This time of year, gardening is all I can think about. I’ve planted everything. I’ve weeded and watered and weeded some more. Now I’m waiting for my flowers and veggies to grow.

What better way to pass the time than shopping? I’ve bought plants and seeds, and I was delighted to find a pair of flowered plastic clogs waiting for me when I arrived home from a trip several weeks ago.

But a recent trip to Belfast’s Garden Cottage shop spurred my urge to splurge on garden goodies. I was inspired by the shop’s selection of garden books and classic garden staples, such as glass cloches and terra-cotta pots. The thing is, I have enough books to start my own library and so many pots that half of them are in storage.

What I really need in my garden (aside from healthy carrots and cukes) is a birdbath – low enough to the ground so ShopCat won’t become a bird-watching casualty, but high enough so he won’t sit there, licking his whiskers as our feathered friends frolic.

A recent visit to Everlasting Farm in Bangor was fruitful from a shopping standpoint. I picked up a clay birdhouse and a pair of Mud Gloves (each $7.95). The gloves are waterproof, mudproof, machine-washable and machine-dryable. Which is perfect, because I’m like Pigpen in the garden. But it did nothing to solve my birdbath dilemma, so I headed farther afield.

First I stopped at The Little Flower & Garden Shop in Surry, an offshoot of Sweet Pea Gardens. The owner, Susan Keating, has amazing taste – Martha Stewart Living, Garden Design and Good Housekeeping have all done features on her sweet peas, and, as an aside, she did the flowers for my wedding. I just knew her new boutique would be fabulous, and I was right.

Part flower shop (think freesia and peonies, not carnations and mums), part garden resource, this tiny storefront is a haven for green thumbs. Keating buys supplies with a grower’s frame of mind. She only carries one line of tools – Smith & Hawken – but her experience has shown they’re the best tools. She also sells unique flowerpots, vases and accessories that you won’t see anywhere else. And her prices are good, too. I picked up a small, ornamental watering can to remind me to give my plants a drink ($3). What I didn’t find was a birdbath.

I hit the road again and made an unplanned stop at Renys in Ellsworth, where I ended up buying a galvanized steel window box ($5.99) and a garden caddy ($4.99) so I can stop schlepping my tools, seeds and books around in a dirty old bucket. I saw plenty of gnomes, but no birdbath.

Next, it was off to Winter Harbor, where author David Fickett opened The Plot Thickens last summer. I saw a fabulous birdbath – low, heavy, cast concrete inlaid with seaglass in a spiral pattern. I also drooled over the twig furniture outside. But the shop was closed, so I couldn’t buy anything.

On my way back, I took a detour off Route 1 to Willowbrook Garden in Sullivan. Artists Paul and Ann Breeden spent six years carving this shady oasis out of an overgrown plot. It’s truly inspiring, and I’d love to spend more time there. But I needed a birdbath.

When I landed at Hilts Landscaping on Route 1 in Hancock, I immediately regretted not stopping in sooner. Owner Elizabeth Hilts carries a fantastic selection of garden goodies, such as the Mexican glazed planters by the door (I like the window boxes for $39.95). The trellises and birdbaths by Rusty Girl, an Ontario-based company, also caught my eye, but they were way out of my budget. There were cute birdbaths inside for around $15, but I knew ShopCat would knock them over in an instant.

In the new garden shop next door, Hilts has stocked an array of high-quality accessories, such as Haws watering cans, brass outdoor faucets, beautiful bird feeders, soft leather gloves by Womanswork, and antique-style plant labels ($18 for 10).

But I already have labels (which are really cool, and really inexpensive). I was flying (OK, driving) on a wing and a prayer, until I visited Star Root Farm in Hancock. Owner Cael Duerr recently opened the organic farm, and the attached garden shop is a hidden gem. Duerr carries Ikebana pottery made by local artisan Trent Gibbs, as well as copper whirligigs and silk scarves. But what really caught my eye was a low, simply designed birdbath made by Back to Earth Gardenworks, which uses recycled materials to make a lighter product.

It was perfect, and the price was right ($29). I went to pay with my credit card, but Star Root doesn’t take plastic. So close. So far away. My search had gone to the birds. But I’ll be back.

Reader question

Hey ShopGirl!!!

It’s your biggest fan (I have written you before regarding plus-size clothing). I just have a quick question: what summer colors will look good on me, a ghostly pale brunette? I do not go out in the sun at all, and don’t dare use the sunless tanners because I have extremely sensitive skin (and had a very bad experience in turning a bright orange from it when I was in high school). Will the bright turquoises and oranges look OK on me, or will I look even more washed out and pale than I am already?

Thanks again, you rock!

Amy

Dear Amy,

Thanks for writing! And extra thanks for the kind words! For starters, sunless tanners have improved by leaps and bounds since you last tried them (trust me, the same thing happened to me). Try Clinique’s sunless line, which would be perfect for your sensitive skin.

As for colors on pale brunettes, I would stay away from both orange and yellow, as well as any coral shades. I recommend turquoise. I specifically have this embroidered V-neck at Gap in mind, now on sale for $13.99, and there are sandals there that match it, too. Also, there’s a ballet-neck top at Lane Bryant that’s fabulous. Most blues, whether they’re greenish like turquoise or tinged with purple like periwinkle, look really nice on brunettes, and there are so many options out there right now.

Also, a bold pink could look nice, depending on your skin tone, as would a pale pink. A close friend of mine is pale with dark hair, and she looks fabulous in red, but you may need to wait till fall to see reds again. Of course, you could always stick to my old standby – a black top with khakis, which looks good whether you’re pale as a ghost or tanned as can be.

I hope this helps!

– ShopGirl

ShopGirl would love to hear from you! Send questions, comments or suggestions by e-mail to: kandresen@bangordailynews.net, by U.S. mail to: Kristen Andresen, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402-1329, or by fax to: 941-9476. Tune in to ShopGirl at 5 p.m. Fridays on WLBZ-2.