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D*MN that felt good!!

10 years ago

I got fed up this weekend. I said screw it and went on a rampage, cleared out a bunch of stuff. All those plants that I dug up for my patio rebuild? Some of them went back in the ground, some got tossed, some of them I tossed because I just bought new plants, like Japanese anemone. Heck, stuff is 50% off, and I like instant gratification, I don't want to play around with damaged divisions that may or may not do well next year. Poop on it.

I had a jungle of Siberian iris that I p*ss and moan about every year because they flop horribly (probably because I've never divided in....oh...15 years or so...) so out they went and replaced with very nice new Siberian iris plants - they look lovely standing upright, and for 5 bucks a plant what the heck. Now that bed has a lot more room, but I'll work on filling that in next year. The Stokes aster are on probation after being moved, only 1 plant out of 3 blooms - so if they don't bloom well next year, out with them (they're really nothing to look out outside of the blooms). Weeded out a bunch of brunnera (because, lovely as they are, they end up everywhere, a sea of brunnera...), thinned the turtlehead (kept a lot of those divisions, though - have a nice spot for them elsewhere). Etc etc etc - you get the picture.

There's a bunch of bare spots right now, but man did that feel good and I'm so glad I did it. I just feel so relieved - I have a chance to start fresh, especially with one bed that isn't ever "right". I think shovel therapy may be better than talk therapy. And boy did I ever get some deals on fresh new plants, too. :0)

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Comments (9)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
i often say .. GET MAD AT IT ...

sounds like you did .. lol ..

i try.. every season.. to do something.. that changes the 'look' of the garden.. from the front porch ... so that there is something to look forward to.. the following year ....not just the same old.. same old...

you just did that.. on your own terms.. good for you ...

congrats ...

ken
mulchmama
10 years ago
I love that! When I go on a rampage these days, I find that I need to conserve energy. I'm not getting any younger and we have three acres with foundation plantings all around, plus about 6000 square feet of ornamental berms.

I've been mowing down some of the berms with the John Deere. I planned them that way. Works especially well for the peonies and the lilies. I still have to manually cut back the irises though.
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ryseryse_2004
10 years ago
Just the idea of 'bare spots' has such a nice feel to it. I think I will get out there with the shovel and go to work!
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
you wont believe what you motivated me to do yesterday .. lol ..

destroyed a 10 by 10 foot mock orange ...

ken
mxk3 z5b_MI
Original Author
10 years ago
Hey!
ryseryse_2004
10 years ago
Almost time to get out the DR brush mower. I use it for most of my perennial gardens and it gives me that D*MN good feeling. I took out all of my markers for my hostas and daylilies because I realized I really didn't care what the names were any more. In fact, even when I was selling them at the Farmer's Mkt, nobody cared what the names where! Frankly - they are all named "ME" now because I grow them and care for them. In fact, with the daylilies my favorites are the ones I hybridized myself. Yep, they are named "ME".

There is joy in every moment of gardening and even the tearing out and clearing of dead material is a joy because we know that in the spring it all starts again.
steelskies
10 years ago
Well I'm the opposite. I can't get rid of anything or throw any plant out, ( well maybe mint plant? anyone want some mind plant?????) I have so many iris that need dividing, and I just can't throw any out, even the babies. Major problem...........running out of room everywhere to plant stuff. Wish I could be so brutal as you. Can't even throw out the seedpods from the perennials I cut down! I think I have a real problem...................
ryseryse_2004
10 years ago
Well, we are going to put in a 3' wide flagstone paver path down through a perennial garden in the spring so LOTS of stuff will have to be shoveled. I look forward to it and the new look that will be given to the garden.

Next will be a flagstone path down the hill right through the middle of another huge overgrown garden. Well, we are the top of the food chain, after all. (or are we?)

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