A Sublime and a Beautiful Sunday at a garden centre and playing with my growing chicks.

Happy Sunday

Welcome to another #SublimeSunday and #BeatifulSunday. Spring has truly sprung so we're spending our Sunday enjoying plants and chicks, two of my favorite Springtime activities.

This post is for #SublimeSunday is inspired by @c0ff33a and #BeautifulSunday is initiated by @ace108.

The angelic look on the statue's faces mimic my own joy at Newly Opening Spring Garden Cetnres. That joy of the first day the shop opens and all the plants are laid out. Of course , here on Cape Cod, we've a few wonderful choices for garden centres, some open earlier than others, some open year round.

I was in the area that Olsen's is located and they had just opened the previous day.

Early Days yet, with many plant tables still empty, but so much hope to come.

In fact, the previous week I was in the area to shop a darling little antique place, Clam Shack antiques, and I needed to be back on this day to get more measurements from somehthing there for my new veg garden (I'm still deciding but if it works out I'll happily share it on my vlog and blogs here).

I had noticed last week the vans unloading and the workers setting up all the tables with the sign it was opening next week. I knew then that a Sublime Sunday would be had by perusing newly opened garden centre, one of my favorite bits of Spring (I've Many favorite bits of Spring).

The newly opening cherry blossoms on the weeping tree made like rain falling onto all the new Spring plants waiting for purchase.

As it is still early here, we're mainly getting pansies, cold hardy plants and of course all the lovely blossoming trees. The weeping cherries were magnificent and I was happy to see a few "SOLD" tags on.

A gorgeous poppy drew me in.

The striking color of this poppy pulled me in straight away. In fact as I pulled in, the one bright blossom was floating above the sea of green of it's bretheren which had still to open their heads.

One is meant to buy the plants full of tight blossom not already opened bloom. But, when one is out on a #SublimeSunday one follows one's heart. And anyway I wanted to make sure of the color of the poppy, as it will most likely end up in a particular border.

I was already excited to see it at home against the blue of the sea.

The Lenten Rose or Hellebore in all it's magnificence.
Of course Spring and First days at Garden centres always mean Hellebores. i think a person can not have enough of these amazing flowers in their life. They bloom early even often through the snow. This variety was one of those breed to keep their heads up, often they bloom with little drooped heads, which I think is also lovely.

Here is the variety of this one if you want to find it at your local place

These look so lovely when mass planted.

A sight to make a gardner's heart skip a beat, masses of potted plants waiting to be ferried home in your own garden.

I'm forever taking photos of nametags on such visits as I can't buy all I like at the time (one has to stick to their weekly Plant budget in Spring) , this way I can go through before my next visit and remind myself what to get, for example, I'm grabbing some of these amazing Pelargonium (geranium).

Lovely Regal Pelargonium

Geraniums are quiet easy to make from cuttings, so I'll get a "mother plant" and see if I can make a few 'babies' for the Summer. It's a good way to both support the local shop and also help my pocketbook. With so much garden to fill a gardener has to be penny-wise.

I was very good and here is my modest haul.
And of course when I got home, I had to unload my plants and take out the chicks or their afternoon outdoor time.

They are happily living in a brooder in my plant room so I can see and visit them throughout the day. I find if you are keeping a clutch for pets, as these shall be, daily contact and being close to you is important. I make my morning tea and sit with them first thing in there, letting them sit on my lap in turns.

A Silkie Chick proudly showing her growing feathers

I'm still deciding if this Silkie (one of 2) is going to be silver or white. I'd hoped she'd be silver and her little sister an apricot, but we may have 2 whites. I'm also hoping they are SHE and not He. When getting bantams they are always 'straight run' which means you'll get a hen or a rooster when they begin to grow, as they haven't bothered to separate them.

These two are the most daring and out going.

My Hope is that one of the five Belgian D'uccle chicks will be a Rooster (you see I do want ONE rooster) and all the rest hens, including the silkies. Silkies make great mother's and having a broody hen (one which will sit any eggs you put under her) is an invaluable tool as well as a loving pet.

The color of the D'uccle will be truly lovely, here are the looks of the adult hen and rooster (not my photo).

They will have muffs and beards and feathered legs and stay quite small. I picture them strutting about a little garden here, tho I'll Always have to have them penned as we've so many predators, but when I'm out in the garden I'll let them peck about and then when it's time to go in I can call them back to their run (hence the import of their being very secure and friendly with me). Besides, it's a lovely way to spend a #SublimeSunday sitting in the cool Spring afternoon drinking tea and petting a fancy chicken on one's lap.

And finally, I knew the color of that poppy was perfect.

The brillant new poppy shone against the quiet early green and still empty beds of a Springtime Seaside garden

It will actually LOVE the seaside of the house, as I've had many poppies, including our native variety that grow IN the sand on the beach, and they love the wind and heat of high Summer here.

I think it's happy with it's new home.

Well, thank you for joining me today and if you'd like to share IN this day, then here is my Vlog of the trip you can watch and enjoy.

I Hope all of you have a lovely day and can indulge in your own passions, whatever they might be. And do think about joining in a #SublimeSunday and a #BeautifulSunday.

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