Uncategorized Archives - The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

Daily Garden Journal – 1/13/25

Posted on January 13, 2025 by jmarkowski 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.

The swing set – DGP

Posted on October 11, 2023 by jmarkowski Posted in Family, Uncategorized .

It might be time for it to go.

It was constructed in 2007. A friend drove his truck, equipped with the requisite tools, into the backyard. The advantage of living in the country with acreage.

Jamie was 1 and Jack 4. The cedar wood not only sparkled with freshness but it smelled great too. I recall swinging on it by myself that first night, staring back at our house with an overwhelming feeling of contentment.

We ate lunch together underneath the slide, until the bees inevitably arrived.

I taught them how to properly jump off a swing and captured action shots with my new camera.

We willingly played along when my son insisted we each needed to portray a different Wiggles character as we slid and as we swung. He was always Anthony, the blue guy, and I was jealous. Anthony was charming and witty and the best looking. I agreed to be Murray, the tall goofy red one.

My daughter had no fear as I continued to up how high I’d push her on the swing. A foreshadowing of our eventual shared love for rollercoasters.

We had a tradition of swinging together after midnight on New Year’s Eve. And never allowed the winter weather to stop us.

And then …

The cedar slowly faded from beige to gray.

The posts began to sink.

The chains rusted.

The weeds became too much to manage.

Other activities became a higher priority.

At one point I considered growing vegetables on vines around the entire structure as a means to give it a new purpose. But gave up after deeming it too much work.

We never celebrated a ceremonious last swing or last trip down the slide.

Both swing seats have busted in two and the entire playground is a hazard zone. One more wind gust and it may collapse upon itself.

I haven’t been able to bring myself to finish it off. I still enjoy it as a background feature in the backyard, remembering when. My last attempt to grasp on to their collective childhoods.

But it’s time. It’s time to move on. My son signed off. My daughter signed off. My wife signed off. And now I’m ready. I’m ready to burn the wood symbolically as we all sit around the fire and talk about impending graduations and future plans.

Although I did witness a red-shouldered hawk eating a snake on top of the swing set while working yesterday. After I had started this post. A sign to allow it to remain? Allow the birds to continue to hang there? Isn’t that what Mother Nature would want?

Hmm.

Lessons learned

Posted on August 30, 2023 by jmarkowski Posted in Garden problems, How-to, Summer, Uncategorized .

It’s taken close to two decades, but I now feel comfortable sharing the following sentiment:

I’m in a mutha f’n groove in my garden.

Yeah, you heard me. I’m oozing and dripping (gross, sorry) with confidence after reaping the rewards of failing miserably the last 18 years and 8 months and 6 days and 4 hours and 32 minutes and 37 seconds. The answers have always been there but I was too blind from the sweat and poison ivy to ever see them:

Stay patient and allow plants the time they need to establish themselves.
Don’t force plants into your garden that you know will not thrive there.
Stop the obsession of buying new plants; instead, divide what you already have. Those are free plants dummy.

I’ve dabbled in following these three garden tenets over the years but never fully dedicated myself to them until this year. And you know what? I’ve never enjoyed the garden more. I’m still working my ass off to the point of nearly passing out but I’m, get this, working SMARTER. Maybe it took reaching 50 years old to finally see the light. I’m well on my way to becoming a wise old sage.

Here’s the section of the garden that inspired today’s post.

I added the Carex and the Rudbeckia this spring/summer to finally fill in the front but, the greatest development, is the always increasing supply of Sneezeweed at the back.

I purchased three of these perennials (checks notes) back in 2011 and planted them in a spot where they never had a chance. Once in bloom, they easily toppled over.

Which in turn toppled me over.

Frustrated and pained, I dug them up and (checks notes) have no idea what I did next. I assume I transplanted one or two to where they are now, but honestly don’t recall doing it.

(Checks notes and old photos). OK, got something here. Back in 2014, I took this photo which is the spot where they all reside currently.

They’re about 50% of the height they are now and about 20% of the volume. The funny thing is I don’t remember seeing them much since then. They started to make their presence two years ago and I was giddy that they persevered. It took a lot of intestinal fortitude, but I left them alone.

There’s tenet #1. Patience.

Yay me.

