Making Progess in the Garden

Hello All! I know I have been a bad blogger this week. I try to do at least three posts a week to share what’s going on and pass on a few tips but it has been a few days since we’ve chatted. I want blogging to be my joy and not a chore but some weeks it is harder to fit into my schedule than others.

This has been a very hectic time of year for me, am I the only one? Everything seems to be winding up for the end of the school year, end of winter, end of season, whatever…I feel I have been one step behind and trying to keep afloat. I hate this feeling I try to be aware of what I really have time for and try very hard not to over schedule but this last month things seem to have spun out of control. Ironically these are the times I feel the completely unmotivated to get things done.

Here I am feeling overwhelmed and miserable about all the thing that need to get done that are not getting done. Every time I drive into the drive I see that the grass has started growing and my whole yard needs some love. The weeds have found the sun and are popping up between the pavers and my once lovely Tulips have finished their job and are now beginning to droop and turn brown.  Not only can I see it needs love, so can the neighbors. I can hide my un-vacuumed rug behind closed doors but the untrimmed grass is there for all to see.  Something must be done!

Finally, yesterday I decided the best motivator for getting some yard work done is a trip to the Garden Center!

Before I share my purchases let me share my gardening style. I love flower especially flowers I can cut for the house but above all I love a plant that thrives on neglect. Okay not complete neglect but you read the top of this post right? I don’t have an out ambling in the garden everyday kind of life so I need everything to be pretty self-sufficient. My buying technique is – buy what looks pretty, if you kill it I don’t buy it again, if it is self sufficient-buy lots!

That being said you may remember my front planter from last year. I found Impatiens for a total bargain towards the end of the season so I bought a bunch for a steal. They only had red and white left but I had a good shady spot for them so I figured if they didn’t work out I hadn’t invested too much money. Well you can see below they turned out great! Very self-sufficient – a little fertilizer when I planted them a little water when they get droopy, everybody was happy!

So this year following my motto, Impatiens lived – buy lots, I went shopping! I wanted to start early  and get lots of different colors in the planter this time. I tried the local DIY warehouse first with no luck but when I went to my local independent nursery they had a full assortment. Many Euro later I am feeling motivated and ready to tackle the yard!

I got the front planter filled with Impatiens of all color an even got a few pots filled besides. It will be a few weeks before the Impatiens fill out but I am already feeling better about the yard.

And the droopy tulips, they have been replaced with some lovely Geraniums and my very favorite (very hardy) Sweet Potato Vines.

I feel like I finally got something accomplished , well until I look at the larger beds… The yard still has a lot more work to be done, weeding and edging and a few more plant to replace those that didn’t make the winter, but I guess that will have to be enough for now. Incomplete or not, I will say I am feeling a lot better.  Sometimes just getting one thing off my plate lifts a big burden and often motivates me to move on to another, and what better way to do that than a day of sunshine and beautiful flowers!