Backyard Field Guide: Annual Spring Affair

Yes, yes, that's me, there in the middle, reaching for the rosmarinus officinalus...see me? I'm the one grinning...!

Today is my favorite day of the whole year (!!)--no exaggeration. I get to go on a mad shopping spree for spring plants.

In late April, UNL hosts their annual Spring Affair--a huge perennial plant fair. Thanks to this event I've become one of those fanatic Lincolnite gardeners (we'll call it enthusiasm but sometimes it looks like obsession...). I am now one of the green-thumbs waiting in line for the doors to open, highlighted list of Latin plant names in hand, ready, set to go...!

This year, we've decided to expand our back garden (seen here) and fill in spaces that over the years have become a bit bare. Rather than buying new plants in order to experiment, we went with reliable, dry-soil loving perennial favorites.

Perovskia atriplicifolia 'Superba', or Russian sage
Pardancanda norissi, or blackberry lily
Delphinium x cultorum, or Delphinium 'Centurion Sky Blue' (nothing compares to the blue in this delphinium--it is indescribably brilliant)Dicentra spectabilis 'Alba', or old-fashioned white bleeding heart...just to name a few! If I had to design a garden and could only choose four plants, I swear, these would be them. I hope to have pictures throughout the summer as we make progress on the project.