Of weddings, Virginia, and boxwood

I just returned from a wedding in Blacksburg, Virginia earlier today, so I've been away from my keyboard for a couple of days.

My very dear friend's son was married on the Virginia Tech campus Saturday, where he and his bride met and went to school. The ceremony was thoughtful, with the priest sharing the bride and groom's separate reflections on marriage, written as part of a pre-cana assignment. Gerber daisies in several shades of pink were carried by the bridesmaids and decorated a simple four tier scrolled white cake. Good food, good music, catching up with old friends and dancing made for a memorable time.

The Virginia countryside, as always, is just the best. As we drove toward Blacksburg on Route 460, after leaving the interstate, the New River sparkled on our right and one big emerald hill after another opened itself up to us. A rain overnight washed away yesterday's haze, and this morning, the fluffy white clouds danced in a bright blue sky all the while holding tight to the mountaintops.

Since I was away from home during the weekend, absolutely nothing was accomplished in the garden, which, with all the rain, is sprouting weeds faster than I can pluck them. So, I was determined to do some work this afternoon, in spite of the 90+ degree heat.

The little sprouts pictured above are seedling boxwoods I started from cuttings last summer. It was really easy to do. I took soft cuttings from boxwoods around my yard and removed the two-thirds of the lower leaves. The wet cuttings were dipped in rooting hormone, then inserted them into plastic trays filled with potting mix. I made little holes in the mix with a pencil before inserting the cuttings, so the rooting hormone would not be wiped off when the cuttings were put in the tray. The trays were dampened thoroughly and put in a plastic bag in a shady part of the garden. After several weeks, the cuttings rooted and I transferred them to individual mix-filled peat pots. They managed to survive the winter. Early this spring, I put them on the wall around the garden where they could soak up the sunshine. But, they've begun to dry out very quickly. They're looking a little yellowish, so I think they've exhausted the nutrients in the soil. I planted 40 of the hardiest in the garden after adding compost late this evening. There are another 40 or so left to go. I hope they will thrive in their new home.

What am I going to do with 80 boxwoods? Well, I've got some ideas, but I'll save those to share with you later.