And now they’re kicking ass, gaining the required support from the nearby grasses.

Let’s go back to the first photo on this post again as reference.

Remember tenet #2, grow what your conditions allow you to grow, or something like that? This vignette is loaded with plants that fit that mold. We’ve got the ubiquitous Joe Pye Weed, Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’ (back center), Pennisetum ‘Hameln’ in bloom (smack dab in the middle) and a bunch of yet to bloom Chelone ‘Hot Lips’ (middle right). All have thrived since the day they were first planted and I’ve continued to add them all in other spots in the garden.

For tenet #3, here are examples of plants I’ve divided and replanted with big time success.

Mountain Mint. It’s everywhere in my garden.

Bee balm. One division relocated soon becomes, like a lot as it spreads through rhizomes underground.

Lady’s Mantle. Last fall, I dug up 5 plants as they struggled in blazing full sun and moved them to this spot where they get some late afternoon relief. 5 became 12 and they’ve all grown in with vigor. I’d show you that vigor, but they’re a bit messy right now and my point won’t be proven so why would I do that?

And last but surely not least, we have Joseph Pye. While I’ve divided some, truthfully, it’s been more of an art of managing the reseeding. If it pops up where I like, it stays. If not, I move it to a location that makes it “look” like it naturally found its way there. Takes a little bit of babying initially, but once established, we good for years.

So there’s your lesson for the day.

You are so welcome.

Garden tour

Posted on May 23, 2023 by jmarkowski Posted in Spring, Uncategorized .

It’s a joy to watch all of the perennials, grasses and shrubs start to fill in and truly bring the garden alive but all I can focus on is that bare section at the front of the this garden bed. I need to get my arse to the nursery and buy me some annuals to fill in ASAP.

I’ve soured some on the Weigela ‘Wine and Roses’ flowers over the years, as they feel, I don’t know, kind of obnoxious in their abundance. But, there are two hummingbirds who have lingered here for days now and I have the ideal view of them as I watch through the window and forget that I’m on a conference call for work.

After visiting Chanticleer Gardens last summer, I vowed to add more Thalictrum (Meadow Rue) for pops of height and I did just that this week. That stem color is unbeatable.

And the flowers aren’t too shabby either.

My garden is loaded with Amsonia (if somethings works, keep doing that) and most are in bloom right now. I need to find something to plant in front of these to hide the lower sections and preferably something that will be a killer companion when these shine all yellow in the fall. Hmm.

Allium still holding on.

Baptisia are nearing full bloom and again, as is a common theme today, I know I desperately need to cover up their bare ugly legs here.

So much better when you can’t see the bottom.

Interesting observation here. The flowers in the foreground are from a baptisia that reseeded and those in the background are from the original plant. Definitely prefer the darker shade and foliage of the original.

Gardening, as we all know, is full of surprises, both positive and negative. The white irises below were a surprise, having emerged within a massive grouping of Joe Pye Weed that has yet to fully emerge. I had planted these more than 10 years ago and haven’t seen any blooms from them in years. Nice.

A walk along the Delaware River

Posted on February 16, 2023 by jmarkowski Posted in Uncategorized .

Moving forward on this blog, I’ll do my best to not bore and inundate you with age-related rants and complaints. I know that story gets old and uninteresting real fast.

But that’s where we’ll begin today.

Turning 50 freaked me out. You know this from a prior post, so no need to dwell on it. Although I just did.

Here’s the deal: I’m not going to crumble, I’m not going to feel sorry for myself. I vow to push myself physically. I vow to weed like a spry 28 year old. I vow to move plants around with reckless abandon like I did in my 30’s.

And I vow to traverse the entirety of the Appalachian Trail by my lonesome.

J/k.

I’ll start smaller, just like I did a few months back when I completed a 15-mile hike along the Delaware River, via the Delaware Canal. It’s a spot my wife and I visit often for its tranquility and killer views. But our walks never extended beyond 2-3 miles. This walk 5 x’d that.

So after a shit week at work, I feigned illness and took off a Friday in November. The day was too ideal to ignore. Low 60’s and nothing but sun. Shorts and a t-shirt were all I needed. My wife dropped me off at the start of the planned 15.2 mile walk at Tinicum Park in Pennsylvania and she would then pick me up in New Hope, PA where my stroll would be ending.

