This weekend, I spent more time than usual looking at plants, which is to say, I actually spent time looking at plants. Normally, I don't pay them much attention. In those freak instances when I do notice them, I’m typically thinking, "Oh, that's a pretty plant." As I perused row after row of greenery, rare and random thoughts crossed my brain:

• Is this a perennial or an annual?
• Will it do well in my zone?
• What the heck is my zone again?
• Does it need full or partial sun?
• Is it drought resistant?
• How big will it be when fully grown?
• Will its colors complement my current landscaping concept?

These just aren't things I usually think about. According to the gardening book I borrowed, I live in Zone 14, but honestly, I think I'm living in The Twilight Zone. How else does one explain my sudden interest in P. Allen Smith, nurseries and Sunset: Life in the West? My world has become a very scary place filled with terms like dahlia, deciduous and deadheading.

Just so you and I know what types of plants and trees I'm thinking about, here is the tentative list so far:

• lavender
• coreopsis
• day lilies (yellow, white or orange)
• japanese maple (oshio beni or oshu beni)
• tulips
• delphinium
• plumbago
• roses (Heirloom, Mister Lincoln and Pearl Essence)
• bird of paradise
• a dwarf conifer, possibly a false cypress of some sort

The impatiens already in the yard will provide plenty of color as they grow and bloom, but I'm beginning to think they might be too bright and colorful for the garden I'm envisioning. They may eventually have to find a new home.

Besides visiting three nurseries, I bought an iron arbor with a gate and two side shelves. It will make a charming entrance into the garden. I will take a picture of it after it's been assembled. I still need to post a photo of the pavilion. Next tasks for the yard: pegging down the weed cover and mixing topsoil into the planting areas.