Forsythia!

Many years ago, when my husband and I were brand-new home owners, I called a local nursery and asked when was the right time to put pre-emergent down on our grass.  I remember the lady saying, "Do you know what a forsythia is?"  I said, "Yes" (which I actually didn't but I knew I could find out from someone else and I didn't want to sound too stupid on the phone with her.)  And she said, "When the forsythia is blooming, you should put pre-emergent down."

I have never forgotten this rule or the fact that I didn't know what forsythia was and so every Spring, when the forsythia is blooming, I holler out whenever I see it, "Forsythia!"  My kids (my oldest was about 2 when I started doing this) all join in with me whenever we see a forsythia bush.  Because as a mom, I was often in the car with my kids and their friends, their friends started picking up on this and joined in.  So now, over 10 years later, the people in my car burst out into shouts of "forsythia!" all Spring long.  Even the "cool" pre teen boys in my car this Spring all hollered it.  It was so great.  

Well, this week, I finally planted a forsythia bush of our own.  I hope it takes.  It is in a spot that I have had trouble with in the past but I am hoping with all of the good vibes we send that plant in general, it will grow and thrive there.  I just can't wait until next Spring, when we can look out our window and all shout, "Forsythia!" to our own forsythia bush in our own yard.

What a difference a few years makes.

Back in 2007, I did this post about my poor Rose of Sharon bush.  Well, look how big it is now.  What a fun, surprising difference a few years makes.  

Being Optimistic or Maybe just Wishful Thinking

Because the inside of my house is a total wreck, I decided to ignore it and head outside to look at my flower beds. I really have not thought about them since last fall and decided it was time to see what needed to be done. Last fall, I planted new bushes in the front to replace the bushes that had never done well in this spot. Three of them are looking really good.

However, the fourth, a mere few feet away from the other three doesn't look so good.

Here is a closer shot. It looks dead. However, I have had plants that look like this and really are "mostly dead" (thank you Princess Bride) and bounce back.

See in an even closer look, some of the leaves are still kind of green. So, I have not given up on this bush even though even I know I am walking the thin line between optimism and wishful thinking.

Meanwhile, my daphne bush looks like this. But, so does my neighbors, so I am not too worried about it yet. I really need to plant some forsythia because right now, they are blooming everywhere and look great. Not so with my yard, yet.

Again, optimism.

How My Flower Beds Turned Out

A year ago, I posted this post about my poor Rose of Sharon. It did eventually bloom in late August. Well, one year later, it fortunately, is doing much better. Here is what it looks like now. I also did this post about planting my front flower beds. I didn't deadhead my geraniums enough, so they didn't flower as much I wanted them to but still, things looked nice out front.
My Rose of Sharon tree--an althea did just what it was supposed to do and flowered with pretty, tiny pink flowers all over it.
This is a little better picture of it.
So, for the most part, I am happy with how things turned out with my plantings this summer. Two bushes I planted died but it was because I forgot to water them and my tomatoes are doing so so. Hopefully, this Spring, we are going to pour a new concrete pad in our backyard and I can get serious about planting things back there. My grumpy backyard neighbor hates our "just grass" but who cares. He is mean and grumpy and my kids love all of the space to run around.

My Poor Rose of Sharon

Last fall I purchased a Rose of Sharon bush to plant by a section of my house that was driving me crazy. Of course, since I waited until the fall, the plant selections were minimal and so I ended up with a very small, barely living plant. In the ground, it looked very sad and unhealthy. But, I did do exactly what that gardener at my nursery told me to do and in the Spring, I noticed little green leaves sprouting on it. Daily I have gone outside to check on it. I have such hope for this little plant. It is now the middle of July and this is what my poor Rose of Sharon looks like. No flowers. (By the way, those are my Love in Mist in front it.)





In contrast, this is what my next door neighbor's Rose of Sharon bush looks like. Granted, theirs was planted two years before ours and was probably bigger and healthier and gets a few hours of more direct sun but still! I am hoping this plant (which is just across about 8 feet of grass from mine) shames mine into growth and blooming.
On a side note, how do I turn my pictures?