Mr. Bee and I have really been working hard to get our garden spruced up for the growing season.  This post will kick off a series of posts on the buzz in my garden.  The grocery store doesn’t have to be just for milk and eggs — it can also be a great source for pottery and plants.   I stopped into Albertson’s grocery store recently and right at the front door were two beautifully
hand-painted pots from Mexico.

I couldn’t believe the price of them either.  About the same time I spotted these, I had just picked up two hibiscus trees for less than $20 at Kroger.  I knew the bright red flowers would be the perfect punch for the pots.  So, I went ahead and purchased the pots knowing that if I went back for them later, they wouldn’t be there.  When I transplanted the hibiscus plants into the pots I gave them a good dose of plant food and added sweet potato vine and wave petunias.  That was about three weeks ago and now the hibiscus plants are covered in red blooms.  I saw my first hummingbird the other morning so this is a good sign.

The other thing I purchase at the grocery every year is ferns.  The Kroger’s carries Boston ferns each spring for $10 each.  They are healthy and huge.  Here’s a tip on how to keep them alive all summer and well into the Texas winter months — don’t leave them in the hanging pot they come in.  I always transplant the ferns into big pots with fresh potting soil from the nursery.  I add in a little plant fertilizer, then keep them watered all summer long.  When everything else has stopped blooming because the heat is stifeling, I can always count on a little green from fern.