The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

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Posted on August 6, 2012 by jmarkowski Posted in Uncategorized .
A day like today is when I thank the high heavens that I have a garden blog. 
But not for the reasons you think.
Yes, I love sharing my garden successes and sweet flower pics with you all, but nothing gets me through a bad gardening day like exposing all of my warts in this forum for all of the the world to see. 
Throw in some wonderfully sarcastic comments on top of that and I’m on the road to recovery. 
It’s out of my system and I’m ready to move on.  
Sarcasm is involved in all aspects of my life. I use it at work. I use it at home. I encourage the kids to use it … and they are starting to master it as well. It works for all of us. 
So why not extend that to the management of my gardens? Here are some examples of “garden-casm” I used as I painfully walked around my garden today.
Enjoy:       
         
Normally, I like balancing an entryway with the same plant on each side so it frames said entrance. But isn’t it cool to cut one to the ground just to mix it up a bit. Fun, right?:        

Oh wow, didn’t realize I carried this new found style to another part of the yard. How awesome:

I like how the yellowing leaves play off of the orange fruit of the tomato. I knew not keeping up with the watering was smart:

Oh cool, the tomato is splitting into two. Double the fun!:

I’m really liking a weed enhanced pathway. So natural and so low maintenance:

It’s kind of fun to try and find the kale or tomatoes amongst the weeds in the raised bed. It’s a bonus when you can locate a hiding creature:

My aphid study project is coming along swimmingly:

I will always love the spirea because it looks great year after year:

Nothing fits better in my garden than a tropical plant. I mean, you’ve seen the pics, my landscape screams tropical paradise. And man do they thrive and get nice and big by mid summer:  

Did I mention how well spireas also hold up into the fall?:

One of the things I’ve learned over the years is to put a plant that takes a while to leaf out in a prominent and highly visible spot in the garden. Whoa, slow down Anemone, it’s only August:

Ah, I feel better already.

And look, even the weather looks great as we head into early evening:

John

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17 Comments
« “Prune in June” – another Joe Pye Weed update
My favorite new plant of 2012 – Northern Sea Oats ‘River Mist’ »

17 Responses

  1. Monica the Garden Faerie says
    August 6, 2012 at 3:50 am

    I have rabbits who do the unbalancing for me.

  2. Tatyana@MySecretGarden says
    August 6, 2012 at 4:26 am

    You made my day!

  3. Cottage and Broome says
    August 6, 2012 at 4:31 am

    Those splitting tomatoes are the reason I go to the farmers market! It has been a tough year for gardening, too hot, too dry and too early. I posted about my fairy garden last week it you get a chance stop by and take a peak. Laura

  4. Becky says
    August 6, 2012 at 12:11 pm

    This really did make me LOL. Thanks for the Monday morning laugh. Hope you got some rain! We did Saturday night here in SC Ks. It rained for about a minute! =/

  5. Patty says
    August 6, 2012 at 12:37 pm

    I feel vindicated now – my whole garden looks like your weed patch – lol

  6. Sharon M says
    August 6, 2012 at 1:11 pm

    My tomatoes look like yours.

  7. sharon says
    August 6, 2012 at 4:28 pm

    sarcasm is under appreciated!! yes I “just love” reading all he blogs with thousands of perfect roses….(while I can barely keep kncckouts alive…and luscios tomatoes…mine look like yours and they are not wild…hahaha

  8. Anonymous says
    August 6, 2012 at 7:21 pm

    These are the times that test gardener’s souls! Those dark clouds moved East over us near the shore and dumped some fast rain. Everyone is getting so much defoliating help from little creatures this year. Ever think we’d hope for a colder winter than the past one so conditions aren’t as amenable to little creature overload? Some snow cover wouldn’t hurt either. If we get blizzards like year before last I won’t take credit for jinxing us along the east coast. Besides…there are only so many plagues, no? Consider you pain and much appreciated sarcasm shared by many…in a good way.

  9. Meta says
    August 6, 2012 at 8:14 pm

    I especially liked your natural looking path with the low maintenance plantings/weeds. It would feel right at home next to a path of mine.
    I enjoyed your sarcasm post.

  10. Leslie's Garden says
    August 6, 2012 at 8:32 pm

    Holy cow! That’s some awesome looking bad weather overhead! Loved the shot of the aphids, they look like they have become the plant:) You get through your year with sarcasm, I get through mine by saying, “next year…”.:)

  11. heather @ new house, new home, new life says
    August 7, 2012 at 12:20 am

    Oh my goodness!! I love your sense of humour – I’m languishing in a dry hot garden full of “successes” like yours. Love how your anemone and my Russian sage are just screaming “watch me (not) grow”.

  12. ~Gardener on Sherlock Street says
    August 7, 2012 at 1:01 am

    Keep us posted on the aphid study!

    I’d take your weather. No joking!

  13. mulchaddict says
    August 7, 2012 at 2:32 am

    Unbelievably awesome post. When my milkweed looked like that, it turned into a ladybug brothel. There’s still hope.

  14. Louise says
    August 7, 2012 at 6:19 am

    I can relate! And don’t you love it when guests arrive just as your garden reaches its “peak”?

  15. Anonymous says
    August 8, 2012 at 9:34 pm

    John, what type of Arborviate is that next to your deck?

  16. Anonymous says
    August 9, 2012 at 8:45 pm

    We are kindred spirits, man. Keep sarcasm alive!

  17. florist says
    March 22, 2013 at 6:01 am

    This is a good post. This post give truly quality information.I’m definitely going to look into it.Really very here.thank you so much.Keep up the good useful tips are provided works

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