- The most expensive plants die the quickest. Go for the 75% dead ones on the Walmart clearance rack; they're tougher than they look.
- It's best to not get too attached to specific plants...
- Actually, the plants that will thrive the most are...the ones you never planted! And they will faithfully come back every year, no matter how neglected they are.
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Volunteer butterfly weed Crepe myrtles (that I thought were dead when we moved in) |
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| Wild peas that grow all over our lawn |
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| Volunteer snapdragons |
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| Wild cucumber (*so cute but extremely toxic*) |
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| Wild garlic chives |
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| Wild ivy |
- Weeds are immortal. Fighting them is like trying to cut off Medusa's snake heads. Whenever I pull up a fluffy dandelion, I hear a thousand giggles as all the seeds fly away to the rest of the lawn they couldn't reach by themselves. So glad I could be of assistance.
- It's best to rent a truck when purchasing large plants. Or just do your best to not impale your children in the back seat.
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| I'm beginning to see why my children don't share my love of gardening... |
- Apparently 'seedless' doesn't actually mean seedless...unless you plant it with a seeded plant. Who knew? Not me.
- 'Guaranteed to grow' just means a company is willing to gamble that you'll lose your receipt, and all knowledge of said plant before you figure out it's not going to grow.
- Gardening is not about eating the fruits of your labor. It's about keeping all the neighborhood critters plump and happy.
- If you're going to go through the trouble of building a fence around your garden, you should probably finish the gate portion. (Hence the previous lesson learned.)
- It is 100% worth it to pay your children to clear land. But definitely pay by the job, and not hourly...and negotiate pay before they start and realize you're a slave driver.
- P.S. best to save big jobs as Mother's Day/birthday favors. Manual labor is better than flowers or chocolates...but on not-special-days may be considered a punishment...so be strategic in your planning.
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| Could you please just take a little off the top...? |
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| ...the 'little' tops |
- 'Clearing land' should be a longer expression; perhaps the following: "For every decade a plant has grown somewhere, its roots have grown to the center of the earth and back. Ten times. So no, it's not going down without a fight. You will throw out your back, get splinters under your fingernails and introduce yourself to a den of snakes on this journey to 'clear' a 20'x4' space." True story.
- All those crunchy, earth-loving peeps that encourage you to have a 'sustainable lifestyle' and grow your own food...should talk to my husband about the cost-effectiveness of $2 seed packets versus our water bill.
Weeds always find a way to fight back...
hard not to admire the way they're designed.Mushrooms are so unique. They really do look like fairy houses. And they spring up overnight which is impressive. Plus they make a satisfying pop sound if you kick them. (So I guess I hope fairies don't really live in them...)
Some pics of random landscaping fun...
Blueberry plants change colors!!! 
It always feels a bit weird buying 'good' dirt...but it does make a difference! Even Maverick prefers it to his litterbox. Lol.
Ah the joy of new life sprouting! Especially before bunnies, beetles and brown spots destroy it. ;)Can you guess what everything is...?
I think I enjoy watching peas grow as much as I enjoy eating them. They're quite lovely.
This clover was supposed to attract the bunnies away from the garden...but a year later we had a bunny nest IN one of the planters so I guess they view our whole property as theirs now.
Fun times with flowers...I'm definitely transitioning into my grandma years...no offense Mom :)
Enjoying the fruits (and vegetables) of our labors...
Marigold was also supposed to keep the bunnies away... 
When you pick watermelon too early...
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