Maybe it’s empty nest syndrome. It is exceedingly difficult for me to pass up the young plants offered in nurseries this time of year. I know I could walk on by and simply await all the unfolding surprises in my own garden, but to me these plants are somehow like kids without homes — I want to bring them in, give them a special place all their own to grow roots, tend to their needs, and celebrate their successful blooming. Hubby and I are not certain we are called to be foster parents, although we’re beginning to explore the idea, but parenting plants is another, incredibly simpler matter.

So this morning I succumbed to the temptation while perusing the garden section of Swain’s General Store, one of Port Angeles’s charming, old-timey establishments. For $10 I brought home seven plants — young delphiniums and lupines. I promptly planted them in the remaining empty areas in the garden along the garage, where I’ll view their towering blooms from the kitchen window. It thrills me that I live in a cool place where I can finally grow delphiniums!

In related news:  The chickens we are parenting have doubled in size and have reached an awkward, scraggly stage at about 3 weeks old. Hubby is hard at work building The Chicken Mansion.