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Wednesday, July 13, 2011

What Weeds?

So I have decided to look at my garden and
see the flowers, and not the weeds.

Delusional?

Possibly, but since the week before The Wedding, when we had a stretch of very hot and wet weather, the tough New Jersey weeds -- who have a very powerful union and are ruthless about muscling in where they are not wanted -- have pretty much taken over.

I am not exaggerating.
Avert your eyes if you are squeamish about these things.
Let's see... what is in this border?
The bleeding heart foliage is slowly yellowing, as are other spring greens.
Some of those newish annuals that look like tiny petunias are managing to eke out an existence,
and the daises up top are in bloom, although they're duking it out with some
giant spiny weedy sticky guys that I am afraid to even touch.

There are yellow daylilies in there somewhere,
and look carefully to see some geraniums gasping for air:

One geranium is doing all right, fending off its weedy neighbors.
But this poor little rose bush is surrounded by the enemy.

The hydrangeas on top of the stone wall did not do well this year.  So sad -- not enough blooms to cut for inside!
But next to the house, the goofy flat-headed hydrangea is doing respectably well,
although not up to its usual full-to-the-brim performance.
 These are among the more goofy-looking members of the hydrangea family.
 BEE!
Next to these fellows, there used to be a big, lush border of Black-eyed Susans.
Sadly, over-eager Fall cleanup help, and big clomping painters' boots this spring has made that just a memory.
Dirt, weeds, and a few scraggly plants.
I would show you what this used to look like, but you might weep.

We don't have much in the way of tomato plants this year,
but the two we do have are prolific.  And their fruit keeps ending up in the grass, half eaten.
I didn't turn this one over, but I guarantee you would find little animal teeth marks on the other side.
Not made by snapdragons!

We have loads of ferns.
And among them, some summer stock.
Peek for the pink and you'll find it.

And speaking of summer stock -- or at least summer theater -- 
I've got a post coming up tomorrow or Friday about theater in New York City,
and how an old dress of mine is making its Off-Broadway debut!

Meanwhile, I have not really made peace with the weeds, as they are not here to do good deeds,
but are intent on choking out the plants we want to thrive.  So, when the cellar project is finished
(tomorrow) and the weather turns cool enough that I can bear to wear garden gloves,
I'll pick up my sword and shield,
and go tilt at weeds!

 Meanwhile, I'll just look at this little bit of the view:
 Fresh paint, and soft floozy flowers.

It's Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer.  Visit Susan -- click here!
At Faded Charm blog, it's White Wednesday.  Visit Kathleen -- click here!
Visit Sue at It's A Very Cherry World! for Wednesday is Rednesday -- click here!



My Reds?  My flowers!  My whites?  My Daisies, and my newly-painted-white house!
It's going to take me awhile to get used to the house being white;
I don't recognize it when I'm driving down the street.  Doh! -- Cass

23 comments:

  1. yes, the weeds have away of taking over. We have been having 100 degree hot. Maybe tonight I can mow and run the weed eater. Good luck and don't over do. The flowers look beautiful. Richard at My Old Historic House

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  2. Weeds have a "powerful union"? OMG, that's funny!! You crack me up! lol!!!

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  3. I am gaga over your blue lacecap hydrangea! I have a pink one, but now I NEED a blue one too. Thanks for being so brave and showing the good with the bad. I don't know about you, but I get pretty tired of fighting with Mother Nature. She kicks my butt every time!
    Happy REDnesday,
    Carol

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  4. Weeds really do stick toghether don't they! We've had an extremely hot week and I've been watering 2 times a day just to keep things from dying!!! Beautiful flowers.
    Ann

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  5. I absolutely *heart* that flat headed hydrangea bush. The flowers look like little butterflies.

    Thanks for the peak at the weeds and the flowers no matter how big or small they are.

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  6. I enjoyed visiting your garden of weeds. However, I spotted a lot of pretty flowers along the way. I think that little frog watching over them is so cute.

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  7. I love that you are keeping it real! All of us have weeds to deal with but we don't show them.
    But you did and I think that is great.
    Please show us a pic of you going after the weeds.
    You do have some pretty flowers too.

    Melinda

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  8. Your hydrangeas against your spanking white house ... beautiful!

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  9. Weeds were flourishing here when we got back from our trip -- how come the weeds always grow better than the flowers? I love that one hydrangea -- I'd like to get one like it -- I have an oak leaf that I just adore but I don't have any "plain old hydrangeas"!!!!

    I think if we waited until cooler weather here to weed, it would be the end of September!

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  10. My weeds are WAY worse than your weeds! I was out today beginning my chemical warfare battle. For grassy weeds (crabgrass and Bermuda) there's a chemical called Ornamec ... it only kills grass, and it's safe to spray over your broadleaf ornamentals, including roses. After the grass dies, I will get in there and use brute force and Round-Up to get the rest of the weeds. I have vowed to have the upper hand by the end of September ... we'll see how well I do.

    Your funky hydrangea is a lace-cap ... my favorite kind.

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  11. I try to keep up with the weeds but oh it is sooo hard on the back. The worst is under the deck, hundreds of little maple trees. Blessings, Debbie

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  12. I use Round Up every 6 weeks and still pull them evil weeds a lot. I equate pulling weeds with doing sit ups which I will not do again. The heat now is awful so you be very very careful. The hydrangea of yours is really splendid.

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  13. Your hydrangea is beautiful. Yes - weeds do have a "powerful union". :D

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  14. "geraniums gasping for air" LOL


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    These are the colors with sheen!

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    But scarlet, vermilion, dahlia or pink—
    Colors like these make my day!


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    Narrow Red Alley

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  15. Now that we are getting rain, the weeds seemed to have multiplied! Somehow I always manage to find something better to do then pull them!! I will have lost all resolve by August.

    I LOVE the new look of That Old House!!

    XO,
    Jane

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  16. I think the spiny things might be thistle. And I think I saw some trumpet vine and privy in there. But it still looks good to me.
    Mama Bear

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  17. I'm about at the point where 'if it's green, it stays'. We've had an abysmal year for flowers, and what wasn't frozen or drowned or eaten by slugs is probably a weed and will just stay put.

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  18. Why is it weeds thrive so darn well anyway--my hydrangeas are not performing as pretty as last year. Did I cut too many blooms last season? I always thought cutting the bushes down late fall was good for them--that could be my problem. Yours looks beautiful! (love your white house--so stately!)

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  19. I just had a major weed massacre in my garden last night and I need to do another one!

    Overall everything looks lovely, especially that hydrangea!

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  20. I see beauty!
    But...as an aside, isn't it amazing how ruthless those weeds can be. I have thistle taller than I ever thougth thistle could grow.
    Kari

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  21. Wow-what a great house you have and the gardens are beautiful!

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  22. gotta hate those stinking weeds! Well, when all else fails you can always wait for Fall and they will die! Just a thought in case it is too hot to weed! And it COULD be worse-it could be poison ivy! See...not so bad now, is it? xo Diana

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