Disgruntled with gardening...

[MScott1851]

I neglected my flower beds and my potted plants on the back patio for the past two months because we've been on vacation twice, and been out of town on the weekends. I was hoping that all the bermuda grass that had ran into my flowerbeds and taken over would die if I quit watering it, and I was waiting on my summer flowers to die so I could cut them down. But NO!!! We had to get rain from Katrina and Rita, so everything was still half-alive, but looked very sick.

So I spent over FOUR hours today on my knees going around my entire house pulling up half-dead flowers here and there, I pulled out three azaleas that got too much water this year and died, I pulled up a holly bush that I didn't like, and I took TWO yard bags FULL of grass out of my flowerbeds. As soon as it gets cold, I'm going to dig up my entire beds, get someone to come pour some concrete edging, and start fresh.

Bah humbug to planting anything else for a while! My back and knees are killing me! My beds look so bare, though... sniff, sniff.

 

[amid chaos]

UGH! Big cleanups are a royal pain in the neck...back too! You should feel great about getting it done...sounds like you are off to a fantastic start for spring.

 

[MScott1851]

I do. I'm so proud of the beds with NO weeds. I used a shovel and dug DEEP, then tilled it up a bit. I have been out there a couple of times today to admire my empty planters and half-empty beds...It seems silly, but I'm so relieved to have it out of the way.

Now if my mums would open up...they are HUGE and will be so beautiful. They're purple, and my crepe myrtle is still blooming, too, as are my pansies and the marigolds and zinnias that I left in place. It will still look like spring even though I took out the rest of the flowers and shrubbery. Memphis has such weird weather...

 

[Mamu]

When we look through magazines the flower goardens look so lush and green covered in flowers, with no weeds.

Sadly unless were willing to spend 40 hours a week nurturing our flower beds, weeding trimming, fertilizing and watering. They take on a completely different look then were looking for. Once the weed start move-in it becomes a jungle. My gardens look great until August, then overnight I get garden fatigue, maybe it the thought that summer's almost over and you've done nothing but play in the dirt, it's time for some vacation play. Maybe it's the heat of the August sun. Whatever happens my gardens become a nightmare. The nightmare has become a daymare, My back, knees and fingernails will all pay the consequences, for a month of fun.

 

[Kahana-ri]

I have seriously considered having a landscaping company come in for next year. At least once a month during the summer. I spend so much time doing maintenance and true I have great pride, but I believe I am at the point where I just want to enjoy my yard, not slave in it. The summers are so hot and humid it would be well worth the money to have someone else pull the weeds, mulch the beds, rerock the rock areas, and mow the lawn. Just to maintain the big jobs.