Tell the Truth Tuesday is a Bonney Lassie meme that celebrates the ugly parts of our gardens, and I have plenty to celebrate. ("Celebrate" may not be the exact right word).
The real problem here is the ugly mulch, which is a bunch of random trimmings, half-composted stuff, and fallen leaves I've thrown back here just to keep weeds from sprouting. No one sees this area but me. Well, me and now the rest of the world.
The mulch has been effective, yes, but it's--yecch.
There's a Rhus integrifolia on the right that I moved here. It barely survived the move, but it seems to be coming back--all new foliage. That's the neighbor's black fencing and his trumpet vine that requires constant cutting back. Some of the ugly mulch is the vine clippings. There's also a volunteer oak tree seedling that needs to be removed because it is too close to the fence.
I have plenty of other garden messes to celebrate. Tuesdays are going to be busy.
The real problem here is the ugly mulch, which is a bunch of random trimmings, half-composted stuff, and fallen leaves I've thrown back here just to keep weeds from sprouting. No one sees this area but me. Well, me and now the rest of the world.
There's a Rhus integrifolia on the right that I moved here. It barely survived the move, but it seems to be coming back--all new foliage. That's the neighbor's black fencing and his trumpet vine that requires constant cutting back. Some of the ugly mulch is the vine clippings. There's also a volunteer oak tree seedling that needs to be removed because it is too close to the fence.
I have plenty of other garden messes to celebrate. Tuesdays are going to be busy.
Oh, this isn't ugly but rather a celebration of a fine organic weed smothering technique. I'm already loving this Tuesday meme!
ReplyDeleteI kept some stuff out of a landfill...that's something.
DeleteIt's a fun meme, yes it is.
At least you've been smart and forward-thinking enough to use something to smother weeds. I have too many areas where I've just let them run rampant because I never order mulch and don't have a back strong enough to cart it around.
ReplyDeleteMulch is a struggle for me as well. I spread the stuff one little bucket at a time. Takes weeks. Last time I did it I had my mow-blow guy make small piles in each area of the garden out of the big pile the mulch company dropped on the street. Then I did the actual mulching around the plants. That made it a lot easier, though it still took me weeks.
DeleteMaybe you could cover the "ugly" mulch with a layer of prettier (more uniform) mulch until the shrubs grow larger? I published my own ugly post this morning, featuring my troublesome back slope but I've got a store of ugly stuff to share in future posts too.
ReplyDeleteWell, the thing is: the pretty mulch costs money, and the ugly stuff doesn't. Hard to justify pretty if no one sees it but me and the coyotes.
DeleteNow, off to enjoy your back slope report! :)
Oh, wow. Garden messes? You are a brave soul. I think that's one meme I need to stay away from. I need to keep my dignity. But, seriously, I see nothing messy about that corner. You could always just let the neighbor's trumpet vine grow over it.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any dignity! Ha ha! It really does look even worse in person.
DeleteThat trumpet vine constantly tries to strangle my Metrosideros and Pittosporums. That vine and I are Not Friends.
I will have to get into this meme if your space is ugly. I have plenty of icky spaces. Maybe this meme will encourage me to 'fix' some ugly spaces. ha..
ReplyDeleteMotivation to fix my plentiful messes is exactly what I am hoping for!
Delete