Actual Garden talk

I am STILL going through the gardens around here and getting some final annuals and such  planted.   I add a few perennials every year and have begun dabbling in miniatures.    If I manage it, I will at least have my fairy garden set up by the time the snow flies.   I have much rock to carry to build the area up and then fill with dirt.   Of course it will have to have a miniature water fall or something like that.  

I can see where some of the perennials I purchased years ago have grown into monsters, such as the Joe Pie Weed and the bee balm.    My favorite nursery lady told me how to handle splitting them when they are done blooming or in the fall so will tackle that later.   My mother-in-law had not noticed how these monsters magically appeared in the last few months until we had a conversation about them in the back yard.   She was amazed at their size.    They really need to have a moving day down to flower gardens near my bee hives.   They will be much happier there and I can find something tamer to replace them.

I  should post pictures.   My gardens are pretty humble and not weed free.     I am the sole gardener and chasing the number of beds around here is daunting.   We also have fence rows to clean up every year and then there is of course the lawn to mow.   Mowing the lawn is another addiction I have so farming that out is not happening either.   Well......maybe once in a while but the mower is broken now anyway so it doesn't matter.  

 This past week I have spent slowly taming other monsters like our rhododendron which was reaching for the roof.   It got a good whacking and we can see out the window again and it also doesn't look as bad as I thought it would.   My brother is a horticulturist and it was his suggestion.   We once had a Rose of Sharon in that area and that bush seems to want to be remembered forever as it comes up everywhere.  

If I keep up at this rate, I hope to get our monster hostas under control as well.   They are HUGE and very jungle like.   I hope to move most of them to put around places like the barn and other outbuildings to make them a bit more attractive.    The sun is coming up and it is raining so I am going out anyway with rain coat and my goofy hat to tackle before the little ones wake up and it is time to get ready for church.