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Tuesday 7 April 2009

The Cure aka "Garden Mood Enhancement?"

I have been such a whiner lately .. whining about the deck project, shed project, the mess of it all in the whining weather part of that specific whine ............... good grief !!! I can't even stand myself any more !!
You all have been such good garden pals with such positive replies to my whiny posts .. so I want to say thank you all and I hope I am out of this whiny stage now for all of our sakes ? !!
These will be the last pictures of the old deck and incredible mess of a garden I have for now. Good news from the deck crew is that both permits are now issued .. the destruction one and the CONSTRUCTION one .. so when the weather allows, things will move forward finally .. I bet you guys are so relieved not to have to hear me whine about this for a while at least ?
Funny .. the deck looks small in these pictures .. maybe in its age it has shriveled up a bit ?
So what does a body do to enhance their garden mood ? ........ go shopping .... back to Costco for the bag o' blooms mission ?
It was just too funny to find Chocolate Cosmos ? .. I bought some little chocolate Easter bunnies from another store and when I saw these .. well .. I couldn't possibly pass them up now could I ? I have been wanting to get these for a few years now .. serendipity ?? for today ?
Bunny smelling the Cosmos pose ? .. I have read they truly do smell faintly of chocolate ? can anyone confirm that rumour for me ??
They are just so pretty in the picture .. I hope they will thrive in their new home when I eventually get them in the garden .. I think they will be happy sharing a nice sun bed with my coneflowers ... I also bought a BIG pale of bone meal to make my new plants a little happier .. I think bone meal for plants is like chocolate for gardeners ? we all get that happy feeling ??

P.S. Yes ! I know it is tender in my zone .. I can treat it as an annual and just enjoy it for the season or lift it and try to over winter it inside .. which I will probably do .. if I find it looks heavenly enough ? : )

28 comments:

karenleigh said...

They definitely smell like chocolate! And so pretty too.

Kathleen said...

Nice. Lovin' the chocolate bunnies! I just bought some for my daughters Easter basket (yes, I STILL make her one!) and hope I can stay out of them until Sunday!!! Great plants too. I have no experience with those particular cosmos but if they smell like chocolate, all the better! The color is great!

our friend Ben said...

Ha!!! How perfect for you, Joy: CHOCOLATE cosmos! Such a gorgeous color and I've heard they smell like chocolate, too. Can't wait to see what people say about that. Meanwhile, please, please don't show the headless chocolate bunny in the process of being eaten! If there's one thing I hate even more than a headless chocolate Santa, it's a headless chocolate bunny. I won't eat either one, just hand 'em on if given. Give me some chocolate eggs and we'll call it quits. (One year, someone gave me a chocolate Madonna for Easter! I was beside myself. I displayed her until Someone Who Shall Remain Nameless finally tossed her. Poor thing! What are people thinking?!) Anyway, congrats on the permits! Hooray!!!!

Anonymous said...

Ooo, those are beautiful! Make sure you take lots of pics of both the DEstruction and CONstruction of your decks! Can't wait to see the finished product. :)

Anonymous said...

You lucked out big time Joy, I love Chocolate Cosmos! And yes their scent is very much like the fabulous candy. :) Your bag of blooms shopping has yielded you some great finds. I'm glad the deck permits have been straightened out finally.

Carrie said...

YES, YES, YES they DO smell like chocolate! Absolutely divine. Good luck with them they are so pretty too.
Hope you weather clears up and the workmen have a new vigour (have you tried plying them with espresso?)

Cathy S. said...

Why Yes they do smell like Chocolates and I was thinking about planting them this year, being a floral designer I have seen them as cut flowers and they are so pretty.
Shopping sure can cure a lot of things...;)

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

I had some chocolate cosmos at one point and I don't remember what they smelled like(-: Maybe I didn't get a good whiff?(-: I don't mind you whining at all. I could go on for days about stuff but mine seems so small in comparison to everyone elses troubles. I am just glad to listen and offer some support(-:

tina said...

