Despite mild temperatures and thus more time spent roaming the garden, I must have been more anxious than ever through this winter. The number of mail order plant purchases that are now beginning to trickle in should verify this, but I also have plans to add another redbud and a magnolia from the garden center, possibly this week. Undeniably, there is no need to add to the collection of redbuds and magnolias, but I’ve sort of figured out spots for both, so there’s no going back.

The pink flowered ‘Daybreak’ magnolia is the easy one. There’s a gap along the path behind the shed in the rear garden that should work perfectly for this narrow, upright growing tree. I hope it tolerates the somewhat damp ground. A few other magnolias nearby in comparable soil are thriving, so I think it’ll work.

It is interesting, I suppose, that I’m watching the buds of early flowering magnolias swell by the day, with some concern that newly opened blooms could be struck down by a freeze that night. Some might be cautious in adding to this annual possibility, but I’m happy to add a flower that is likely to please three out of four years. Maybe three of five.

Almost certainly, the ‘Whitewater’ redbud (above) with pendulous branching will eventually spread too far. It won’t be pruned, I never do, but I’ve had my eye on this one for months, and after one spot then another was filled by other favorites this is the last gasp effort, so it has to work. Neighboring plants might have to be moved in a year or two, but I’ll worry about that later.

The variegated foliage and weeping habit of ‘Whitewater’ should be a perfect entrance to the rear garden, and in case there’s not enough to hide the view into the garden this should complete the picture. I fell for ‘Whitewater’ seeing it in a tree nursery in the North Carolina mountains. Its variegated leaves are nearly identical to the two ‘Silver Cloud’ redbuds (below) I adored but had to chop out of the garden in the past few years as they leaned severely from the combined issues of arching towards the sun and ice and heavy snow.

It seems that the dreaming and ordering of plants is satisfying for only a short period, and that the joy is not complete until the plant is in hand. Typically, I stretch delivery dates on mail orders as early as the nursery will allow, and I agonize over those that don’t ship until April. I want it now. If I haven’t learned to be patient by this age, it’s pretty certain I’ll never change.

I am a penny pincher at heart, and with retirement set for the year’s end I would expect to be more cautious. But, I’m not. Instead, my garden spending has accelerated. I think I’ve figured out the finances that will allow continued spending after I quit, though likely a bit more modest than the ridiculous sum spent this winter. A larger question after this spending spree is, will there by any planting spaces that aren’t filled?