playing n the dirt

The yard at the end of our block looks perfect.  Every blade of grass looks the exact height and color as the next.  The trees are evenly spaced, the english ivy stays in the beds and the flagstone is perfectly random.  Any block would be proud to have this yard.  I just have one problem with it, it isn’t natural.

There are lots of chemicals used on the lawn, it seems like almost every week they put more on.  English ivy is not native to Colorado and can be every intrusive if it does spread and while evenly spaced the trees will be to close when they get full grown.  I really am not the jealous neighbor.  I would just prefer a yard and garden that were a little more natural.

Nature isn’t perfect and I don’t think our yards and gardens should be either.  That does not mean I don’t think we should not take care of our yards.  However there is a difference between dumping tons of chemicals on our yards and living with a few weeds.  I think our plant options need to be native to the area and not something exotic.  There is something to be said for the surprises of nature and a cottage style yard versus the perfect yard.

My husband surprised me at work the other day by sending me a live Bonsai.  This is a plant that has always intrigued me but one that I don’t think I would have ever gotten for myself.  I have lots of house plants, but they are all pretty common. 

With my new Bonsai I will enter into the world of the exotic plants.  I hope this is just the begining of a Bonsai collection.  I understand that they can be almost addictive and that you need one for each room in the house.

The soapy water is working on whatever type of lava got all over the leaves of my pepper plants.  The plants and leaves are looking much better.  The is some damage that can’t be repaired, but over all I think the peppers will be ok. 

I still don’t know what type of bug laid the lava, but I’m not to worried about that.  I think I did see one of them this afternoon.  It as an ugly red and black thing.  If I had tons of free time, I look up what kind of bug it is, but I have lots of other garden chores to do instead.

I plant a pretty good sized vegetable garden each year.  My only problem is that there is just me and my husband, so like gardeners everywhere I always end up with to much.  That’s why I’m known as the produce lady at work.  What we don’t eat right away, or what I can’t keep up with canning or freezing I take to work.  I started taking actual vegetables today.  About a month ago I took in over 50 tomatoe plants that I had grown from seed.  

My husband keeps telling me I should charge and not just give them away, but then it would seem to much like work.  Besides, I like watching things grow, so I just keep planting them.  The recent concern over tainted tomatoes and peppers actually seems to have more friends, neighbors and co-workers lined up for fresh organic vegetables and I’ll be more than glad to provide all I can.