Shopping for plants always makes me happy too. Even better to plant the buys!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hi karenleigh !.. i have heard a few people swear that they really do smell like chocolate .. so the curiosity is definitely there for me : )

Kathleen .. there are such cute baskets in the stores (I almost bought one and we are all adults in this house ; ).. I have munched on the rabbit .. ouch ! haha
I love the dark colour .. conversations on chocolate or dark gardens comes up every year at some point .. so this will fit in !

"ben" I used to eat the candy eye out first in my Easter rabbit .. so he couldn't see me eating him .. then the ears , so he couldn't hear me eating him .. you would have smacked me for being so considerate ! haha .. Madonna ? chocolate ? please please don't tell me who else they made of chocolate .. that is terrible ; )
The nameless some one threw her out ? hahaha .. I wonder why ??LOL

Nancy .. I can't wait for it to be done myself !! .. depends on how quick I am with the camera when they go to it girl .. I don't get in the way of men with chain saws !! LOL

Hi Racquel .. I was STUNNED to see this bag there, so of course it flew into the cart in no time .. plus the bone meal .. I am so prepared for getting to work it is silly ; ) Thanks girl .. now if mother nature would cooperate ??

Carrie .. I can't wait to see these flower !! scent and sight to be heavenly then ? !! .. my deck crew is anxious to get this done too girl .. then they won't have to listen to me ask a thousand times "do you have the permit yet??" .. I think they will be flying once they get started : )

Hi Cathy .. shopping (garden shopping that is) cures a lot of ills for me .. plants and garden art .. doesn't have to be expensive for me .. just fun !

Frances said...

Good for you Joy. I have no experience with that plant, but plenty with those chocolate bunnies. Good bye to the old deck, we'll miss you, (sort of, in a nostalgic way) :-)
Frances

Gail said...

I have added a trip to Costco to the list~~I hope they have that delicious looking and smelling cosmos here!
I must find my perfect Easter Card with the chocolate bunny to show you! Glad to hear the leagalities are in order...Now guys get over to Joys and work...you're Canadians, what's a little snow! Gail

F Cameron said...

I look forward to seeing how those grow -- I love the idea of growing chocolate flowers! I didn't see anything so pretty at Sam's Club today. I think there's a Costco around here somewhere.

Cameron

Jill-O said...

I have your run-of-mill pink cosmos and, though they are annuals, they do reseed themselves for me every year. Hopefully the chocolate ones do the same.

Plowing Through Life (Martha) said...

Oh, I don't know if I'd call it whining... I'd say you're 'protesting', which you have a right to! I tend to 'protest' too when obstacles get in the way of my projects.

And what better way to handle the stress than to go shopping for gardening goodies and CHOCOLATE! I love those flowers! I don't believe I've ever seen them (or haven't noticed them?). In any case, can't wait to see them in full bloom.

So remember...you're protesting, not whining...LOL...

RURAL said...

See chocolate is GOOD for you. Now you are feeling better.

They really do smell like chocolate, especially if the sun has warmed them up a little.

Jen

Tessa said...

It's okay, Joy! We love you wining and all :). Glad you got your spirits up going shopping- just think of all the new and different things you'll want to do with that new deck!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Cindee ... for some reason you and Tina weren't here when I replied before girl .. how did you do that ? haha
You are too sweet .. you should be chocolate ? ; ) .. that is very good of you girl, I appreciate the support greatly !!

