Why is my thumb black!

Today I MUST think about my garden.  It has become a weed patch.  It's sad really.

I had such high hopes of its possibility as a tranquil space.  I've got such a great view of it from my kitchen window.  It's nestled against the back edge of my tiny backyard.  I used rocks to edge it about 3 years ago.  I had hoped to peer out upon it and think good thoughts and write crisp clear sentences, maybe somewhat flowery sentences -- but this is its current state. Terrible, a wreck, a travesty -- I KNOW....I don't need reminding.

I look at it and think --But I ran a triathlon!  I play the guitar!  I make my own pasta. I have 3 kids. Bleck, it still stinks.  I'm sure there is poison ivy in there.  So if I do choose to tackle it, I may be bumpy and itchy and pissy about it for weeks.  What to do, what to do?  Write a check? But to whom?

But on a more positive note, there is my entryway garden.  It's all perennials - it's overgrown in the English country garden way and its shaping up - as it usually does - pretty well.  The day lilies - the ones that are going to be orange when they open any day now are practically as tall as me.  I divide them every year and they just get stronger and stronger.

There are giant patches of shasta daisies and coneflowers.  My boss Amy divided her shasta daisies this weekend so I have a whole pile (in a Talbots bag) of those to add to the mix.  I'm not much of a botanist, I don't know the invasives from the natives....I think a bunch of the "ground cover" as Marcia calls it, is some sort of invasive plant.  I'm apparently not much of a gardener either....



Here's what it should look like in a few weeks.  There are colorful limbs shooting out all over the place.  See those orange lilies - they are taller than me this year, pinky swear.  It's really prettier than this picture leads you to believe.  This reminds me, I need to move my bicycle.  Aidan threatened to use it to get somewhere and that almost put me in a panic.  Happy Gardening --- I find I'm hoping for rain to postpone this punishment.