On Being a Farm Wife (and other hazards) , Joyce Bupp But I couldn’t help it. They just begged to come home with me. Those little faces were so ador able, so appealing, so irresistible. All my resolve melted away. So I walked back to the clerk at the register, paid up and returned to make the final, tough decision. Now. Which to choose? A petite, white one had a sort of stately look to its face. The orange one with die blackish whiskers was especially perky. And the ted one was a real eye-catcher; so was the two-toned blue. No, no, no. not kittens. Pansies. While I admit to numerous bad personal habits, impulse buying is not usually one of them. But it does rear its head, however, when faced with a retail layout devoted to seeds, plants, and gardening. Sometimes I justify it in farm lingo an investment in “breeding stock,” some plant which can easi ly be propagated into a dozen clones for sharing, gifting or brightening the outside landscape. Pansies ate not for breeding stock. They’re for fun. And pansies come on the market at the very point in the year when we gardeners are most vulnerable. Not much else is blooming outside yet and the exquisite loveliness of colorful pansy faces offers bright color where there would otherwise be none. New pastel shades bred into pansies in recent years make them even more attractive than before. The bright yellows and deep pur ples of classic pansies have been complemented with gentle shades of pink, pale blues and soft, blush ing oranges. But the fragile, delicate appear ance of their beautiful bloooming faces is a cover-up. Pansies are tough. Dandelions are also tough, but pansies have lots more personality. They’re ruggedly durable, too. Those blooms will hold up through being covered with a couple of inches of late snow, sort of shake themselves off when it starts to meltandputa “wasn’t that refresh ing!" smile on their faces. In fact, if started in late summer from seed and planted out in the fall, pansies will price up blossoms during winter’s warmer spells. My mom picked a pair of pansy blooms from one of her more shel- tered flower beds about two months ago. I never seem to be that well organized in late summer to remember to start pansies. Or can’t find seed if I do think of it then. Luckily, the professional green house folks plan further ahead and have them ready for us now, when we desperately need to satisfy those urges to kneel and stir around in the dirt Pansies do well in all sorts of containers that can be moved around outside to wherever a little color is wanted. Last spring, 1 planted pansies in a couple of large flowerpots and an old, blue-granite Contestants Needed JACKSON CENTER (Mercer Co.) The Mercer County Dairy Princess Committee is looking for contestants for the Dairy Princess IT CAN HANDLE TOUGH CHORES IN STIHLIERRITORV. 029 STIHL FARM BOSS * STIHL Number One Worldwide Available at these servicing dealers AlDdlift Hummels Warf RoaiMtOWll WOODBINE MOWER & SAW CO. 12M WOODBINE HO. 717-442-3271 Dallastown TRI-BORO CONCRETE, INC. 43* Locutt IL 717-244-3096 1-400-432-9018 East Earl GOODS LAWN & GARDEN CENTER Rout* 23 717-354-402# Ext 34 MESSICKFARM EQUIPMENT, INC fßtwams Exlt-RL 2*3 Elizabathtown, PA 717-3#7-131f, 717-453-4487 WES STAUFFER ENGINES & EQUIPMENT 23 PtMMDI Valley Rd. 717-73#-4215 BOLLINGER’S LAWN & GARDEN EQUIP. Ephrata, Pa. 717-734-1131 717-484-2710 Harahay, PA 717-833-40 M GAP POWER EQUIPMENT Comw oi m. so a m. t«7 717-442-M7O SHARTLESVILLE FARM SERVICE PD 1, Box 1382 »10-4##-1028 DISTRIBUTED BY KEYSTONE STIHL Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 1, 1995-B5 canning kettle that had developed holes from age and use. then grouped them on the semi-shaded patio where they could be seat from the kitchen. They bloomed for several months, until-mid summer heat finally did them in. But what color to choose? Faced with those wonderful colors of blooms, I just can’t seem to make a decision. Yeah, that was me, crawling around on my hands and knees through the pansy flats. Hunting the six-packs with six different colors in ’em. Pansies are worth making a fool of yourself in public. Pageant. To learn about the qualifications required, call Angela George, chairperson, at (814) 786-9402. • Excellent power to weight ratio • 3.3 cu. in. engine • Lifetime ignition warranty HUMMEL’S TEXACO Rt. 11 6 IS 717-743-7459 Jonestown BLUE MOUNTAIN ENTERPRISES, INC. Rt 72 Sooth 717-495-2994 BOMBERGER’S LAWN & GARDEN LlUts 717-020-3301 Ltbonon: 717-272-41 H GUTSHALL’S INC. Loyovtllo, PA-Carllclo 717-7444343 717-244-2313 EBLING LAWN & GARDEN SERVICE 444 E. UneolnAvo. 717-485-4720 Oxford ENFIELD EQUIPMENT 4400 Umaolona Rd. 610-832-44S# HERR’S REPAIR SHOP RD 2, Box 11SA 717435-1549 Palmvra WEAVER’S LAWN & GARDEN 740 W. Main 4t 717-834-8444 EAGLE RENTAL CENTER Rt 272 Runwtown Traffic Light 717-33&-3M5 Ronfes A & B SALES & SERVICE 370 Nawporl Road 2 MIIm South of Rt 23 Along 772 Thru Montaray MARTIN HARDWARE & EQUIPMENT CO. Rt SOIII/2 MIIm South of i, PA 717-4444417 LEINBACH FARM EQUIP. 1120 Rltnar Hwy. 717-832-8811 CHARLES S. SNYDER, INC. RD 3 717-384-8448 Hancock. MD HANCOCK BLOCK TRUE VALUE 220 Fulton 4t 301-474-7242 Whltaford MD ENFIELD EQUIPMENT INC. 720 Whaatar School Rd. 301-4744040
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