With camera in hand and a shit-eating grin on my face, I headed off.

And within three minutes, I spotted a blue heron (I think?) and spent minutes trying to find the right angle for a pic. Yeah nature! And yeah birds!

I love abandoned locations and abandoned things. I’m obsessed with it. I watch You Tube videos of abandoned theme parks, abandoned zoos and abandoned hospitals. I don’t understand the appeal and should probably dive deeper to grasp why.

Some of my abandoned finds during the hike:

I need to know the decision making behind the individual who last stepped out of this vehicle and said “I’ll just leave this here.” And when did it topple on to its side? Does anyone have plans to move this at some point? Are they procrastinating?

You tell me “Keep out” and I read “Come on in”. I didn’t enter but may do so during the next walk. I regret chickening out.

I’m not paranoid and I’m not taking poetic license by saying this: I saw glowing eyes in the window all the way to the left. I felt it to my core. And it kicked ass.

I stepped off the path and wandered through this building hoping to be attacked or accosted by a spirit or a raccoon.

Spoiler: nothing happened.

I’ve watched all the Big Foot and Sasquatch documentaries so this holds a special place in my heart.

I was close to twenty feet below the road’s surface when I snapped this photo. That is some flood.

How good must this party have been?

I never tire of the views found on the trail. Here’s looking toward New Jersey.

This was taken in by the town/hamlet of Point Pleasant, PA. So f’n cute, right?

And then Heaven arrived. The trail winded behind a nursery. I contemplated buying a few small trees but wasn’t sure how I’d carry them for ten more miles.

I watched this guy work in the nursery for a few minutes while I shoved two power bars down my throat. That’s my retirement job some day. And some day is a long way’s away, right? Right.

Owners of this adorable home, invite me in for coffee or tea or something even stronger. Please.

Exactly half way though the hike, the path ended in Upper Black Eddy, PA with no means to continue on. My plan to end in New Hope, PA was to include a few beers at a local brewery and now I was stymied. My only option was to turn around and head back to where I came from. Probably should have done a bit of research before I headed out.

By the time I finished, my thighs and calves burned and the bottoms of my feet were afire with soon to be popping blisters. But my friends, it was oh so worth it.

15 miles down.

30 miles next. With better shoes.

Until next time Delaware Canal.

My Fall Garden

Posted on November 2, 2022 by jmarkowski Posted in Fall color, Uncategorized .

Hello friends, long time no chat. Hope you’re all doing well and more importantly, hope your garden is giving you everything and more.

The foliage in NJ has been off the charts beautiful this year and I’ve spent more time ogling my dying plants than I have in a long time. My garden shines when the grasses take the lead and everything else falls in line. It’s been worth the wait even if it is incredibly fleeting.

Now to figure out how to get that same joy come spring.

Here’s a sampling of the current state garden and now that Halloween has come and gone, I’m sure it’s going to disappear overnight.

Boo hoo.

A slob no more

Posted on March 31, 2022 by jmarkowski Posted in Uncategorized .

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

After many stops and starts, the day finally arrived. Upon waking up it felt odd yet familiar.

My first day due back in the office after two years. I slipped back into the morning routine like it had never left. Walked the dog, tapped the power button on the coffee machine, showered, dressed (the pains of no more sweatpants!), brushed the teeth (boo hygiene) grabbed the laptop bag, kissed my wife goodbye and drove off, podcast playing before I exited our street.

My initial thoughts while driving were centered around, “I wonder what my cubicle looks like. How had I left it back in 2020?” After that wore off, I looked back longingly on the past two years spent working from home. I was going to miss seeing my wife in between conference calls, bumping elbows in the kitchen as we prepared our lunches. I was going to miss Mia, our 6 year-old mutt traveling room to room, in search of a sliver of sun or a vent pumping out hot air.

A brief thought on how the cost of gas was going to bankrupt me.

A brief thought on how combing the hair was vastly overrated.

A brief thought on how I wish I’d captured my feelings in words the entirety of those two strange, awful and beautiful years. A drive through high school graduation. Sending my son off to college.

The end of Travel softball.

