“Three Plants”, a copyrighted post, was written for my WordPress blog called Always Growing by Jan in Covington, Louisiana
I have just finished three years of blogging, and January 1st started my fourth year. It really doesn’t seem that I have been posting that long until I look back at the posts and see how much my garden has grown and changed. Since there is not a great deal to do in the garden in January, I usually start planning about now what changes or additions that would be nice to do when the weather warms up.
One of my goals this gardening season is to try some new plants – three new plants. New plants that may fill a need or just be something new to see how they grow in my garden. One of the plants I am going to try is Joe Pye Weed. Scott over at Rhone Street Gardens had a great post about this plant.
After seeing this on many garden blogs, I have been saying I want to try this plant for a few years now, and 2011 is going to be the year. I have just the spot for some of these plants, and the color of the blooms should be perfect with the surrounding plants.
I know that “they” tell gardeners not to buy plants without having a definite plan and place for them, but who listens. I don’t have a place in mind yet, but this will be the year I get the grass “Cosmopolitan”. Every year when we visit the New Orleans Botanical Gardens in the fall, this miscanthus sinensis grass is gorgeous. The tassels are spectacular. This is a large grass, but there are a few spots in the garden where it would fit. I am just going to get it and then figure out where to put it. Of course, I may be inspired by an appropriate area before I actually buy it, but, knowing how I am, I doubt it.
My third new plant will have to be planted in the fall of ’11. I have been wanting to have bluebells in my garden ever since I saw them at Long Vue Gardens. It is the Spanish bluebells (Hyacinthoides hispanica), rather than the English bluebells, that flourish here in our mild climate. I almost bought some bulbs this past year, but procrastinated (again) and now the spring garden will have no bluebells. I am determined to change that this year especially after seeing the photo of bluebells (English) on Charlotte’s (The Galloping Gardener) blog. What I wouldn’t give for a sight like that.
Image from Wikipedia
Even though this is the beginning of the year when most people do the resolution thing, I consider acquiring these three plants to be a goal for this gardening year, not a resolution. This goal, for plants that I have been wanting to have in the garden for a long time, should be easy to accomplish with only three plants to buy.
Always Growing 
Kylee from Our Little Acre said,
January 3, 2011 at 10:16 am
Congratulations on your blogaversary, Jan! I’m celebrating mine, too! (4 years). I know you’ll meet your gardening goals and then some! All the best for 2011! 🙂
kate/high altitude gardening said,
January 3, 2011 at 11:19 am
Three cheers for a lack of planning! My favorite garden is the one I call the Impulse Garden. It creeps up from the street all the way to our backyard, with no rhyme or reason. It’s just a 1/4 mile strip of anything and everything – flower-wise – that I found irresistible over the 8 years of living in this house. ;>)
Happy New Gardening Year! I grow Joe Pye and the bluebells, too.
Janet said,
January 3, 2011 at 12:12 pm
I have the perfect place for the Joe Pye Weed, hoping I can find a local source for it this spring. Oh how the butterflies love this bloom.
Congrats on your blogging anniversary. I just finished two years and am amazed at the great resource others’ blogs are for us…truly inspiring.
Eliza @ Appalachian Feet said,
January 3, 2011 at 12:27 pm
I love your 3 new plant plan (will you be able to keep it to that few?) 😉 Scott’s Rhone Street Garden post on Joe pyes made me resolve to grow more of them, too!
Scott Weber said,
January 3, 2011 at 9:25 pm
Thanks for the shout-out! Also…good luck, I hope you get all the plants, I love them all! I actually inherited a large amount of the bluebells when we bought the house, if you are ever in the PDX area, stop by and I’ll give you more than you’ll ever need!!! Here is a pic of the neighbors cat hiding in them.
Phillip said,
January 4, 2011 at 5:05 am
That’s funny, I want to try Joe Pye Weed too. I have planted Spanish Bluebells and they are beautiful every year. Happy anniversary on your blog!
RobinL said,
January 4, 2011 at 8:25 pm
Now how on earth do you limit your plant wish list to 3? I rarely have a place in mind when buying plants, I just see them, and want them!
Toni - Signature Gardens said,
January 4, 2011 at 9:01 pm
All 3 are great choices! I have the Miscanthus grasses and just love them. I also planted more Spanish Bluebell bulbs this past fall, so I’m excited to see more blooms this spring. I panted some a year ago, too. I have not grown the Joe Pye Weed, but I think it might need a little more water than our TX summers can give it. I’ll have to check it out, though, because it is so pretty! All the best in 2011. Sounds like you have a good plan 🙂
Growing Vegetables said,
January 5, 2011 at 4:38 am
Here’s to a lack of planning and procrastination, they can be a gardeners friend or foe, as some of the best gardens I have seen are those that are unplanned and have evolved over a number of years, while at the same time some of the worst gardens are those that were not planned and have eveolved ofumber of years. Wishing you all teh best for your New Years Gardening