ireber

After working at the same company for 36 years, I got laid off. I’m now trying to figure out if I can retire (and still make my house payment) or if I need to start looking for another job at the ripe, young age of 62.
Meanwhile, after years of semi-neglecting my garden ( I did manage to turn it into a nice big level patch of dirt), I’m trying to create a garden. Well, not just any garden but a dream garden like I see in magazines.
Over the last few years I’ve discovered birdwatching & salvia — the salvia came first and that’s how I managed to attract a few hummingbirds. I’ve turned my balcony into a container garden; planting lots of salvia to attract the hummingbirds. I don’t get many hummers — no more than 3 ruby-throated hummingbirds at any one time. I believe they’re all part of the same family because they don’t chase each other away from the flowers.
I’m also interested in planting some drought-resistant plants and wildflowers. I have one patch of grass on the side of my house that I’d like to replace with just wildflowers.
I like to mix my flower colors; reds next to yellows, blues next to orange. I just love seeing the different flowers growing next to each other.
I also like to collect the seeds from the salvia and other flowers.
My weakness is going to nurseries and finding plants with unusual looking flowers. My problem is I always manage to kill the plants before I get them into the ground or a container.
Now that I’m spending more time at home (because of my laid-off status) I’ve actually managed to avoid killing all my plants. I still didn’t get my tomatoes planted.
I love saving plants – bringing them back from a brown state to a blooming beauty.
I like “stealing” geraniums; whenever I see a geranium with a different color of leaf I try to get a piece so I can start my own plant at home.