The good. I used to loathe Stella because she was such a common bloom. You just see her everywhere. I've found out why - she's incredibly consistent and durable in these here hills.
Not that either the run-of-the-mill butterfly or the ho-hum petunia are that great, but I had fun playing with my camera.
My astilbe bloomed this year! I feel as though I've succeeded in the fine art of gardening.
And then I've got these. The Bad.
The entire hosta is like this. I have no idea what it's problem is. It's kinda pretty in a moth-eaten way, but obviously it has a major problem. Thankfully hosta are hard to kill. Although I think this one is maimed pretty good.
And what is up with my hydrangea? It's way smaller than everyone else's in the neighborhood. Theirs? Are in bloom. Almost. They're at least full grown. Look at that pathetic little thing - it barely cleared the ground. And it's gotta be at least 5 years old so you can't say it's just a baby.
But do you see the brown spots on that leaf? Who knows what THAT is?! Is there some sort of leaf disease spreading among my plants that I should be aware of? I can't really blame that on the dogs or the kids.
I've got The Ugly, too.
I know peonies do this routinely as they pass on. But mine passed on before all the buds broke open. And others' peonies had no intention of giving up the ghost as early as mine did. My plants can't wait to burn and die under my brown thumb.
But this? This is the crown jewel of stupidhood in my garden.
It's a thistle. A bona fide, grade A thistle. And it thrives like the green bay tree - because it's a THISTLE.
Why don't I pull that thing up by the roots and burn it at the stake, you ask? Ah, that's the Million Dollar Miracle Gro question.
Because I bought it.
Yes, I paid good money for that unsightly eyesore. And it's not alone! It has a handful of friends that take up premium space in my garden, thriving the way they do. The picture in the magazine showed a lovely, very largely oversized purple ball type flower. It was cool. I wanted it. It was called a Retro Echinops. Fun name, too!
And then it turns out to be nothing more than a thistle. Yes, it bears the fun flowers on top, but it's really hard to miss the fact that it's nothing more than a common weed with a fancy name. And I can't bear to kill it because I paid money for it.
Stupid is as stupid does.
13 comments:
I could have brought you some great thistle here!! LOL!!
I have a hydrangea that is not blooming either. It did grow a bit larger but is tacking in the flower department! I have no idea what those brown spots are???? I have the furthest thing from a green thumb!!
Yay on the astilbe! I didn't know they made (grew, whatever) white kinds like that. Mine is a reddish one, and not blooming as fully as yours. Guess what I have to look forward to in a few years!
I'm not help on the not blooming things, but I will say that my neighbor has peonies in her yard and this year they died FAST and never really got pretty. Maybe something's going around?
Hah, Weeds are the only thing I can grow because I have a serious black thumb. My "garden" is full of thistle!
Live and learn I say!
We shall take a walk when I am at your house and discuss some of the bad and ugly, which really should be labeled the could use some help and the totally normal.
Forgot to say . . . Before the little shindig, did you prune your hydrangea? When? They get crabby if you prune them too early or too aggressively.
I am impressed you can grow anything. I have whatever color is the opposite of green thumbs.
Your plants could look worse. I could send Jake to you and prove it. He's the garden eating machine...
And I happen to think thistles are lovely. Especially these ones. I like purple.
I can tell, your thumbs are definately greener than mine! I like your peonies, can you "dead-head" them like roses? just wondering... Your, thistle cracks me up! I would keep it too. :D
I also have the good with the bad in my gardens - I can't help it!
Have a good weekend - Kellan
still looks better than my pathetic garden! My roses are out of control...though it's been too hot for me to trim them up much without ticking them off. And my blackberry bush is taking over way more space than allotted and it creeping into the neighbor's yard...good thing its the neighbors whose house was on fire (okay, that came out wrong...but you know what I mean...they aren't there to see my blackberry bush encroaching on their land). My raspberry bush? I don't know what the heck is going on with that thing...but if it doesn't give up some serious berries this year, I may have to yank it all up this fall and scrap it. Don't know if I got a bum raspberry plant or if the blackberry bush is secretly encroaching over there, too.
Also, Gavin's bean plant he brought home from school? Grew to the dang ceiling (and then some) and I'm not sure where to put the silly thing...it's making Justin nervous and he cries about it every other day. Where do you put a lone 7-foot bean plant?
You already know I can only grow weeds really well. I think I'd be more angry with the person that sold me the weed. I mean, seriously, that's just low. I don't always know what I'm buying I just read the little tab for sunlight, etc. I trust the thing is actually a flower, though. But in truth, aren't all flowers really just weeds. Some are just prettier than others. That's going to be my argument when the home owner association come after me!
I think if you can fill your entire garden with a variety of flowered weeds and such, that would be awesome. Think of the watering you wouldn't have to do. I also wonder if instead of weeding you would do flowering. Because those pesky Daisies would be running out your Thistles.
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