Saving Spring

Spring came to Home Depot a couple of days ago, but unfortunately winter wasn't ready to relinquish its hold. When I visited the garden center, I discovered that the employees had "moved Spring inside," away from winter's last (hopefully!) blast of cold air.  I captured the sad scene with my cell phone camera. The shelves and racks, both inside and out, were empty and the aisles were deserted, except for employees still moving things around.   I was headed from the garden center to inside the store when I was greeted by a profusion of color stacked high on racks of shelves.  It was so beautiful, but sad to see, too.       Due to the hard work of the Home Depot employees, brilliant red Cyclamens, Geraniums, and glorious yellow Jonquils were saved from the cold.                       Unfortunately, some other flowers and plants didn't fare as well ... like these pretty little blue flowers. And the top two rows of flowers in the picture below look as if they fought a hard battle with the cold. Perhaps they (and the blue flowers) will bounce back with a little sunshine and some water.  I hope so. If Home Depot has a "death row," I guess these plants would qualify. The bright green frond of the fern in the picture below shows how these ferns looked "before" they were exposed to the below-freezing temperatures of a day ago. Some more "death row" candidates ... so sad!  This label shows what those Lantana hanging baskets should look like ... It was strange to see tropical plants and flowers scattered throughout the aisles inside the store.   They were everywhere!     I'm so glad they were able to move Spring inside for a day or two and save all those beautiful flowers and plants.   It seems that all I've been doing lately is whining about the weather.  I know Spring is on its way ... I've actually seen signs along the roadsides and in our yard ... so I will try to be more patient and less "whiney," and will look forward to Spring's arrival, not only at Home Depot, but all over the great outdoors!