Potting and Soaking

 Today I decided to open and inspect the perennials I bought in bags from Walmart. They are available everywhere, like Lowes and Home Depot but I happened to be in WM the day they first went on sale. It is important to get there early before they die in the packages, which has happened when I bought them later in the year.  In the egg carton I have 32 Dutch Iris, Miss Saigon, which all but two look very healthy and some have even shown their first sprouts. They are sitting in a bit of water just to encourage life. In the pots at the top of this tray are four Patriot Hostas and at the bottom are six Stained Glass Hosta. Those all have huge long roots so I am excited to get them going. 

 

In the middle are five Oriental Mix Lily bulbs.  Only two look really healthy, but you never know. I saved my receipt if they don't make it.  Then in the next picture are three Calla Lily corms, which look fabulous. Lots of buds are visible and no gross fungus on them, Yay! I may buy more of these. No color is listed on the package, so who knows, but I will guess it will be yellow. 

 Then I am again trying Tennessee Ostrich Ferns. Two have lots of curled fronds ready to green up and the other two, meh. People are always telling me that ferns will take over. OK. Let's prove it. 

 If you could recognize these roots, you win the prize. These are Hollyhocks! Giganto roots, so I am excited to try these in my garden. I grew some back in IL but they got some sort of disease, making the leaves gray and dried out. I am hoping they have fixed this in the intervening years. Doubled flowers, no color specified. But healthy lookin', no?

 Then three Bearded Iris, Cherub's Smile, in PINK! Very dried out rhizomes, but I guess that means they didn't get moldy on the way here. I'm soaking them for a day or two to revive them. One of my neighbors iris are up six inches at the moment, so I am hoping to get these in the ground as soon as the bed is prepared. Not jumping the gun, since I assume it will be weeks before that will happen.

 And what can this be? It is four big roots of Bleeding Hearts. Yay! I love these plants and hope they take in my new garden. Two have long sprouts already, in white, and hopefully they will green up now in my sunny laundry room. 

Here's my beauty from 2011. Sigh. I've been trying to get one that rivals this guy ever since. Maybe this year.

Still in the package, 9 Stella Doro roots. I kinda think they will just go straight into the garden, as I  have faith they will do well here.  I am hoping to get some Southern Comfort heucheras and a Celandine Poppy...but I may have to order them. My shade garden will be glorious if it contains plants like these.