When In Doubt, I Rip It Out

On my daily garden tour, I noticed that my asiatic lilies are coming up. I love asiatic lilies.

My only problem is that I planted them when I had a different colour scheme in the porch garden. Yellow and red and orange were the chief colours...it was my very first year gardening, and I thought I was going to love it!

Then everything came up...HATED IT!



I found out that I'm really not into the whole 'warm tone' thing. Or if I was going to go for warm tones, it would have to be more monochromatic to float my boat.

What did I do? I ripped everything out and started over! A few of the casualties...







Ok. I didn't rip out everything. I left these.



'Blackout' Asiatic Lily. I have 4 patches of these in my porch garden. Actually, maybe it's three now? I think I accidentally removed one of the patches when I was messing with the soil...

Anyway, I don't know why I left them. Don't get me wrong, I think they're beautiful, I just don't think they fit in with my garden. Any of my gardens, really. They're a lot more burgundy than they look in the picture. Hence, the 'Blackout'.

AND they spread like wildfire. I'm not a fan of plants that do that. Most people would be happy because they get more beautiful flowers, and don't have to shell out the extra dough. But not moi.

I guess it's the control freak in me. When I was a kid, I was always one to colour inside the lines. And I expect my flowers to colour inside the lines too.


Back to the question. Why did I keep them? I guess because the flowers are usually gone by the time I really get going with planting. And Mr. A told me that he really liked them once, so maybe that's why I have a soft spot for them. I like to call it Executioner's Guilt.



Normally I don't have a problem ripping things out of my garden that I don't like. Look what I did to Dusty Miller in 'You Say Potato, I Say Potahto'. The only thing I regret removing are the red dahlias in the last 'casualty' photo I showed you above.

I would give the asiatic lilies to friends, but none of my friends really garden. And the one that does, plants mostly shrubs and foliage plants.

So...what do you guys do when you decide you don't like something you've planted?

Do you make like a Beatle and Let It Be? Do you rip it out without a second thought? Do you give it away to friends? Or have you been satisfied with every planting decision you've ever made? :P

Inquiring Kynas want to know!



I may have kept the crayon inside the lines, but I definitely wasn't a boring kid...

You Say Potato, I say Potahto

This blog won't be about what you thought it was:



The other day, when I wrote Thistle While You Work, I had mentioned that I thought the thistle I had a photo of was pretty in it's own peculiar way. IG @ The Idiot Gardener left me the comment "It's odd; I guess I never considered that to some people they would be attractive."

I like comments like that, because they make me think. I do a lot of thinking. Thinking is one of those things I do best, like Winnie-the-Pooh. But unlike Mr. The-Pooh, I wear pants while I think.



Beauty is a very subjective thing. What one person finds attractive, the next person could walk right past without a second look. Or find it abhorrent.

I think this extends into the garden. I have a few flowers that I can't stand to have in my garden. There are a few that I can't stand to see in other people's gardens either. And then there are the ones that I can only describe as 'meh'.




Sometimes I hesitate to write anything that requires an opinion and may even lead to fisticuffs.

That harmless looking arbor started this one... O_O Sad, isn't it?


I have this weird thing about people pleasing, and don't want to offend anyone who is absolutely in love with any of the flowers/plants I will name. I will be brave in the name of science!

I'm going to tell you which flowers make me cringe or even utter the dreaded 'meh'! And in turn, I know there must be some that You would never want to have in your garden, and would like to tell me about.

First off...


Marigolds



I know all of the benefits of having Marigolds in the garden. They are a natural pest repellent. The problem is, they also repel me! I can't stand the smell of these things. They just stink to high heaven. I'm also like that about cut cucumbers, oddly enough, can't be in the same room....

Yucca


Noelle, hope you're still friends with me. I know you're all about the desert plants!

Everyone has one planted in their yard here in Coastal NC. I don't mind the plant, but for some reason I just don't like the flowers. They sort of remind me of white pineapples. And why should this shape bother me? Oh, the mysteries of the mind!! :)

Dusty Miller



My mum used to love this plant. She had it all up and down our driveway border in Edmonton. She can't understand why I don't love it lol.

My friend Melanie's mum owns a garden nursery in Illinois. Melanie always brings back a trunkload of plants, and gives me some of them for free.

Being a very grateful person for these lovely gifts, I plant all of them. Unfortunately, Dusty Miller came as part of the package year before last. I thought, well, it will just die in the winter anyway.

But Kyna forgot that she's not in Kansas, er, Edmonton anymore. That thing grew all through the winter with zero die-back.

Long story short, I had to murder Mr. Miller in the springtime. I'm not a killer, but some things just have to be done.

Sweet Alyssum



I think Sweet Alyssum is very pretty. But I wish I had thought before planting these harmless looking little seeds. Sort of the same problem as Marigolds. The smell just doesn't agree with me. I heard it smelled delicious from other people. I went against my usual 'smell before buying' policy.

And of course it reseeds itself like a mofo, and I can't get rid of the stuff. I'm going to have to hire this job out!





All right, now I want you guys to show your cards and tell me what You don't like. C'maaaaan....there's gotta be something? :)