Mission Accomplished!

Hey, we actually have buds on some of our new flowers! There are flowers in my garden that aren't purple! Not that I have anything against purple. I really like it, I just find it strange that I kill any flowers that aren't purple. Far be it from me to sound so excited about gardening, but the bright yellow made me so very happy I had to share. Sometimes, I find joy in simple things.

Besides, if these don't work out, I'm sticking with my strengths and going all purple, all over.

Oh, also, in case we needed proof I'm not a really good gardener, I was excited to see a yellow flower pop up in the midst of my salvia bushes (all right, so I know the name but I may not spell it right). This excited me because I thought it might be an off-shoot of some flowers I loved last year but that didn't fare so well come spring. Um, no. This morning, it had opened up into something that can only be described as a dandelion on steroids. You know, like when the dandelion is seeding and preparing to spread its evil henceforth? It was promptly destroyed, but I noticed some different yellow flowers in the middle of another purple bush (that I don't really know the name of), so we'll see how that goes. Maybe I can salvage those poor dead bushes, even in a reincarnated form.

Formal Declaration of War

It is so declared, by an act of two-man Congress that our small private nation, hence referred to as our home, is in a state of open warfare. There are no funds specifically allocated toward the war at this time, but approval for monetary contribution may be made at any future time.

As of today's date, May 31 2008, a warm and sunny spring day in the neighborhood, we are at war against the following factions: all dandelions, Morning Glory, crabgrass, clover, and yellow flowers of unknown origins, located within the borders of our home area.

Be advised, we have been authorized to use all lethal means of combat within the aforementioned parcel, and will do so. War will be waged on an individual and discriminatory basis (as it usually is), so as not to harm neighbors or friendly greenery.

In Alan's words : "So let it be written, so let it be done!"

We spent some quality time in the garden this morning, and will probably need to spend some more within the next couple of days. Big thanks to my fabulous mother-in-law for bringing starts from her own beautiful garden. She also provided the plants above a couple of years ago, and they are now flourishing and spreading almost as fast as the weeds (see above)! Hopefully our new starts will take off so well once my husband gets a hold of them!

No big thanks to the stupid neighbors who don't take care of their yards. There is one house on our street (I think there is always at least one) that is unoccupied, has been unoccupied mostly since it was built, and therefore has no landscaping or yard care. I'm guessing this house is the source of 98% of our dandelions and at least 65% of our morning glory, not to mention the various unidentified annoyances. At the moment, as you can see above, these weeds, regardless from whence they came, are being attacked as much as I can stand to be in the garden.

I hate gardening almost as much as I hate the weeds. But alas, my immediate neighbors all have cute yards and I wouldn't want to be the one who messes that up for them.