Someone once said that the earth laughs in flowers. If so, then my garden is in stitches all the time.
I love flowers. I hate shrubs. It’s just the way I am. I want my garden to be a rainbow, to be a colourful cradle that I can see whenever I look out my window. And in times of hibernation, a small posy to brighten the inside of the same window. I like symmetry in most things. I like the name the "Plant Store", maybe because the owners name, Pat, is the first, third and fifth letters of plant, but I deplore that same symmetry in my garden. There are no borders for me, but a semi 'wildness' that allows the garden some creative freedom for clusters to form.
The plain and simple truth is that I have no clue what I am doing. Pat calls me an "enthusiastic gardener" and he is right. He never uses the term in a derogatory way, but rather in a conspiratorial manner. He also is an enthusiast that helps you create the look you want, without judging, yet with the discerning eye that comes from years of horticultural experience.
The long and the short of it is that the "Plant Store" has plants that you never see elsewhere, along with the old reliables, because they want you to experiment. Regularly during the summer and winter months, I pass their way to see what new bloom may be unearthed that day.
I'm a "plant it and see" gardener. Some things work and some don't. But I can always be sure that a new "floret" at the "Plant Store" will pique my curiosity, should a space open up in my garden. So if you're into herbs, shrubs, annuals, perennials or vines, Pat is sure to have something that you'll like. He'll take you through from azaleas to zinnias. He's "blooming" great.
Tom Ó Brannagáin
