Sometimes you just have to cut your losses and unload. Doesn't matter if it's as simple as taking out a plant or as complex as letting go of a long-held goal. There just comes a time when you realize that not only has something (or someone) not lived up to expectations, but is, in turn, holding you back.
The crab bed bugged me. I couldn't really enjoy it even though I babied a couple of the dying English lavenders up front. Finally I just tore them out and wondered if I should put in new ones. Thankfully it's time for mums. Ah, just what was needed - a shot of gold in that pale blue bed. And right about then the red salvia started to bloom and now it's all happy-happy joy-joy in that bed.
And there there were the tomatoes behind the wall in front of the privacy bed. Due to the pervasive heat they produced early and then suffered from the same heat. They still had tomatoes a'comin', but I wasn't all that thrilled. Besides, I was burned out - it's been an oppressively hot and humid season.
So today I picked off all the rose quartz grape tomatoes and pulled the plug on the plants. They were more work than they were worth.
And now look. A wonderful view of the magnificent display of the 6+ foot sprays of salvia subrotunda back against the privacy fence frame. Waaaaay better than looking at a couple of skanky tomato vines.
And for almost a year I've lived with this pile of wood stacked against the same wall. The guy was supposed to come and split them last fall so I could burn it this past winter. Never came. I called this spring. "Will get it soon." Never came.
It's coming up on fall again. Yesterday a kid came by looking for work and offered to split it for me. Yay! But it was too late. The stumps were riddled with ant and some kind of icky grub. So I paid him to haul it away instead. *sigh*
Holy cow is this better looking or what? Well worth the bucks. Too bad I didn't get to enjoy some nice fires out of it last winter, but trust me, the last thing I wanted to do was introduce bugs into the house or garage.
And here something else. Every few years I am seduced by the romance of an herb garden. So I grow them. But I never use them! Why am I wasting this great space with something I guess I really don't want?
So I cut them to dry, pulled out the roots and planted something bright and cheerful. You may have read that I rescued 72 geranium plants (click here for full story) from a nursery dustbin some weeks ago. They have recuperated under my tender ministrations and beginning to flower. Perfect for these bins. Presto-chango! -- lots of colorful blooms that will go until freeze.
The view from the deck has improved 100%. The beds look brighter and the plants look healthier, happier.
I, too, have set aside some things that have been keeping me from growing. I've got my groove back. Now, after this bit of divesting, we're all looking forward to the future.
There might even be a promise of rain....
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