Dear Carol, Mary Ann, and all of our other friends,
Hi everyone! Sorry I was gone so long. I couldn’t tell you where I was because I left the older kids at home alone. I know, can you believe it? Diva is almost eighteen and ASW is fifteen and a half. My mother, sister and NGBF (non-gardening best friend), Aimee, kept watch over them, so they were a-okay. However, it didn’t seem like a good idea to shout out into cyberspace “Hey, I’m gone!”
As you can see from the lighthouse above, we were in the Outer Banks at Kill Devil Hills. It was one of the best vacations I’ve ever had. We also visited Dollywood on the way, and I found it charming and not as hokey as I expected.
So, Diva was in charge of the garden, and she complained about it a lot, but who could blame her? I have a lot of containers, and they had to be watered everyday. All, but one were in great shape when I returned. As for it, I dragged the hose over and said,
“What’s up with this one?”
“I don’t like that one, so I didn’t really care, you know,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders.
Now, she said she didn’t care, but she followed me all around the garden because she thought I was checking up on her. I was actually just enjoying what was now blooming. I suddenly realized she was standing almost on top of me trying to explain because the garden wasn’t perfect. I turned to her.
“Honey, it never is perfect,” I said, “You did great.”
And, that’s true because gardens are chock full of living plants and creatures, and, as we know, nothing on this Earth really ever is perfect no matter how much plastic surgery or teeth whitening you slap on.
The tomatoes are setting. (Thank you Lord for great tomato weather.) I noticed cabbage loopers made mincemeat of my cabbages. I pulled up all but the red cabbages and tore off their lacework leaves. I then fed the whole mess to the chickens. Everyone rejoiced (except the cabbage loopers of course).
The worst pest in the garden at the moment is the freakin’ squash bugs. Friends expressed worry about my teens throwing a wild party while I was gone, but they didn’t. Instead, it was the squash bugs downing squash juice, swapping partners, and laying eggs amongst the leaves. I killed many mating pairs, but it was too dark last night to check for eggs. This morning I continued the annihilation, and I enjoyed it. Fortunately, I am back in time and only a few eggs were found. These I scraped off with my fingernails and squished between my fingers. There was no time for gloves. You must rid yourself of your squeamish side to be a gardener I think.
Or, perhaps, the gloves were simply “off.” I hummed the theme song from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly as I worked.
I find it very apropos.
Meanwhile, in spite of being away for a week, the garden looks pretty good. Daylilies are starting to bloom along with lots of other beautiful plants. However, everyone seems a bit squished for space so I’ve been editing some of my regulars and bringing them down to size.
I must be in a vigilante mood.
Please can I borrow your daughter so I can go away? She did such a good job! I am afraid to leave for what I’ll find when I come back. I love your philosophy about perfect v. imperfect gardens … although I feel yours is the former; mine the latter. Glad you had an enjoyable break!
.-= Pam’s English Garden´s last blog ..Invasive And Aggressive Plants Are Not The Same =-.
Pam, I’ll see if she’s available for water and garden patrol.~~Dee
I love your attitude, Dee. Your garden looks perfect to me.
.-= Ilona´s last blog ..Ten Best Articles On Pruning =-.
Thanks Ilona. I’m grateful to be back.~~Dee
Good morning Dee. It was hard ’cause I’m pretty much of a sissy about bugs and slugs. This year I’ve finally developed that serial killer instinct:) I find myself picking up grubs and slugs with my bare fingers and plopping them into the glass bird food dish.
Marnie
Hi Marnie, I was a sissy once too, and I still hate assassin bugs. They bite. Squash bugs don’t.~~Dee
Yes, it’s very interesting to me how less squeamish I am since I became a gardener! And Diva did good! And now you’ll have me humming the Good, Bad, and Ugly song as I wander the garden.
.-= Linda Lehmusvirta´s last blog ..Baby cardinal rescue, summer whites, Austin Pond Society tour, dwarf basils, coffee grounds =-.
Hi Linda, she did great indeed. I was very proud of her and grateful she cared.~~Dee
What a great time to come home to your garden – stuff really shows it’s ability to grow at this time of year.
Other than the dead of winter, we gardeners can’t go away for more than 10 days at a time. We can’t stand to be away from the fun of bug patrol.
About getting over it – I’m amused and puzzled when I meet women with perfect nails who say they love to garden. How do they do it?
.-= Martha/AllTheDirt´s last blog ..Incredible Edibles: 43 Fun Things to Grow in the City by Sonia Day =-.
Hi Martha, maybe they wear gloves all the time?~~Dee
You couldn’t have said a truer statement~It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful! What an across the board philosophy for all of us. gail
.-= Gail´s last blog ..Breaking Up Is Hard To Do =-.
Hey Gail, I try to keep that one always in my mind. Only God is perfect.~~Dee
You named one of our favorite theme songs, but I’m still squeamish. I wish I knew what was eating my cauliflower and lettuce. Whoever they are they seem pretty pciky about what they will and won’t eat. I got out my Liquid Fence Deer and Rabbit deterrent. I don’t think it was deer but it might have been rabbits – although I confess I haven’t seen any.
.-= commonweeder´s last blog ..Voracious and Mischievous =-.
CW, we love that song too. My husband is a big western fan. Probably a rabbit.~~Dee
I am getting ready to go on vacation and I know after being gone ten days I will have my work cut out for me!! Just when it was starting to look like someone lives here….:)
.-= mary´s last blog ..Healthy Brain =-.
Mary, it’s always hard to leave, but you’ll come back to a garden which only missed you.~~Dee
Nothing like being away a week during growing season to give you a fresh look at your garden. Welcome home.
Thanks Lisa.~~Dee
Diva did a great job and you had such a good response to her. When I was a kid, I had lots of garden chores that at the time were chores. But, those chores grew a love of gardening. What a gift.
Hi Gloria, thanks for stopping by. I also had some chores which I now enjoy.~~Dee
Hey, I missed you, but I knew you were having a great adventure and that Diva was doing her divine duties in your garden.
Sending love to you and yours,
Sharon
Diva is definitely a treasure. XOXO.~~Dee
Glad you had a good trip and have a great garden helper to keep things going.
I too am battling the squash bugs. I’ve been finding tons of adults setting up house since last week but tonight, I found eggs!!!!! So the nightly squash bug hunt begins.
.-= Gardener on Sherlock Street´s last blog ..Rain Gauge Report 2010 06 07 =-.
Oh GSS, I’m battling them too, the blasted things.~~Dee
You are absolutely right, you have to stop being squeamish and become a little bit ruthless to make it as a gardener. Happy to hear you had a great vacation. I’ve been to the Outer Banks and it is a special place, indeed.
Carol, I’ve become very ruthless indeed.~~Dee
Good for the Diva! Are you going to do something or get her something special for taking such good care of the garden for you?
I find I’m getting a bit less squeamish. I was trying to take a photo of Campanula garganica ‘Dickson’s Gold,’ when I noticed slugs on some of the blooms. The gloves were in the house & I didn’t feel like going back for them, so I pulled them off with my bare hands.
.-= Mr. McGregor’s Daughter´s last blog ..Don’t Be Too Quick to Plant in That "Empty" Space! =-.
MMD, we went out to lunch and had pedicures my treat.~~Dee