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Bzzzz March 12th, 2012

It could be that I have a truly horrid memory. But it’s also quite possible that nature is just messing with me.

See, it seems every spring something out there in my garden takes on a life of its own and just grows. In particular, nature really likes messing with my container plantings. I have a habit of just letting them go to ruin in the fall because the architecture of the foliage acts as nature’s artwork when there isn’t much else to look at except the leaves I haven’t yet raked.

A few years ago nature surprised me with some self-seeded pansies and a sunflower in one of those containers. Lookee here! I did not do that. I don’t even think I’m capable of thinking like that.

Here’s nature’s little surprise for me this year.

Okay, nature didn’t stick those pussywillow branches into the decay of last summer’s container plantings. But I’m pretty sure she put the hyacinths there. I think I would have remembered digging down into rock hard soil under dead plants to plant bulbs.

Kathy Jentz at Washington Gardener magazine calls this squirrel-scaping. It’s just as good a name as any for nature’s little jokes. Now that I think about it, I could use more of this type of humor in my life.

Posted In: Flowers, Gardening, Gardening Life

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Bzzzz February 7th, 2012

Harry (entering the house): What is that horrible smell?

Me: Smell? You mean dinner?

Harry: No, worse than that. It smells like Sarah was sprayed by a skunk again. Did she?

Me: No skunk. Now that you mention it though, there is a rank odor in here.

Harry (following his nose): UGH. It’s these things!

Me: By “these things” do you mean the hyacinths?

Harry: Is “hyacinth” the word for stinky flower?

Me: Aren’t they pretty? I forced them in these cute little hyacinth vases.

Harry: You forced them to do what? Smell bad?

Me: No, silly. Those are the bulbs you kept asking me why I was keeping them in the refrigerator. But now that you mention it, I have had a dull headache since they started blooming. But aren’t they pretty?

Harry: Okay, but they stink. Can you put them somewhere we can see them but can’t smell them?

Me: Good idea.