Someone Stop Me, Please

Frequently, us folks in horticulture tend to be plant collectors. Some can even be plant hoarders. I have wonderful co-workers, but a couple of them still have plants in pots going on four, five years now. Step away from the plant sale, people!

I'll admit to being a bit of a collector, and it doesn't help that I get a discount at the garden center where I work. However, I have a hard time saying 'no' to free or half-off plants, which leads me to the current dilemna - where do I put these?

From left to right:

• a Regal geranium that blooms purple and white and was too pretty to not come home with me. It'll be covered in flowers again in a week.

• the pot of pansies and miscellaneous annual that I planted because I needed something cheerful.

• a Red Dragon contorted filbert from The Morton Arboretum half-off plant sale because, really, it's too cool!

• a baby weeping beech from that same plant sale because my husband loves them. What? It'll be 30 by 30 feet, but I'll be like 90 or something by then. I can just prune it! (Famous last words.)

• a Red Charm peony that I bought myself as a 40th birthday present because I've been eyeing it for years.

• a baby trident maple that was being given away by the Plant Clinic staff (there may be more, if you want one) because it was FREE and needed a good home.

This does not include the chamaecyparis my other boss gave me, wild impatiens and trout lily from a co-worker, and the few edibles going in pots. Fortunately, because I work with a bunch of crazy plant people, I can pawn the free maple tree off on my boss. He's got space. I'm running out of room for trees. Dammit.