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I am an Air Force wife and mother of three precious gifts from God. I enjoy learning at home with my children, and the many adventures this life sends our way. So stop by often to visit, and check out what the Five Nomads are up to.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

A little gardening advice from Mrs. Green Thumb

Mr. Nomad and I have been working our fingers to the bone with landscaping this past week. We have made some serious progress, and are to the point of adding some pops with flowers. So today on our way home from classes, the kiddos and I stopped at Home Depot to pick up a few perennials. Driving into the parking lot I spied the most beautiful plants, I was thrilled. I grabbed a cart, loaded up a few and found the rest of the items on my list.

Meanwhile the kiddos enjoyed running up and down the empty aisles. . . (Reason 1001 to Home School, you get to run errands when others are at work or in school. So nice to have the place almost to myself.) Fortunately they ran all their energy off, and then were sitting nicely in the check out line. Bubby flirting with the nice grandmaish lady working the check out.


As I start the check out process, Grandma (who by now really likes the Nomad Kiddos) informs me my favorite plants. . .the very ones who called my name across the parking lot. . .are extremely poisonous. WHAT?!? Hmmm. . .I think, maybe she is wrong and just being dramatic. Yet if I buy them and ignore her advice, that would be rude. I decide to put them back, go home, do some research and return another day for the plants. Seriously, I've never heard anything like this before. . .surely she is wrong.


Or NOT! Yep, I came home and Googled Fox Glove. Not good. Click here to read more. Thank goodness The Nomad Kiddos were sweet, and grabbed that Grandma's attention. I mean my kiddos may get on my nerves from time to time, but poison them in the garden? NEVER!
See what I mean? Aren't they beautiful? Any suggestions on a similar looking plant? One that won't kill my babies?

11 comments:

  1. I used to have foxglove. My hubby called them BUGS--Big Ugly Things (Not a good intial thing, but that's what he called them.) Yours are a lovely color though. Balsams and impatiens could give you similar colors, but smaller. If you want something tall--mallows or hollyhocks would be tall. I like liatris for tall, but it is spikey and not trumpet shaped. Another possiblity for tall is balloon flower. But I don't know if any of those grow in Washington. I like flowers, can you tell?

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  3. I like them too Mary. Soon I should have my garden together, and I'll post photos for those of you who share a love of gardening.

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  4. The foxglove is digitalis. It would make your heart race. There are more poisonous plants than foxglove. Unfortunately, I can never get the cats to eat those. (Kidding, just kidding.)

    But I am looking forward to your garden. I haven't done much with mine this year.

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  5. ABM,
    I wouldn't put it past them. Apparantly some people are highly allergic, and I just don't want to be the neighbor that kills someone off. I am new here, and I'm trying to fit in.

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  6. Sorry Tami - can't help with the flowers. I am trying to figure out how to come out from having the brownest lawn on the street. I am thinking about giving up and putting up a sign that says, "Returned to natural habitat."

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  7. That or head to a good lawn and garden store. Tell them you need lawn care for dummies. This is what we did when we owned our first home. The nice man would tell me what to put down, and when to come back for more. We've never had a nicer lawn. Then we had children, and the lawn has taken a back seat. Maybe I should follow this advice, I'm sure my neighbors would appreciate it.

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  8. Canterbury bells..although I have no clue if they are poisonous or not. A cute kids is a great asset!

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  9. Thank you Jody Blue. I will look it up. Yes, being cute sure helps. (Especially for the rambunctious type.)

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  10. For a big lush plant, I like Lupine. It's easy to grow in the PNW, and reseeds itself.

    However, in my older age, I seem to have taken on a trait of my dad's. "If I can't eat it, it isn't worth my time". Amazing that happens.

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