The first plants are in the ground.

What an excellent day! Andy's mother, Diane, took us out to one of her favourite nurseries yesterday. H&E Nursery just down the street from our place. It was very lush and well maintained. I saw a sign for a succulent workshop that had happened a few hours before we arrived that I wish I could have attended. I will have to check their schedule to see when they are having another one.

We picked out four plants (for the nice price of $6. each) and a bag of soil. Then we drove back to the trailer to drop them off, and headed over to Baja Fresh for some food. Andy and I both tried the Wahoo (Ono) Fish Tacos that Diane recommended. I tried one of each of the grilled and crisp varieties. They were tasty, but I still like the Grilled Chile-Lime Salmon Tacos from Rubio's better.

After dinner, we went over to Cost Plus World Market in order to get some more tea for Andy. They have this stuff for relaxation with Valerian, Catmint, Skull Cap, and some other herbs. It really helps Andy fall asleep. I picked up some Kinder Bueno candy bars. They have a hazelnut creme filled wafer shell covered in milk chocolate. I wish it was dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate, but I'm not complaining.

For our garden, Andy and I have agreed to go for a purple, black, and green theme (for the most part) with white and a few other colours here and there.
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Potted Plant #1:
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Wallflower (Erysimum Hybrid 'Bowles Mauve') from McCall's Nurseries, Inc.

http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/
It just so happens that the very first plant we picked is going to be the first plant you see as you come to our yard. I've planted it in a nice clay pot that Diane brought over for us, and stuck it at the very front of the first flower bed. I think that it's perfect because it'll grow up around the light post. I can't put it directly into the ground because there's not enough depth in that bed, but the ground covers should surround the pot, and give a nice layered effect.
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Ground Covers #1,2,3:
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Superbells - Grape Punch (Calibrachoa Hybrid) from Proven Winners
www.provenwinners.com/plants/calibrachoa/superbells

I planted this first one directly into my front flower bed in order to get some colour in there early. However, from everything that I've been reading about them, they do better in containers because they like well-drained soil that is not too damp. So, it might not like all the clay in the soil. I may end up having to dig up that entire bed, to balance the soil better, if the ground covers don't take. But, I will definitely get some more for the containers later, but I'm primarily focusing on getting the flower beds finished before I more on to the potted plants.


Seen here with Sweet Caroline Raven - Ipomoea batatas (Sweet Potato Vine)
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The Verbena was Diane's idea, and a very good one at that. It says that it is quiet hardy, and it will grow quickly to fill in the flower bed. So, I am excited about that.

Verbena Hybrid - Tapien Blue Violet (Sunmaref TP-V) from Suntory Flowers Limited

www.learn2grow.com/plants/verbena-sunmaref
This is a slightly different variety of Verbena called, "Purple Homestead", to show you what it looks like in a low flower bed. It has larger leaves than the lacey Tapien leaves, and the flowers grow in rounded clumps.

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Bugleweed - Black Scallop (Ajuga raptans)
from Ball Horticultural Company
www.ballhort.com/Growers/plant_info

I'll try to post the pictures of the new plantings tomorrow.