How much is too much?

My dad died two weeks ago and since then I’ve really been evaluating my life and it seems the one question that keeps popping in my mind over and over again in every aspect of my existence is “How much is too much?” How much inconsideration should you take from a friend? How much money is too much to spend on luxury items? How much weight loss is too much weight loss? How much should you deny your heart its true desire? How much alcohol is too much alcohol***… LMAO The list goes on and on. Last weekend I stood in the garden and I took a look around and that was the question I pondered to myself. How much garden is too much garden?

***Note to readers*** Weeding is sooooooooooooooooo much more pleasant after a Bloody Mary or two in the early evening!

I decided it was time to start making some changes. At a time when most people are busy planting things I’ve been busy digging them up. I’ve been busting my butt removing plants from the garden. Some of those shrubs and plants have been there for 4 years now and have a huge root ball. It’s been hard work but it’s long overdue. It took me two days to get one of them out. So far I’m pleased with my progress I just really hate throwing away so many plants. It seems like such a waste… I contacted my local master gardener’s office offering to donate the plants. I figured they could divide them up and repot them to sell in their annual plant show. I never got a response from my email though. I stay so busy I only have specific days and times to devote to the garden so I have to do the work then. I can’t put it off in hopes of finding a solution for the wasted plants. I thought of shipping them out to other gardening friends but postage is just too costly. See! There we go again. How much money is too much to spend to keep from wasting it by throwing away plants? LOL

At least the birds are happy. There seems to be a lot more in the back yard this year than usual and they seem particularly comfortable with me for some reason. They stay very close to me turning their little heads sideways watching me and listening to me grunt as I struggle to get my chores done. They pretend to be interested in me, but I know they’re only in it for the worms. Every time I pull something out they are guaranteed a full belly from all the earthworms I uncover. I took you a few pictures of the plants that are trying to justify their space in the garden right now. I hope you enjoy them.

'Robleg"

'Amelia Rose' Azalea

'Alba Plena'

'Ice Wings'

'Zephirine Drouhin'

'Trouper Orange'

'Alba' Italian Jasmine

'Rosea' Chocolate Vine

'Lutea'

I hope this post finds you all doing well and enjoying spring.

*** A little update, the Master Gardeners are taking the plants. Yay!***

Just About Ready!

I’m so very excited about the jump start I have on spring this year. I don’t ever remember having the garden cleaned up and ready to go so soon. There are still a few minor things that need to be done, but nothing of any major significance. It is such a relief to have all the hard stuff out of the way so I have nothing to do but enjoy planting next year.

It never ceases to amaze me how empty the garden looks in the winter time. The vast majority of the plants I have die back to the ground in the winter. Last year, being by myself and just having back surgery I had help cleaning everything up. He came back about midsummer for a visit and even he couldn’t believe how different everything looked.

I took the ‘Sweet Autumn’ clematis down from this arbor this year. It was just becoming way too much vine for it. I have two very healthy vines that I’ll be removing and passing along to a friend. I was thinking about maybe planting black eyed susan vines on it. They come in so many different colors now a day. It’s not written in stone but that’s the idea I’m kicking around at the moment.

The Crepe Myrtles are starting to get some good size on them too. I’m going to be highlighting them with spotlights. I went yesterday and starting pricing the items I need to put the lights in the garden. I thought I would go ahead and buy the transformer and put down the wires this winter and I can always add lights all along. It’s going to be an expensive project so I thought I would reduce my eating out and purchase a couple of lights a pay period until I get everything like I want it.

Meanwhile, the camellia my grandmother rooted before she died has more blooms than I’ve ever seen on it before. I’m really starting to appreciate camellias in the garden. The pretty flowers in the winter time and the evergreen leaves have been a real treat for me this year. I need more evergreen shrubs in the garden and Camellias might be the way to go. My only concern is they grow so slow, it’ll take years for them to get any size on them. Just a thought…

Hope this finds you all well and happy.

Happy Holidays!

