Unknown Soldier Named

So I found out the name of the "unknown soldier" I lost in transplanting. I have two or three more of these plants out in the front of my house...... so today during my yard sale, one lady stepped up and said, "your oakleaf hydrangeas are beautiful". HA so THAT is what they are!!! My mom was saying the flowers looked like hydrangeas, and she was right!!!!!

I also was approached by several neighbors who mentioned they were impressed to see me working so diligently in my garden this spring, but hadn't seen me out and about in a while. I really didn't feel like getting into the whole "my mom is sick, my husband is out of town, I've got business stuff going on, etc"...... so I just excused myself by saying I was taking a break from gardening since killing most of my spring purchases. However, after saying it, I decided it is time to get back into the game.

Now I need to figure out what I wanna do next.........

There may be HOPE for the Popcorn Verburnum

So I was out tonight taking pictures of a few more plants I've lost along the way (updates to come) and I passed the Popcorn Verburnum. What caught my eye was three green leaves on it. So I cracked one of the branches to find green. Does this mean it is still alive? Maybe I didn't kill it? Anyone have suggestions as to how to bring 'er back? Maybe there still is hope for me as a gardener!!!! Yeah, right...... wait till you see the next post and what else I've killed!

Obituary: Unknown Soldier

Here lies an unknown species of plant, at least to me. Two of her siblings are still living in the front of my house (the live picture). I went to transplant this puppy, but it obviously didn't go so well. I tried like hell to revive her, but I guess her number was up. This is number 2 on my Grimm Reaper list.

Obituary: Bella "Popcorn Verbernum" Smith

Born. March 5, 2007 in a nursery in Atlanta Georgia

Died. June 11, 2008 in Allison Park, PA

Miss Smith lead a fantastic life until she was visited by the Grimm Reaper/Black Thumb Gardener, Danielle Spinola, who miraculously killed her within weeks of purchasing her from Hahn Nursery in the North Hills of Pennsylvania. RIP.

My Patio

As I mentioned in my last blog, I finished my patio. Here are some pictures of my house before and after.

The black thumb is BACK!!!

So when I cleaned out what was going to be my cutting garden, until all the trees grew in and blocked EVERY bit of light from the area, I decided to put in some nice flowers and a little patio. I envisioned some really nice little metal chairs and a table for that area and enough flowers that when you sit in there you feel like you are amidst a beautiful flowery garden. I went out and bought a popcorn verburnum, amongst other things....... Well the verburnum is dying...... all droopy and sad looking. So now I have to find a place to transplant it to before it completes it's decline. I am starting to wonder if I will EVER get good at this gardening thing. One of my columbine plants is looking meek too. The other two are thriving quite nicely next to that one..... in that instance, I am thinking I received a BAD plant...... is there such a thing???

Anyway, my patio looks GREAT, at least to me. I reused some red bricks from my father in law's neighbor, so they were free to me. I made a very organic looking patio as none of the lines match up, no bricks are similar, and the steps to reach the patio are made from bricks that are mortared together and surrounded by moss. I plan on attempting to grow something stepable all over the whole patio. I am hoping to find some chairs for my patio on the big 100 mile yardsale. I also have to find some pretty flowers to replace my verburnum AND I have to find a place for the verburnum!!!

40 days and 40 nights

It seems to have been raining here for straight 40 days and nights. And of course, the weather is very cold for this time of year, in my opinion. So as it currently stands, I have a load of manure sitting in my front lawn, a pile of bricks stacked along my new planting bed, a half turned new planting bed and rows of unplanted plants on the front porch. My house currently looks as if a bomb went off....... hopefully the rain holds off enough this week, that I can get the rest done. Maybe if I am lucky, the temperature will be warm, warm, warm. Ahhhh how I would love to move south in times like now!!!