Are you a weed?

Tags

postaday2016, weeds

I usually ask this question in early spring, when the greenery starts to pop up and I can’t remember who was planted where, but apparently this question works in early summer as well because I know I didn’t plant this one myself. How do I know this? This pretty yellow specimen showed up in between the stones surrounding the garden/pool area in the back and has spread to the garden itself. Originally I had thought that it was the pretty purple flower that had spread because they have very similar leaves, now that it has finally bloomed, I see that maybe it’s a cousin come in to visit, either way if it is a weed, it is a very pretty one and I think I’ll let it stay.

Working my garden

Tags

gardens, plants, postaday2015, weeds

        

This is a taste of what June will look like for parts of my garden. The Rhododendron offered its first bloom and so has the Iris, it is a study in violet so far. Since the weather has been exceptionally wonderful, at least for me, mid sixties with even cooler nights, the Lilacs have had a longer staying power which is a real treat. I still walk up to them and bury my nose in their tiny petals, inhale and linger with their lovely scent all around me.

I have been busy planting a few herbs that we purchased yesterday after the movie; rosemary, dill, thyme, oregano and mint. I made major dents with my pruning shears on the quince bushes in the back and a few other bushes that I don’t know their names but I know that they need to be kept in check because otherwise they grow way out of control. Lastly I am weeding all around the pool to tidy it up because it always looks nicer when it is groomed.

I am getting tired, but it is a good tired, the kind that gives you a great night’s sleep. 

Rediscovering my flowers and Jack

Tags

gardens, pictures, postaday2014, weeds

While I was away from home for about two weeks I missed our son, Jack and my garden. I was away from my husband for only a week, so I missed him as well, but two weeks was a long enough time to be away from Jack and our son. As I was walking outside to see how much work there was to catch up with, I decided to focus on the blooming roses, the recurring purple flowers, I still can’t remember their name, and the upright phlox instead. There is so much work to do such as weeding and more weeding and pruning and more pruning that it got to be depressing because I still feel exhausted from my week of tour guiding. The photography club and I covered miles of New York City together on foot and my bottom half still remembers every single footstep and believe me, I am used to walking, but this was walking on steroids. Anyway, taking pictures of my flowers helped distract me from any guilt of not jumping immediately into gardening chores. I need to rest my weary bones.

I am fighting with the bane of my existence again

Tags

bamboo, Gardening, plants, postaday2014, weeds

It is that time of year again, I have to get down and dirty and beat back the two invasive pests in my gardens; the Bishop weed and the bamboo. If each of them would just stay in check in their respective spots, I wouldn’t have an issue, but no they both creep forward towards my other plants choking the life out of them,so I have to go to town against the Bishop weed and the bamboo to keep the biodiversity of my garden active and healthy.

The reason that I spend hours digging out these two plants is because they have root systems that can be at least a foot long and go very deep; they both also love to hide within the middle of plants that are much more delicate, making it very difficult to completely eradicate them. If you leave a tiny piece of the root, you are guaranteed to have them come back the following year.

Today sped by so quickly; without being aware of it, I spent seven hours at weeding and I barely made a dent. Though I am happy with how I left one of my garden patches, but I still have two other garden patches that need my attention.

It may seem weird, but today was such a relaxing day; me kneeling in the dirt, quietly and methodically digging deep and pulling up root after root, following each root to its lengthy end. Meditation and relaxation are the wonderful outcomes when I weed. I may be tired, but I feel very happy with how my day went.

When weeds come home to roost

Tags

garden, neglect, postaday2013, tending, weeds

What happens when you spend two weeks with your hubby away from home in Boston? Weeds creep out from their hiding spot to take advantage of my absence and run amok throughout my garden. It is amazing how quickly they take over.

They have gotten quite big in two weeks, but when I get to them next week, they will be easier to pull out. When I have finished with the business of gardenkeeping, I’ll be sure to take a picture to show how neat the garden should look like at all times. In my more established gardens, there are so many different varieties of ground cover among the perennials that they have in effect, prevented any weeds from coming in to the gardens.