The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

Monthly Archives: January 2025

Daily garden journal – 1/22/25

Posted on by Posted in Winter interest .

A walk.

Kicks ass.

Had a bad day? A walk can help you … walk out of that mood.

Had a great day? A walk can elevate that elatedness (a word?) to the next level.

I highly recommend a walk with your significant other, hand in hand. Corny, yes. But also my favorite thing to do.

Need to plan with a clear head? A walk is the prescription. Like formulating a plan with what to do with a section of garden in full sun, ravaged by deer, that always becomes overrun with weeds by late spring.

That was the purpose of today’s walk along the Delaware River in single digit temps (Fahrenheit that is). I fear nothing.

Crossing from NJ into PA.

Canal is frozen and witnessed kids sledding down a hill and across the ice. No pics in fear of getting arrested for taking pics of said kids.

No formal plan was concocted but I do have some killer ideas.

Daily garden journal – 1/21/25

Posted on by Posted in Perennials, Winter interest .

This has become an issue:

Those little Baptisia seeds disperse EVERYWHERE in my garden in winter and by mid-spring, they emerge and while they’re a pain in the ass to yank out with their taproot, they’re also spindly, weak and nothing like what the beautiful mother plant looks like.

I planned to remove all of the spent blooms in summer, didn’t do it, and then planned the same in the fall and again, didn’t do it.

So we will suffer in spring yet again. I’ll be sure to show you the seedlings/growth to back my argument with corresponding curses thrown in.

Daily garden journal – 1/16/25

Posted on by Posted in Ornamental grass .

Carex ‘Feather Falls’.

This grass has not only survived but thrived in full sun here in zone 6B New Jersey. It looks great in mass at the front of a garden bed and as you can see below, retains its color and shape into winter. You can read more about it here. As mentioned in this write-up, it kicks the ass of the Liriope and I plan to add more this spring.

Daily garden journal – 1/15/25

Posted on by Posted in Deer .

Deer.

A foe, yes.

But as I ponder our past relationship over the years/decades, I think maybe I owe them some gratitude. And even a thank-you. Why?

Their eating habits made me work harder in the garden and also when planning.

They forced me to embrace the reality that a garden is meant to be shared.

And most importantly, their presence limited my garden palette which made my life easier once I accepted that limitation. Hello ornamental grasses! ONG loves the OG’s.

And I enjoy watching them winter, spring, summer and fall while they roam the backyard as I sit behind the desk in my home office on yet another mindless conference call.

How’s that for Zen and positivity? Welcome to the new “me”. I think you’ll enjoy it.

Daily Garden Journal – 1/14/25

Posted on by Posted in Winter interest .

“Winter interest”.

A thing that factored into much of my garden planning and design but also something I fail to enjoy in person. It’s damn cold out there in our New Jersey winter and I don’t want to feel uncomfortable because I’ve become a weak and uninspired man.

No longer.

I am adding a daily winter garden visit to my repertoire (along with taking Vitamin D, making the bed, eating two Brazil nuts and spending too much time on Twitter). I will view it as a daily cold plunge so it’s also good for my overall health.

I didn’t dot my landscape with so many ornamental grasses to not admire them in winter, when their shape and movement in the wind truly shines.

Here we go winter, here we go.

Here we go winter, here we go.

Sing it with me …

Here we go winter, here we go.

Quick note: I’m unable to send out daily email notifications of new posts so please stop by on the daily even if you don’t receive the email reminder. Thanks.

Daily Garden Journal – 1/13/25

Posted on by Posted in Uncategorized .

Please note the hat in the pic above. Some notes on said cap:

I received it as a surprise Christmas gift in the mail a few weeks back.
Upon its reveal, I felt a palpable sting of inspiration. 
Why? Because I, in fact, am the Plant Fuckin Daddy.
This Plant Daddy is going to kill it in the garden in 2025. 
And the killing will be documented in a daily journal where I will wax poetic about my gardening excellence and laugh in the face of my few failures.

I’m 52 years old. 
I’m achy 100% of each day. 
My son will be moving out of the house this summer and my daughter is a freshman all the way down south at the University of Georgia. I’m not sure how much longer we will remain in our home. It’s not the same without the four of us residing here regularly. 
So with than in mind, I’m going to do my best to document and relish in the garden this year. I want to fully immerse myself in the process (not the results) and I want to have a record of it so I can reread and rewatch from my future rocking chair.


Stay tuned.