BeautifulBraveBecoming’s Weblog

This spring/summer I am making my first foray into the world of gardening.  It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun and I am really enjoying it more than I thought I would.  Foe me, the results are totally worth it . 

Now, I need to explain to you that I live in a subdivision that has an HOA.  My monthly assessment goes for all kinds of things…roof repair, driveway sealing, mailbox replacement, and oh yes, landscaping (also, snow removal, but that is a different rant, one for which you don’t have the time and I don’t have the energy).  This consists of mowing, weed and bug kiling (in other words, spraying deadly chemicals),  and, apparently,  random plantings of weedlike lilies which are never EVER tended and yet seem to grow to have taken over my yard.  As a special treat this year, they’ve thrown in the service of cutting my CABLE LINE…twice.  I do not like our landscaping company.

I do understand the need to spray the yard and as pro organic as I am, I’m thankful for it.  Mosquitos are my worst enemy and as there is a pond about 100 yards from my house, they have to keep on top of it. Because of the spraying, however, I am forced to grow my tomatoes and basil in containers on my deck.  They aren’t doing great.  Well, one plant is doing well, the others are kind of pathetic.  They are in large pots with organic soil and food, full sun, and get water regularly, and theyare just tiny and pathetic.  I’m really sad about it actually and I’m trying to turn it around because I LOVE tomatoes.  My basil was beautiful and full with big dark leaves, and now it’s flowering and looks kind of puny.  I snipped the flowers and now it is supposed to recover, but I don’t know.  Basil is cheap…I can get another…but I like the idea of keeping this one nursing it back to health.

Okay…the lilies.  I spent an hour and a half ripping them out today and didn’t even touch half of them.  Tomorrow the rest are getting whacked.  I like the idea of them, but these are just monstrosities.  They are seriously over three feet tall…and mostly greenery.  I’m replacing them with mums.  I bought five small bushes today. ..will plant tomorrow.  I also have hanging plants – two on a “shepherds hook,”  which isn’t really me, but I have it and it works, and I put up plant hooks (me with my handy drill) for my hanging plants.  I can’t remember what they are, but two are bright coral and two are shades of purple. Very pretty

I also planted a bunch of African Marigolds along the sidewalk border, and can I just say I LOVE them.  I chose the orange ones, and they look like big lush round golden carnations.  Gorgeous!   I’m headed back for more tomorrow. 

I went on the hunt for some fuscia today, but all I really came up with was impatiens, which will get WAY too much sun on that side of the house.  Grrr.  I’ve never seen geraniums in the ground, so they’re out, and I couldn’t find petunias or pansies in the colors I need.  I’d like to go with some perennials, but I’m finding that most of them, I just don’t like.  They looks like weeds.  Perhaps a couple of flowering bushes.  Peonies…or dare I try a hibiscus.  Hmmm…

Yeah…there has been no writing.  A lot of working out, stress, end of school drama. and general day to day life, but no writing.  So I’m relaunching.  My gut is telling me to trash everything I’ve written previously and start again, but I’ve realized that that perfectionism is exactly what I am trying to get over…so I’m leaving it.  I haven’t blogged for months…didn’t feel like it…and now I do.  So I am writing again.  End of story.  No apologies, no excuses.  I have, fo the time being, returned. n    Hi.