The Happy Gardener

I have spent much of my time lately sticking plants into the ground.  This, I believe, is called "gardening."

It happens every spring.  I start thinking how much nicer my front yard could look.  Then I think, Hold on, there, Desperate.  Remember what happened last year.  Three hundred buck on plants and mulch and all that stuff and all you got was renewed buckthorn.

I have tried to accept the fact that I am not a gardener.  I have, with considerable effort, stopped buying those big bags of bulbs Costco sells every fall.  (The squirrels are angry, of course.  "Hey. where's the buffet?")  I stay  away from the "lawn care" aisles at Menards.  I never look at the "You can have this gorgeous outdoor retreat" articles in the checkout line.  It's all over, that dream.

The only plants that reliably grow in my front yard are the ones the previous owner planted.  Which got me to thinking: if those things come up year after year all on their own,t hey must be pretty nearly indestructable.

So... I could just plant more of those, right?

So that's what I've been doing.  Drought-tolerant salvias- perfect since I never water anything anyway- and hostas. I love hostas. They don't give a damn.  They're never leaving, no matter what.

You know what else never dies?  Irises.  Only I think I was supposed to water them.  Oh well.  Next year.

And then I got a little crazy and had the "lawn" hydroseeded.  Covered with a thin layer of light green mulch it now looks better than it ever has.

And right now it's even raining. 

This could turn out better than I hoped!