it's a mystery to me...

Sadly, it seems that there is something vaguely compulsive about visiting garden centers, and purchasing plants that one contracts (possibly pollen-borne or spring related illness?) from close friends and relatives. Lately, I have had a bad case of veering off into any garden center that appears on the horizon, whether there is any particular need/necessity for an item or not. Having a close friend, who consistently antagonizes his better half by such aberrant behavior, I think it could be that 'loss of control'-type behavior is contagious. It manifests in symptoms kinda like those bumper stickers you used to see about what would happen if the driver were suddenly overtaken by unexpected arrival of the rapture.

I 'accidently' stopped at a Lowe's garden center on Friday afternoon, while tooling along on my recent '599 mile round trip' across the state, returning from the coast.. I would like to have you believe that it was completely legitimate: as I had been looking for a couple of weeks for a specific plant to add color along the recently installed rock border in the north flower bed. I'd bought a small four-pack of perennials and planted them, then decided I liked them so good, I wanted more to look even more gooder. But could not find any locally - so I stopped at the big box. Where I did find a couple of pots I could divide, to add more color. Which I did on Saturday afternoon.

But when I went out on Sunday afternoon to water them, since the rains had not appeared, I discover: uprooted gazinias!!?? What in the world??? I replanted, along with putting several clumps of rescued dianthus back that had been mysteriously turned 'roots up' - and watered well. I am curious (though it is raining, and I hate wet socks) to see if those things I re-put in the ground yesterday are standing on their heads again today.

And as it gets curiousier and curiousier, I'd like to know Who/whatever would be rooting around in the nicely wet dirt to turn my plants up-side-down.... Armadillos?? Squirrels??? Sasquatch??? They were not consumed, so I don't imagine it could be deer (remember how the hydrangea plants literally disappeared overnight and the deer got blamed for enjoying the buffet?), but am baffled as to what would have wanted to turn some - but not all - topsy turvey and then abandon???