perennials, a post about plants with no pictures, dumb huh?

So, this is summer number two in my house. It has been the summer of projects and patience and waiting for things to fall into place. It hasn't been bad, just strange. However, something that has amazed me, is watching the progress of my perennials.

About this time last year I visited a little nursery in south Portland. It's owned and run by a short jovial hispanic man and his wife who wears a floppy hat and plaits her hair in a way that seems to highlight her obviously indigenous heritage. The prices are amazing. Last year I made my purchased with a friend's input, not really understanding the potential of each plant, not really knowing what I was buying. But, I did pick perennials (and mostly natives), with the hope that they would come up and look even better than they did last year.

This whole progression of time and rhythms of nature thing is amazing. Sure enough, I put them in the ground, added water and compost, let sunshine and time do it's thing and ta-da! Flowers! Then, as one might expect, as it got cold, they all died. I cut them back and this spring they all came back.

And while I understand this is not shocking, it's just so cool. In February there was nothing. Now months later these have returned, succulents and flowers, red, pink, purple, yellow, natives and non. They've almost all come back. I lost a hot pink and yellow lantana, which is supposed to be impossible to kill and my step dad mowed over my goats beard, twice, as it was poking it's head back up. But, what has come back is large, healthy and prolific. I will post pictures of the echinacea, my current favorite.

I repeated the trip to the nursery (The Country Barn) today and again purchased a carful (a STEAL at less than $50). This year, I could visualize the spaces that need filling. The variation in height and color that, if this whole perennial thing keeps going, will make the garden seem wildly filled. The look of randomness that must be intentional which I find myself drawn to in other people's yards. I was so excited they were in the ground less than an hour after I got home.

Here's to faith and growing things.