Saturday, April 25, 2009

Come Sit In The Garden...


Snowball Bush
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It's funny. As soon as I have time I'm going to hold a contest. The winner will recieve a wee bit of art. The contest will be about looking back or forward. A once clear path or one with weeds, hovering roses and lots of "Creeping Jenny!"
I decided to share these UNEDITED photos with you because the last few days have been ROUGH to say the least!!! Kylie said something interesting the other day in a comment. I'll paraphrase because I can't remember in detail exactly what she said, but it had something to do with not being able to compete with "Suze's design aesthetics." I laughed. I laughed really, really hard. And here's why. For everything of beauty you see around this joint, there are 10 things that look like crap!!! NO! I'm not kidding. For instance, enlarge the photo. There's a dead vine to the right. I had to cut it back to stop it from growing into the attic. I have yet to remove the dead stuff. The weeds are insane. You see that?! The edging hasn't been done. Most of the roses weren't pruned.
See, no edging to speak of. Seedlings of privit growing 3 feet high to your right. Ivy that was never supposed to be there. A pink rose sleeping on the lawn because I was too tired to prune it and it went all floppy and top heavy on me. Is that what she's supposed to look like? No!!! Of course not. But doesn't she look pretty!!!
Looking out the master bedroom window last night. You might notice the windows haven't been cleaned yet. Look, I do windows twice a years. That's it. It's a lot of work and I don't wash them in spring until the rain has passed. I'm not lazy...technically the rain hasn't passed. It rained yesterday. No, I'm not kidding you, it rained!
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Front and center our new Maple tree. Yup that little weenie replaced our 60 foot Ash. *Suzy starts blinking really, really fast.* Yes, and that's Newman just to the right of the Maple under the slate heart. Right beside him is our goldfish. To the rear is the terribly neglected and unedited garden this year. I'm in so much trouble back there. To the left are about 50 rose bushes that still need planting. Unfortunately I have no place to plant them, nor the energy to figure out what to do. I'd hoped they'd just get up and plant themselves. I was terribly mistaken.
Ahhhhhhhh yes, the side yard to the north of the house. As most of you know, used to be all pea gravel until I got the lovely idea to plant around that horrible aluminum shed. Oh, it was so perfect in the beginning and then Dr. P said "Sit back, relax and watch the garden grow." The garden didn't, the weeds did and so did the Creeping Jenny. I don't mind the Creeping Jenning. In fact I LOVE IT!!! But the weeds? No. That path use to be about 4 feet wide until last year. My doctor killed my garden!!! But I'm not so sure because everyone who comes through the gate, particularly men from SMUD, etc. walk through the gate and go nuts. My former neighbors visited recently and were in awe (and they had the most beautiful home with landscape to die for). I'm rethinking my aesthetics. And no, I haven't uprighted that urn in more than 3 years. Oh, and the roses you see...well they're all "standards." Who knew!?
For some odd reason this combo works. A gorgeous pink Azalea with Anenomies. The Anenomies will be taller than the Azalea in a month and six feet by October, but somehow the two of them work it out. I have no idea how! Standard roses to the right of the Azalea. Yes, I know they look like strubs. Leave me alone. I do the best I can.
Well that's just the worst case of standard envy I've ever seen! Yup, probably what, six feet wide!!!??? I know it's absolutely pathetic. I can't get down the path without lifting a cane then wiggling under. And no, not to the Eureka rose, the rose across the lane!
What NOT to do with a standard rose! Also what NOT to do with a bird bath. Birds can't even find the damn thing let alone take a bath. Oh, and the edging. Please. Cut me some slack. I have too much to do!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, a much needed change. My two skunk fighting over food at the park!
My favorite bird. He's been with me for almost two years.
Back to roses. A Baby's Blanket standard rose completely out of control.
It's blurry, but the wind was blowing yesterday and this was the best I could do. My beloved hydrangea. This one is Endless Summer. It's about to bloom for God Sakes!!!!!
My favorite rose in the whole world. I have no idea what her name is!!! I'll have to work on that! This used to be a 4' wide path. She owns it now. And she isn't even planted. She's still in her container, but buried roots deep. I don't know what I'm going to do because she's happy.
Yes, the lovely Azalea. She's a keeper.
And Newman. I shouldn't have buried you next to the Maple darling. That slate heart is a constant reminder of all the stuff Mommy did wrong. Mickey was here when I posted your photo and I alerted him to it. He looked a long, long time. No, none of us have forgotten. Trust me. We love you as if it were yesterday. And no, we don't have a new alpha male yet. Oh they're still fightin' and scrapin' it all out. Thanks baby. Mommy needs this crap like a hole in the head.
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Love you all!
XO

15 comments:

just bob said...

Hi Blottie!

Suzanne said...

Hi baby!

kylie said...

hey suzy
what i thought was funny was that you never commented on my couch, it appeared in a photo this week

and as i wrote that i remembered that you havent seen it because you have joined up at m&m yet

your garden is gorgeous. i can see why it's not picture pefect but those bountiful roses outshine any neglect (and you know i dont mean you neglect it, just that theres a lot to do)
the overturned urn looks just right, too

xo

Megan said...

Pretend you don't know this, but the next time I drive up there, I'm going to go sit in the parking lot at the park and wait until I see you.

