{pretty, happy, funny, real}: Obsessive Gardener Edition

This is all Pretty, Happy, Funny, and Real rolled into one.

I dabbled in gardening, messing around with herbs and tomatoes and green beans and the odd petunia, for many years before I really started to get into it about 10 years ago. Like all hobbies that begin to get a little more serious, gardening takes one to heights of ecstasy and eventually breaks your heart, but in between there is just a lot of effort.

Last week, I finally cut back many of the perennials who had done their big splash for the year and wanted tidying. It is a mini-heartbreak to do this chore, because I know they will look forlorn for a few weeks here in the heat when we all want something cheerful to let our gazes rest upon, but what must be done must be done, so I did it, and I live in hope for the new sprouts that will follow, if we get rain, which we may not, but there it is.

With the rampant growth removed, I could see all my former placement sins in sharp focus:

These photos are not great, but here we see in the foreground the sheared off clump of nepeta (catmint), which is far too close to the robust persicaria ‘Firetail’. They would manage to get along, both being vigorous-yet-accomodating neighbors, but I have squeezed in there a geranium ‘Ann Folkard'(?), which is the falling-over-gangly few stems right by the wall. Poor Ann, if indeed she is Ann — she wants to be healthy and thriving but my poor placement is choking her life away.

Out comes the old twisted digging fork. The sweat started forming between my shoulder blades and on the back of my neck right about now. And, I’m doing this in my “nice” clothes. Why must these spontaneous moving sessions always happen on going-to-town days? Somebody should plan better.

Dig, dig, dig. Did I mention we have clay soil? With rocks?

There. All better. Two plants given more breathing space. And it looks so much…
No. Still forlorn for a few weeks.

What do they say? “No rest for the wicked and the righteous don’t need none.” Gotta run. Got more plants to move. I’m wearing a skirt today cuz I’ve gotta go to town in a little while…

What is happening in your yard this week? (Or your patio, or your windowsill…) Oh, and if you’ve got any obsessions you want to get off your chest, feel free to share here.