Did a little bit of shopping Saturday night. I enjoy shopping for seeds. You get a lot for a little, and I like the thrill of seeing seedlings poking through dirt. I’m easy that way 
And, since the outer section of the garden department was closed by the time we got there, I had to stick to the seed section. Which was just as well; I’m sure I would have gone over budget throwing blooming flowers into the buggy.
Last year, I picked a nice variety of taller flowers- Lupine, Snapdragon, Columbine, Foxglove and Zinnia. This year, I picked Dahlia and Aster (I really like round, dish-y type flowers). So the backs of the beds are covered. I don’t have many shorter varieties (last year’s are California Poppies, Johnny Jump Ups and Pansies- they all pooped out last spring, no blooming at all). This time, I got more Pansies and some English daisy and Phlox. The daisies can’t be planted until August (!) and take 180-300 days to bloom, but the Phlox are just right. And just between the tall and the short, I have “Fuzzy Face” sunflowers; they are crazy cute and will look great in one of my little green planters.
Today was spent clearing space and deciding where I want things to go. I started by clearing weeds away from my rose (which is about to go into its first bloom of the year! so excited!) and tilling with a small rake. The soil in our yard is still easily workable from the rains of the last week. And I have decided what’s going in that area. (I hope to post a picture in short order.) In the rose bed, I’ve decided that gladiolus will go in the back, a mix of dahlia and sunflowers in the middle, and California poppies in the front. I had considered lavender in the back, but the majority of what I’m putting in that spot is in the warm color family, so purple will not work in that spot.
Since last spring, I thought petunias would look nice along each side of the front walk. They mound a little, they spread a lot, and who doesn’t love them? Now, I’m thinking it’s been done; you go to any garden center, and look in random carts (not that I ever have…..), and you will find at least one petunia. So, I’ve decided to mix it up a bit. Since phlox is upright but not too tall, I think it will mix well with them. Plus, they aren’t too far from each other on the color wheel. I’m also considering a few pansies in the shadier spot along the walkway. It’s not original, but it’s what I like.
The current cost of this is:
Bringing the grand total to- $8.19. So $11.81 left! I really think I’m going to be under budget, and that makes me want to stay under budget even more. If only I could do the same thing with groceries…