The past two days I have been in the garden weeding. I usually get real pleasure from weeding, give me a good root and I’ll dig and tug till I get the sucker! Anyway, I’ve been working on a couple of beds that had some other problems. The first bed had Bee Balm, Beauty Bush, Butterfly Bush, Iris, and Crocosmia. Directly behind that bed I have Hellebores, and I have new little plants coming up everywhere, including in this bed. There is also a Nandina, (which I’m really starting to hate), and there are little ones intruding into this bed. There is also a pricker weed throughout that I’ve been battling for a few years. It grows on a runner and I do dig deep and try to follow its roots, but it seems to come back anyway.
The Crocosmia has thrived and spread, a lot! I have that darn lily I was given that seems to be taking over the iris. (beware of free plants, my experience has been that they are usually invasive) That’s done and it wasn’t too bad. The next bed has established rose bushes, (3), variegated Pittosporum, (2). Bridal Wreath Spirea, (3) a Beauty Bush and another Nandina.
This bed has been neglected because it borders the driveway and usually a car blocks access, or a giant pile of stones, or a lawn mower. P always seem to put something in the way. We’ve also had a rogue tomato plant there for the past couple of years. The weeds in this bed are a nightmare, very small, Henbit, clover, and again those pesky lilies. They have foliage like an iris and I do know the name, I’ve posted pictures previously. At this point I am ripping them all out. This bed has also never been mulched and there is no edging in the back so it allows grass and weeds in. It’s taken two days just to weed four sections and I have two more to go. Not ever being mulched, the soil is clay and horrible.
This is the first time that I feel that there are just two many beds, I can’t keep up. My mind is going a mile a minute of things I have to do besides just the maintenance.. I need to move some plants, dig up others and give them away, and plant more bulbs. The Liriope can be dug up and thinned out, as do the lilies. For these chores I need help and you know me, I hate to ask and then resent not getting help. BUT this time I did ask for help and P has to find the time.