new plants for our garden

Yesterday I went shopping with Janet, a new biology teacher from school - I have been assigned as her mentor during her first few weeks in El Salvador.

After we had done the weekly shop in Walmart and had a welcome skinny latte at Coffee Cup we stopped to look at the plants that were for sale on a little market stall in the middle of the mall. I often stop and browse the plants...... hortensias (hydrangeas), orchids...... but Andy always protests and I have never bought anything.........until today! I picked a very nice Peace Lily ($12 - £7.32) and a hanging basket with a strawberry plant ($4 - £2.44) .... and a few juicy looking strawberries. The Peace Lily did not come in a pot, just a black plastic growing bag, which was ok, as it gave me chance to look for a nice pot.

Today, after lunch Andy and I went shopping to Freund, which is like a smaller version of B+Q - it sells almost anything you could ever want for DIY, household and garden......but has far less choice than you would get in the UK. I headed straight for the garden centre, if you can call it that, a room at one end where all the plants are. I bought two plain terracotta pots and saucers, one of which was for the Peace Lily, and I bought a shrub with orangey-reddish flowers for the other one. Andy chose chives, mint, dill, parsley and rosemary, and while he wasn't looking I sneaked two terracotta tortoises into the trolley, and pink dianthus' to put in them.

In total we bought:

• 2 terracotta pots
• 2 terracotta saucers
• 2 terracotta tortoises
• 5 plastic pots for the herbs
• 1 small bag of compost
• 1 flowering shrub
• 2 dianthus
• 5 herb plants

and the grand total came to $31, which translates as £18.90!!! What would £19 get you in a UK garden centre? Not much!!

Watch this space for updates on whether they thrive or die in our garden!!

Update:We have ripe tomatoes on our plants. Can't wait to eat them with a yummy salad!!