I so am!!!

And no, I'm not going to then follow you home and sneak into your yard. I'm going to walk right up to you and say, "will you take me to where the roses are?"

And you so will!!!

Suzanne said...

Kylie,

Hi honey. Why the hell am I up? Oh right, cat fight!!! I got up and tried to run and both feet had fallen asleep for some reason, so I was sort of feeling my way across the hard wood floors at nonwarp speed screaming into the night "OKAY YOU TWO, KNOCK IT OFF." I have no idea who the hell I was talking to, but I meant business! I know because I used my "Mommy" voice. Unfortunately I didn't reach ground zero for a few minutes. I was able to collect evidence I will use at trial. Black hair. Black silky long hair to be exact. "Counsel, you may call your fist witness." Oh right, I'm not a lawyer or a CSI. (Any good lawyer would challenge my method of collection as a CSI because it went something like this: "Ohno, I know it's you *grabs hair off floor and put finger prints all over it*, I KNOW IT'S YOU! KNOCK IT OFF.")

Yes, it's true. That's really my life!!! I still can't figure out how both feet fell asleep. I was laying so comfortably on the Macy's Sofa. Hummmmmmmmmmm. It was a lesson. I know now what it would be like not to have feet.

I'll be right over to look at your couch. This week has been so wacky for me. Have you noticed that if I get out and visit one friend it's a freakin' miracle?!!! Trust me honey, I'm doin' my best! Oh, and don't worry. I'll join! I'll join. I got the email, saw all the details, turned around and walked away. Yup, that's what life's been like this week. Hard. Overwhelming. You know it's bad when you can't even figure out how to join a freakin' blog nor have the energy to read the instructions!!!

Thanks darling for the comment about the garden. It is beautiful. Looking at it helped me navigate the past few days. Seriously. I looked out yesterday morning and just appreciated every damn weed. With all it's imperfection (!) it is gorgeous and I feel blessed to be surrounded by so much loveliness each and every day. However, because I'm the "gardener" I see all the work that needs to be done. Ugh. I will save myself a wee bit of work and leave the urn tipped in your honor! *Suze walks away "Damn thing's to heavy to move anyway."*

XO :)

Joyful Jo said...

Suze,
First of all your garden is beautiful. My dad had a garden like yours with roses,trees and shrubs all winding their way around to make this wonderful garden seem as if the back and front yards were bigger than they were. Claret Ash tree in the front garden by the front lounge room window. He was fond of fuchsias in hanging baskets hanging from a pergola out the back. Helen used to love playing there when she was little.
I hope the cats are now behaving themselves now. Our two are always fighting with me saying to them "boys stop that" to which they turn around looking innocent with a it wasn't me look.

Suzanne said...

Megan,

And so I will. I would welcome a dear friend at the park. What will you be driving my dear, and what color?!!! Just remember that my household is a whole hell of a lot of wacky. Just to remind you!!! If you can deal with that, you're a gem!!! The house won't look like something out of Good Housekeeping. Trust me. It's in the middle of a remodel and everything is just sorta funky!!! If you can drink tea and eat shortbread without looking, you'll be just fine!!!

I love you so much and you've always welcome. And I would greet you at the park with open arms. I would recogize you in a second.

Love you darling, and thanks.

XO

Suzanne said...

Jo,

The cats are never behaving themselves. If they were it would mean I'd died and gone to Heaven!

Gardens. Your Dad's sounds so lovely. I love the image of fuchsias hanging, but buying them is so expensive. Did he start his own? At great expense I bought some a number of years ago. They didn't survive the winter, so $60 later, I gave up. I'd rather spend a few dollars on Impatients.

Jo, thanks for stopping by the past few days when I needed you most. Honestly, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you and the family very much. Thanks sweetie.

XO

Karen ^..^ said...

Even overgrown, unpruned, unedited, your garden is breathtakingly beautiful. Stop apologizing. Your yard is lovely. I feel such a sense of "Ahhhhh" when I see pictures. Even if they aren't "picture perfect", and somehow, the overgrown ones are my favorite. Mother nature working her unlimited magic.

Absolutely gorgeous. Just like you.

Walker said...

Thats a garden to get lost in and one you can tell someone takes pride in maintaining.

Suzanne said...

Karen,

Thanks babe. You're right. I'm glad you always stop by to enjoy. I'll pick a bouquet for you tomorrow!

XO

Suzanne said...

Walker,

Thank you darling. You're welcome to walk through any time. Just try not to trip over the "unmaintained" stuff! We have good homeowner's insurance, I'm just not sure how good!

Always nice to see you here. Thanks for reminding me to stop by.

XO

Merely Me said...

Hi Blottie!

I am alive! Thanks for asking! Tired and alive! Your yard is gorgeous. Makes me think I should strap a little one to my back and tend to our fields! We have just under two acres...in the middle of the city. It is faboo. I should tend to the hostas but I always choose a nap over gardening these days!
I am a little slow blogging these days as I don't want to bore everyone with my wonderful child. He is incredible. (There. Got that in even on your blog!)
I see Megan doing what she said too!

Karen ^..^ said...

Hey, sexy lady... got an award for you over at my place. Come and get it!!

Travis Erwin said...

Beautiful. I'm green with envy and you know it ain't easy to get me to do anything green.