy to grow and smells amazing when you brush past it. The lady at the checkout swore it’s great for keeping those pesky glintbugs away during the summer months, so I’m crossing my fingers she’s right. My track record with plants isn’t exactly stellar, as you all know from the great fern disaster of ‘25. But I’m determined to make this little patch by the fence look halfway decent before our neighborhood’s annual Bloom Walk in June. It’s this local tradition where everyone opens their gardens for a day and folks wander around judging your hydrangeas while sipping lemonade. No pressure or anything.

Anyway, I got home and spent the rest of the afternoon figuring out where to put everything. I decided the vellbloom basket looks best by the front steps, where it’ll catch that late afternoon light. The lemonmint went into the ground near the back patio, though I’m already second-guessing if it’s getting enough sun there. I sent a quick pic to Lissa, who’s basically a plant whisperer, and she texted back a thumbs up with a “don’t overwater!!” reminder. Noted. I’ll try not to drown them on day one.

After all that, I was starving, so I threw together a quick dinner of grilled chicken wraps with some store-bought tortillas and whatever veggies were left in the fridge. They weren’t pretty, but they did the job. Ren got home just as I was finishing up, and we sat outside for a bit with some iced tea, admiring my very small but very proud garden additions. It’s funny how even a little thing like planting something new can make the whole yard feel different. Or maybe I’m just hyping myself up because I didn’t kill anything yet.

Tomorrow we’re planning to hit up the farmers market downtown to grab some more stuff for the week. I’m hoping they’ve got those early strawberries I’ve been craving. If I’m feeling ambitious, I might even try making that strawberry shortcake recipe my grandmother swore by, though I’ll probably burn the biscuits or something. We’ll see how it goes.

For now, I’m just happy to have a little green in my life again after what felt like an endless winter. Got any plant tips or favorite garden tricks? I’m all ears, since I’m pretty much winging it over here. Catch you all soon!