Two years in a row !!!

11 years ago

The last two years have been a washout for me. Very few new hostas planted, and keeping up with everything has been nonexistent.

Since needing, all last year, and finally having surgery on my right foot in mid. May, not a single weed has been removed from my hosta beds. I am still in a walking boot and things are going slowly as I have had a set back in the healing process.

With rain being nonexistent in my area and having a well for our water supply, nothing except the vegetable garden and a few potted plants are being watered. Because I couldn't weight bare for weeks, and I have a hubby who has no interest in my hostas, my poor hostas have been left to fend for themselves.

My hope is that I don't loose too many of my former beauties, but I can see from my windows that some of my other perennials are completely dried up and dead.

I haven't taken a walk in my back yard for weeks because I don't want to know just how badly everything is doing. Can you blame me???

My loss is nothing to compare to the local farmers, some of them have lost their entire corn crops.

Hope springs eternal and there is always next year!!!!

Connie

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Comments (11)

i-like-to-grow
11 years ago
Good to see a Connie post!
mctavish6
11 years ago
Connie and Phil, You two should get together. I'm sorry both of you are suffering. Weeds won't kill them but I can't imagine not watering. If I go more than one day it's too much with my sandy soil. I hope you recover really soon and are able to enjoy your garden to the fullest next year. Myrle
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User
11 years ago
Connie if the weeds get high enough, they will give some shade. One way of looking at it anyway. Which is why I set my lawnmower as high as it will go, to shade the grass roots.

And I haven't weeded a bed for a while either.
Every time I lean over to pull weeds, sweat drips off the end of my nose, my eyes fill with salt, and I cannot see, I am a total wet wreck.

Your health is more important than the garden, and you can always replace what is lost. However, I think they might surprise you. The hosta have a survival strategy that has kept them going for centuries, and that is to go dormant in the excessive heat. It is a pretty good strategy actually.

You and Phil do need to take a tall cool lemonade and drink a toast to your beloved gardens. We'll all toast with you, to the finest, and may they survive.

Cheers!
hosta_freak
11 years ago
Sorry to hear that,Connie! I don't have the problem of a physical nature,unles you call being old,a problem. I realize every time I go out there,that I am almost getting too old to be traipsing around on uneven ground,and I even fell,tripping up the steps into my upper garden in June. I keep thinking,why I am I still doing this? Then it comes to me,I enjoy looking at all the garden I created out of a jungle. Keep it up Connie,you won't be laid up forever! Phil
irawon
11 years ago
Connie and Phil: Sorry to hear about your troubles.

Moccasin, apply a line of vaseline above your eyebrows and the dripping sweat is diverted to the side out ofyour eyes.
hostaLes
11 years ago
Moc and I have another thing in common and I will have to try the Vasoline. Thanks for the tip irawon.

I'd recently boought this really nice sized hosta in a 5 gallon nursery pot and planned to repot into a larger pot to overwinter. When I started working to get it out of its pot it was so big and heavy I decided to try planting it, thinking of what it will be like next year in a bigger pot.

Connie & Phil: I share your problems and am rehabbing from knee surgery. So nothing has been planted this year, just potted. I had to do something since I had gotten the big hosta out of the 5 gal. pot so I carefully crossed my mole disrupted lawn to my shed and got out my post hole digger. It took me almost 3 hours to dig a hole big enough for the root ball and soil ammendments. The ground was so hard and dry, sweat stung my eyes and I had to rest a lot. But I got it done. Then I paid the price for two days after with muscles cramping in every part of my body, having used muscles ina way I haven't used since last year.

Keep the chin up Connie and Phil. It could be worse. Drought is a gentle scorge compared to tornadoes and hurricanes. Hopefully next year will bring us more even precipitation and less heat. Just be careful Phil. When I was laying on the ground for a half hour waiting for someone to see and help me get up I realize how fragile we are. It has caused me to redirect my life, but not stop loving my hosta gardens.

Les
hostahosta
11 years ago
Gardening is such HARD work. After a few hours in the garden digging holes in rock hard soil, I feel justified in skipping my daily treadmill!

I needed the vaseline tip. I had resorted to tying an old bandana around my head. What a fashion statement.
hostasformez4
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for all the encouragement!!! I finally got out of the boot just today. I have some other issues that need to be dealt with but little steps are a start. Yes!!!!!!

The rain will fall again, things will be green again and I will be whole again.

Connie
User
11 years ago
I discovered on my last big planting day, that doing it in the rain and thunder is better than hot and dry. Just so it is not lightning close by, then I skee-daddle to the house!

I must stay alert for signs of hypoglycemic reactions, like profuse sweating and then shaking, and it is hard to know the difference if you are exerting yourself a bunch already. Having a quick snack nearby is important, and some water as well. It would not hurt to keep your cell phone or cordless house phone in your pocket either. The first order of business is always taking care of YOURSELF so you can continue taking care of the garden. And appreciating it.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
long time no see ...

here is the plan ..

when they have gone completely dormant.. spray the whole bed with round up .. presuming its all hosta ...

and do the same.. in early spring.. as soon as the snow is gone ...

all your weeds will be gone..

and if you need hints for spraying then.. start a new post ...

its pretty easy.. when there are no plants to worry about ...

ken
hostared
11 years ago
Connie I feel so sad for you. But next year will be a new year and as they say "empty space is for something new". I remember the previous problem with the septic tank and replanting...it's been so rough for you guys....but it will get better friend. G

Two years in a row !!!

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i-like-to-grow

mctavish6

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Two years in a row !!!

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