Tina .. that really is the part of the process I miss .. most of this season (when it gets going .. the planting part happens as soon as I get home with the newbies : )

Hi Frances .. thanks girl ! .. You haven't tried these ? .. I am so curious to see what happens with them this year .. I won't miss the old deck at all !!! haha

I'm wondering about the American Costco stores .. I know VW tried to find the dicentra plants I found a week or so ago and she had no luck ... but maybe you will be luckier Gail .. I would love to see that card ! .. we are a tough people but the science behind this project is a bit more technical while connected to wet weather issues .. blah blah blah ?? LOL

Hi Cameron .. I would definitely have a look at Costco .. these plants are imported from Holland .. I trust the quality of the stock .. I just can't seem to stop buying them ? this may become a problem ?? LOL

Hi Jill .. I have Sonata Cosmos and Psyche ? white (first year for the white ones) so I am wondering if these would reseed .. but I will lift some of the roots in any case to see if I can save some for next year too : )

Martha ! how sweet is that ? "protesting" .. now that sounds good to me ! have you gotten any in Montreal ? .. starting Thursday afternoon it is supposed to be wonderful for quite a few days .. fingers crossed for us all, especially with you guys driving back and forth so much .. hope things are going well ?

Jen ! so you have experience with these girl ? .. sounds great to me .. smelling them on a warm sunny day .. afternoon time .. perfect !

Tessa .. thanks girl ! .. I'll be thinking of deck lay out for all sorts of scenarios ? BBQ placement (hubby's job .. I don't do gas appliances ? haha) sitting area .. ah yes .. glass of something cold to sip as well ! ahhhhh : )

Nola said...

Love the chocolate cosmos, I've never seen that color. Don't worry, it will soon be spring and that will lift your mood, it's an all natural antidepressant!

Anonymous said...

chocobunnies!

Pat said...

You know what?
That's what I need!!
Just did a little but need more.
More is better!
You would have to get a plant that is called chocolate. :)

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Nola , girl you are absolutely right ! .. as soon as I saw a bit of sunshine this morning and snapped a few sunrise pictures .. I felt better already ! This cosmos has always fascinated me .. first time I have seen it in a package like this ! Yipppeeee ! : )

Hi knittnkitten ! YES !!! coco-bunnies : ) ya' gotta' love them girl : )

Patsi girl .. you could take me chocolate hunting and I would find it for you no matter how well hidden it was !! : )

Meadowview Thymes said...

I love cosmos--and I love that color! I have never seen it before. Chocolate bunnies--pretty cosmos...YUM!!

Anonymous said...

We did have a non growing season this year, it just meant with the new yard that we did all the soil conditioning and structural stuff.
And yes, it is exhausting.

WiseAcre said...

Thank goodness this will be the last post with photos of the old deck. I was about to come over and rip it out myself. You know a man can take only so much whining before he either goes fishing or start tearing things apart :)

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hi MT ! .. You haven't seen that plant before ? .. I have been admiring it for a few years but never got a hold of it until now .. so I am really intrigued to see how thngs develop ? ; )

Hello again kitttnkitten : )
Soil enhancement is such an important factor (I have to do a lot this year too !) .. the hardscaping (don't ya' love that term ?) is also key to setting the tone of the garden .. lord knows my tone is almost gone waiting for the deck crew to start ??? ; )

Dear Mr. WiseA**
I am tapping my toes here waiting to see if my deck crew are going to as much drop the drawing off in my letter box here .. it just had to be a holiday weekend when the weather turned nice ? .. hubby is co-managing a hockey tournament for a few days here so he is very busy .. leaves me time to work up a lather over no action and staring at a dysfunctional garden ??? aarrgghh ! Come on down as Bob Barker used to say ?

Kerri said...

Joy, whine away, we're here to encourage :)
Oooh....you found chocolate cosmos! Lucky you! The color is gorgeous, and I really need to get a whiff of it now. I guess I'll go raid the candy stash. I know there's chocolate in there! Nothing like the power of suggestion to make us crave something, is there? Thanks very much Ms. Joy!
Happy Easter to you.
(You've heard the joke about the 2 chocolate bunnies, haven't you?) :)

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Kerri ! the joked about the two chocolate bunnies ? I'm not sure unless it has something to do with the eyes and ears thing ? LOL
T suggested a bit to much to myself and found another bunny to devourer (stress because of the deck NOT being done yet ??)
I will make sure to follow this cosmos closely so you can know how well it goes here .. maybe find one there ?