The Evolution Continues

I've never had a green thumb unless it was a cactus. I do great with cacti. My dream was to rip the front bushes out and replace them with cacti. I have a friend who lives in the desert. Her dream is a backyeard filled with lush green grass, bushes, and flowers. I think we should switch locations.

Unfortunately cacti are not kid/toddler friendly so I've placed that dream on the back burner. The easy solution to my green thumb issue was to leave the bushes we have in the front of the house. They require no work outside of some pruning which my man is so kind to take care of. But we hate them. They are ugly. The gaping hole my husband accidentally cut into the middle of one doesn't help lessen the ugliness.

So I ripped them out and traipsed down to the local nursery where the woman there convinces me that I too can have a green thumb. I too can have a lovely garden like my neighbors. She then proceeds to show me all sorts of lovely bushes, perenials, and annuals.

That was 2 weeks ago. I still haven't replaced the bushes. I thought I had decided but then realized the cockscomb I have my heart set on will not look good with the Nandina. Yes, I am planning bushes around anuals not the other way around. I am not sure I should be in charge of the garden.

So there is a bare spot in front of the house. I should have ripped out the azaleas first. At least I an 80% sure I am replacing those with a crepe myrtle. Well maybe more like 70% sure.

However I am the proud owner of 6 hanging plants. The bareness of the front of the house didn't phase my mom at all this weekend. Nope - it was the bareness in the back of the house, you know, the part of the house 99% of the people who pass by never see - that part bothered her. So instead of buying bushes and cockscomb this weekend (man did my mind just dive into the gutter) I came home with hanging plants.

I don't have a clue what 2 of them are but they are pretty (leave it to me to grab the ones that didn't have the little tag with name and instructions on it). One is a vibrant red fluted flower. The other is small purple and yellow flowers. Then I picked a purple verdana (sp?). The other plant in the back of the house? A PINK impatiens (again - sp?). PINK!

And I LOVE IT!

Ok now that you have digested that let's move to the front of the house. Mom bought the 4 plants for the back. While we were looking for those I remembered that there are hooks in the front porch and some hanging plants there would be perfect. So I decide to buy 2 plants for the front. I am not sure I should be admitting to what I purchased.

TWO FUSHCIA PLANTS. You do realize that the flowers are half pink? PINK! That I picked myself!

I blame the Pink Ninja. I am not sure how but this has to be her fault.

Now I am looking at my pink and purple flowers hanging over the area where my new bushes will be planted and I realize that the cockscomb may not look to good with the fushcia so I am back to keeping my empty garden plot. By the time the Fushcia start to bug out on me it will be too late to plant anything else but then it will almost be Christmas. So I'll stake the 3' plastic Christmas tree we have in the back of the closet and surround it by potted pointsettas. When planting season rolls around next time, I have a friend whom I can fly in for an pink intervention. Unless the Pink Ninja gets to her through her daughter...