Across much of the full breadth at the back of my house in Columbia, Maryland, is a deck one story up above the ground. During the warm weather, I spend as much time as I can there, enjoying the view looking north across the pond into the many trees that surround me. All around the edge of the deck is a fence topped by open flower boxes. As early as the weather permits, I fill those boxes with blooming plants. This year it will be a mix of pink-blooming impatiens and begonias. I also have flowerpots, some hanging, some resting on the deck, that will be planted. I’ll need between 60 and 70 plants to do the job.
Most nurseries near me don’t have on hand enough plants on hand to fill my needs, so I go to the Sun Nurseries, close to half an hour away from my house. And if I don’t get there early enough, they’ll have sold most of their plants so that I won’t be able to buy enough.
So far this year, it’s been cool enough that the plants haven’t been ready for sale. To be on the safe side, I regularly call Sun Nurseries to see when I should come by to pick them up. Thus far, it’s been too soon. But the plants will be ready as soon as it warms up.
So once again this year, until the first fall frost, I’ll live in the glory of a festival of color on my deck.
Tom Glenn, Writer 