Sunburn Fern & Beetle Bites

To write a garden blog and not talk about the problems would really be faking it big-time! Every gardener has problems. As a matter of fact, that’s the most effective way to relate to other gardeners – to discuss what the problems are and what we do about them.

Mostly, I do nothing.

Oh, yeah …. oh,yeah, we weed for sure, for things like thistles are ubiquitous. But there’s no chemical warfare going on on our grounds, and, for the most part, we just “turn up the radio” if there is a problem. We plant enough for the bunnies and the deer, remove the dead stuff before people can see, and disregard the rest. This too shall pass!

The Harry Lauder Walking Stick has been a beetle favorite this year (along with the roses and the hibiscus).

Some of the hosta and fern needs more SPF 15 or 30, since the neighbor cut his tree down close to my used-to-be shade corner.

We have Hefty-bagged many of the web-worms. And any bagworms get hand-harvested as we locate them. …haven’t found any iris borers to speak of as we divide and replant them, but – if we do, we just dig’em out and throw them in the trash. We also can’t do anything about the hot-weather-green-scum-and-grass that’s developing in the creek for now. It’s as wide as a football field but shallow enough for the deer to ford it and the kids to safely tube there. That’ll pass when the autumn rains and the cooler temperatures arrive.

You know that saying, “Things are looking up?” Well, around here, WE are looking up. There’re morning-glories and sunflowers and crepe myrtle to cheer us. The other is just part of the cycle of things.