This has got to stop. But then, who can pass up a Master Gardeners Annual Plant sale AND a deep deep discount going out of business clearance sale at a local nursery? I ask you. Who?
So, despite POURING rain, I found myself standing in a line of about 50 other plant addicts at 8:30 a.m. Saturday waiting for the gate to open so we could "score our fixes." I got a small winter jasmine, a white siberian iris, two pots of golden Japanese forest grass, two pots of sweet bell peppers and one pot of hot habenero peppers (all my seed-started pepper plants are soooo tiny...). There was only one small Japanese maple for sale and some other addict got it before I did. Drat. Curses. Foiled again. 
After that, with wet feet despite wearing wellies, I decided that what the heck, I'm already all the way up here in Chambersburg, might as well see if Snavely's is still in business and what is left on offer. I'm glad I did. There wasn't much left and what was there was 60% off. I got two big ornamental grasses and a pot of German Statice (which I only bought because I felt sorry for it and did not even know what it was...the big leathery leaves intrigued me). Apparently I did not see those two big grasses when I was up there a couple weeks ago and I'm glad now because I got them for only $12 each. One is a giant miscanthus and the other is (I believe) Arundo donax or giant Spanish reed. The miscanthus will be an excellent addition, but I'm going to have to be cautious with the Arundo because it can spread by roots and become invasive. I will most likely keep it in a very big pot. Both will be in the new Tropical Garden (both are winter hardy here). I couldn't resist having grasses that can top 10 feet tall. Fortunately, neither spreads by seeds. (Our township has a problem with Johnsongrass, which can spread by both thick rhizomes and seeds and let me tell you, you do not want Johnsongrass in your garden. I've been digging out the same clump for YEARS and nothing seems to finally kill it...not digging, not weed killer, nuthin'. And I just recently learned that although fresh Johnsongrass can be very nutritious grazing grass, if it is wilted by frost or drought it contains enough cyanide that it can kill a cow or horse. I'm not sure how that works because I've also heard that it can make fine hay.)
Heavy overcast again today. I brought home a big load of wood chip mulch and some very nice flat stones from the township Transfer Station on late Friday. The mulch went to the newly tidied up Asian Garden area and most of the stones went onto the Folly Wall raised beds. Both areas are looking better now.
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