I hope this post finds everyone well, happy and enjoying the season. I got a jump start on spring this year and already have a large portion of the garden cleaned up and ready for the new growing season. The parts I haven’t cleaned were still blooming at the time. I started way behind this year because of the back surgery I had in February. I’m hoping next year is going to be a much better year for me and the garden. It’s really been neglected the past two years, but if the good Lord is willing I plan on whipping it back into shape next year. I’m looking forward to filling some empty spots where shrubs have died and adding a lot of annuals. Meanwhile, Mother Nature has already sent me a spring bloom in the middle of winter to keep me encouraged. Check out ‘CHRISTabel’ blooming in the picture above. Kind of appropriate don’t you think? Since CHRISTmas will be here in a week. This little beauty has been around since 1934 and the world is a prettier place because of it. I have several irises from the 1930's and I would love to expand my collection. Happy Holidays, Ya’ll!

Happy Blogiversary To Me...

Today is the 4 year blogiversary of ‘Our Eden’ and really, the garden is also four years old this month. My gosh… how my world has changed over these four years. I guess we never really know what life has in store for us, do we?

No doubt the people that read this blog regularly, have noticed my absence the past few months and it’s been a sporadic thing over the past two years. While I don’t care to go into detail about what was happening I’ve been using my absence the last couple of months to attempt to heal physically and emotionally. I’m still not quite there yet, but things seem to get a tiny bit better with every month that passes.

Don’t give up on me and the blog just yet. :-) I’m hoping that next spring will be a much better time for me and that the joy I once got from toiling in the soil will return to me full force. I have some new ideas for the garden, but for now I need to use this time to heal. Maybe between now and then I might even get in another post or two. :0) I just wanted all of you to know how much I appreciate the support you've give the blog over the past four years even in my times of absence. Thank you!

Rain! Precious, precious rain...

It has rained pretty much all week long and I couldn’t be happier! The garden was hanging on by a thread. I’ve lost so many plants the past two growing season it’s not even funny. Things in the garden were looking so ratty and haggard. But look at it now, so lush and green. And besides, I’m about ready to start re-doing some things anyway.

Even the grass is starting to fill back in some. All the St. Augustine was lost to the heat last year. Honestly, it’s really pretty but I don’t care what kind of grass I have as long as it’s green.

Hope this short post finds you well and happy. Happy gardening and many blessings sent your way!

Have a Good 4th!

I suppose this pre 4th of July post should have really been done in red, white and blue, but I just didn’t think ahead. Oh well, I hope you have a festive holiday anyway. I'm looking forward to three days off, a little trip away from home and some time for quiet contemplation. I did all the end of the week chores earlier this week so I am free to roam around this weekend. I’m hoping to get some really good pictures to post on my new photography blog while I’m away. For the shots I want to capture I really need a specific filter that I don’t have, but I’m going to see how well I can do without it. Wish me luck. Hey, nothing ventured nothing gained, right? Why don’t we take a look at what’s blooming in the garden?

The first flowers always catch my eye when I’m out in the garden. I love Flame Lilies and each year the stand continues to get larger, I’m enjoying the extra blooms this year. They’ve done really well.

The PeeGee in the back garden is loaded with blooms too. The ones planted on the side of the house haven’t done as well because I didn’t realize the watering system wasn’t working. They didn’t get enough water to produce blooms this year.

‘Ellen Bosanquet’ was given to me by a very good friend and she is really putting on a show despite the drought. The two photos below were taken just minutes apart. Isn’t it amazing how the shift in the afternoon light happens so quickly?

‘Stargazer’ smells absolutely delicious right now… I was walking around the garden yesterday and I could hardly wait to stick my nose in it and take a sniff. I really wish these guys would take off and spread like crazy, but alas they’ve always been well behaved.

These little tattered coneflowers are quickly becoming a favorite of mine. I love the simplicity of the flower design. That’s also why I love Black-eyed Susans. This little stand came up from seed two years ago and this year I see many more seedlings sprouting. I’m going to leave them alone and let them spread. Within the next three years I should have a patch about 8 feet long and they are going to be spectacular in bloom.

I hope you all have a happy and safe holiday spent with the ones you love most. Watch out for those short fused firecrackers!

"Nothing can dim the light which shines from within."
— Maya Angelou