Seeing my daughter off to high school. The joys of curbside pickup, the agony of a Christmas spent on Zoom, and endless walks with my wife, exploring the Delaware Canal with reckless abandon.

And since this is technically a garden blog, a brief regret that I hadn’t done more in the garden when I had nothing but time.

Free time is a funny thing. A blessing I guess, but for me, a true curse. I don’t operate well when I have abundant available time. I need pressure to get things done. Ask my parents about all-nighters spent studying in high school. Ask my boss how I handle chaos but don’t ask her if I could’ve addressed things sooner. And ask my family (actually please don’t) about the number of times I utter “Definitely on my list for tomorrow.”

The garden is no different. Give me only one hour on Saturday and I’ll kick some ass. Tell me I’ve got the entire afternoon and I’m paralyzed by all that I could get done.

I did some things outside the past two years, sure, but I also procrastinated like a champ. “If I don’t get to it today, there’s always tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after that. What else do I have to do with the world shut down?”

Which brings me back to the theme I’ve shared in my prior two posts. Time to embrace a little at a time. Life is busier again and that, fingers crossed, means John The Gardener will return. I like to think he’ll make some serious headway this spring if he can stick to this mantra. Which will give us all more of this:

If the blank slate I’ve created doesn’t send me into the fetal position first …

More Fall Garden

Posted on October 26, 2021 by jmarkowski Posted in Uncategorized .

I waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

And then finally, at 5:00 pm EST today, we had our first break from the rain.

I dashed from out of my home office (where I’ve been working since March ’20 and it’s not really an office but a desk in what used to be a playroom), grabbed my camera and snapped the following pics, fearful if I didn’t capture this moment in time, I’d regret it when it all disappeared the next day. We’re at peak autumn color right now her in New Jersey, which means we’ll now be heading in the wrong direction.

I’ll savor these shots until Spring Fever hits on January 2nd.

As great as all the yellow/gold hues look, this section desperately needs some red/orange foliage as a contrast. Dammit.

I just looked back on all of my old posts and I referenced my love of Panicum ‘Northwind” 218 times. Here’s #219.

Fluffy, airy, grassy, poofy, puffy, yummy.

This is my view outside the window of my office. I’ve lovingly ogled this Molinia ‘Skyracer’ throughout all of the seasons and at this moment, the orange stems are stunning, especially when backlit by the morning sun.

Where there’s room, there’s a grass. This Indian Grass blooms are gigantic and I’m so here for it.

Great colors, great textures but need more varying heights. Dammit.

Clethra has fantastic fall color, even if it is fleeting.

Speaking of Fall, if you take a gander at the latest issue of Fine Gardening magazine and turn to page 30 …

And page 31 …

You might recognize a certain someone.

The Fall Garden

Posted on October 12, 2021 by jmarkowski Posted in Uncategorized .

My garden is a Fall garden. As much as I try to jam in annuals and spring/summer blooming perennials, it truly shines and stands out as the temps drop in September/October. The character is off the charts. It evokes more emotion than winter/spring/summer combined. Now if I could only tap a “pause” button …

Long Time No See

Posted on June 22, 2021 by jmarkowski Posted in Uncategorized .

How long has it been?

The correct answer is “too long”.

Sorry.

I dipped my toes back into the blogging pond last summer only to disappear again and for that I apologize. I’ll go ahead and make the assumption that you missed me. Or maybe not. Out of sight out of mind, amirite?

Oh, do we not say “amirite” any longer? My bad.

Am I right?

I come armed with no promises upon this return. No big future plans or announcements or any sort of promotion of work outside of here. I missed this place and missed you all and wanted to say hi and share some gardening pics.

How’ve you all been?

How’s your garden looking and how’s it treating you?

Do we still read blogs or is it only You Tube now?

You’ll be happy to know I’m still struggling to keep up with the mess I’ve created in my yard over the years and have sworn it all off more than once over the past few months only to return with vigor and a massive dent in my bank account.

Truth is, I still ADORE it. I continue to cherish the struggle and the ups and downs. I may ache more the next day (FYI, turning 49 tomorrow, HBD to me) and I may continue to make the same mistakes (of which you won’t see) but damn it’s still rewarding.

Having said that, here’s some pics of what I got going on.