I'll be the first to admit that I am sometimes a bit impetuous when I start new projects. I'll start a project without really thinking it all the way through, only to realize that it's much bigger than I anticipated. Or, even worse, I don't really know what I'm doing. Not that that stops me; it just makes things harder and longer. And I always finish the project, because I'm stubborn like that.
Anyways.
Yesterday I was out in the front flowerbed planting some new mums and bulb plants and trimming and tidying up and whatnot. Things were going well. Spencer and Josh were helping by staying out of the way and playing in the street. (I wish I were joking.) It wasn't too hot and I was getting lots done. I was happy that my flowerbed looked so nice this year.
Except for one thing.
That stupid bush.
I bought it a couple summers ago for only $20 at a local nursery. I should have known that $20 was too good a deal. It was called a dogwood bush and was supposed to flower in the spring and have pretty red leaves in the fall.
Not so much. Instead, it looks pretty good for about half the summer, and then develops some disease in the summer and fall that makes it have ugly purple spots and dead leaves all over.
It was mocking me.
It had to go.
So I started hacking and chopping and tearing it out. I chopped and hacked and chopped some more. Then I tried digging out the roots. Emphasis on the tried.
For comparison, here is what the bush looked like on the 4th of July. It's the one behind the day lilies. (It was about half again as big yesterday.)
And here's what it looked like after I tried getting it out.
Yeah, a little pathetic. Okay, more than a little.
I just couldn't get those stupid roots to give an inch! It really likes where it's planted, because it just wouldn't budge. Even with both my feet on the shovel, using all my weight as leverage.
Still mocking me, with its stupid leaf-stripped twiggy branches.
But no worries - I'll just bring out the big guns this weekend to get it taken care of. (Big Guns a.k.a. Lance) He'll use his impressive muscles and tear that bad boy out. And then I'll have a nice, rather large, empty spot in my flower bed. (Why oh why didn't I just wait until winter?!)
But no worries again, because I know the perfect thing to help fill an empty spot in a flower bed this time of year: pumpkins. And lots of them.
Only five more days, people.
2 comments:
Josh just used a saw to cut the roots off our HUGE bushes we took out in front. He dug all around them - then broke out the saw - so all the big roots are still there - but you can't tell and the new plants don't seem to mind. Just a thought.
Given the time of year you say this happens, I would bet the thing gets a nice heavy infestation of mites.
Otherwise it may be anthracnose, a fungal disease. Some people tend to overwater a little too much in late summer. Even though it's still hot, the plants don't use as much water, so overwatering can occurr leaving your plant susceptible to a fungal disease.
If it's mites, an insecticidal soap, or just washing the leaves off with water spray will help control the problem.
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