Tuesday Bloom at 'Walmart'?!

Oriental Poppy

The weather may not be making many people happy today with a reading of 46* / 80% chance of rain but it is a HAPPY DAY when you can find great buys like these at the local Walmart Super Store. I truly owe Walmart a positive blog entry after all they have saved me in the past year. They not only have been on top of things with their marketing ( and there stocks are showing it being up 11% in the last quarter!) they have been featuring products that beat the competitor. Mr. Wally and his fellow employees have provided me with an alternative to driving and extra 20 + miles into town to Bath & Body or Yankee Candle. Walmart has come out with their own line of these products at 1/2 the price with the same quality. I can't help but remember my father telling me the one thing he didn't like about the WORLD WIDE WEB when he first arrived online 15 years ago ' I don't like all the ads!" SO I will stop here with my COMMERCIAL for Walmart.

OH MY WORD.... the things I put in my little S.U.V. I would have never dreamed of putting the dirty things I have transported ( I don't mean the kids after a wet sporting event!) when I pulled out of the Dealers 8 years ago in my brand new VEHICLE! The photo on the bottom of the collage was AFTER taking the two Peach Trees (7 feet tall) out of the vehicle. Pictured in the collage are the SIX (1/2 gallon) Burning Bushes, Mandevilla sanderi, Dipladenia splendens) Hibiscus /climber hot pink and a Hibiscus Bush in 1/2 gallon tub. I also purchased the Oriental Poppy ( top photos) and Speedwell Perennials for $3 - 4" pot. :-) This is the cheapest I have seen locally.
I want to share a Walmart Garden Center tip with you all. The best time to get a GOOD QUALITY plant for this retailer is WHEN THEY FIRST ARRIVE. Now this is the opposite from a greenhouse / nursery. In a nursery it is better to let the plant get feed and a good growth that a greenhouse can provide while the ground is still warming up. Walmart stores are not allowed to FERTILIZE or FEED the plants. Grab them when they arrive so you can take them home and start feeding them like the growers do.

Great site for Hibiscus growing information at : Everything Hibiscus.

I thought I would share with you the NEXT DAY BLOOMS after the wonderful comments everyone emailed me about yesterdays from the MAGNOLIA posting. This is what a bloom turns into after a windy 38* night in the Midwest. you can see the damage on the soft and very fragile peddles. I am very curious to see what tomorrow holds and then a weekend expected in the 80's.

GARDEN REPORT
GREEN - GREEN - GREEN! The new growth is loving the rain we have been receiving. Look at the show those hostas are putting on already.


The BLUE HERON photo above is for my dear friend Jen, whom I was on the phone with when this birdy decided to pay a visit to our pond. I had to quickly snap a shot before our dog so kindly does his job of chasing this unwanted critter away from my water garden. There is plenty of yummies for this bird to enjoy out in the creek and branch of the river that runs through our property.

I am off to get some fertilizer down on my new grass that seems to be struggling after a very hot and dry fall shortly after it was planted. I hope to share some new blooms with you tomorrow.

ENJOY THE RAIN!