I was finally able to get some
Roundup. So today after I got home from
work I sprayed the pea gravel paths, which had already started to get decorated
by Nature with weeds—this type of a weed that looks like a sea star with flimsy
arms that stretch out in the four cardinal directions and, which I profoundly
dislike because it is a hustle to remove by hand due to the way it
grows—flat and sealed to the ground.
I also sprayed all rose bushes with
Neem oil; soaked them to their pores with it to prevent the roseslugs to reduce
their lovely green leaves to lace. This annoying
pets, which aren't really slugs at all, but actually the larval stage of a
sawfly can turn an entire Knockout garden into lace skeletons. They skeletonize leaves by chewing tissues
between veins, leaving foliage lace-like. It may sound pretty, but it really isn't at
all.
I've found out that this only tends to happens with the Knockout variety, and although the tea roses can still be
under the attack of any other garden 'terror', they are safe from becoming
skelotonized.
It is hard to keep up with the
wild south when you suffer from OCD of the garden variety, and I need to learn
to relax a little bit, and leave 'some' things the way they want to be... hard.
Very hard to do thought.
At the beginning of the year I transplanted my favorite
Chicago Peace to a sunnier spot, and I'm so happy I did. After two years in the garden this rose is
finally doing as wonderful as it should. This rose it always brings to memory that long-ago garden in the roses I once had. Is disease
resistant and the loveliest of blush-pink roses grow on long, sturdy stems. They are perfect for bouquets, big and small, and have always
loved them.
Inside the house it is always a transformation of some sorts
going on, as I keep changing things around and decorating and redecorating. I have a fascination with gallery walls. Love them to the core, and yet I cannot seem
to have them in my house. It is too much
of a thing to my eye, too much for the soul, which it always is in search of
peace and quietness. Thus, this weekend
I finally got to the task of taking down all the dozen plus paintings decorating
the walls in our second bedroom.
I knew what I was getting into when I decided to create a
gallery wall and, although I did pay attention to that wise inner little voice inside
me telling me not to, I went ahead anyway and had it up... an entire wall from
ceiling to floors decorated with more than a dozen painting and creation, many
of which I did myself. Like all my Frida
Khalo art.
As much as I loved it, all those months I had my gallery wall up I felt uneasy
about it, and my soul couldn't find its peace.
I was very well aware that my lovely gallery art had to be taken down at
some point. You see, I made so many
holes on the walls they almost looked like my skeletonized Knockout roses, or
even worse. Hanging all those frames also caused some major
marks and wall paint disaster, and I knew this had to be mended up soon.
We had to completely fill in all those
holes, and spackle the walls. Matching
the right paint was an ordeal too. I got
the wrong one to start with, and had to go back and figure out which was the correct paint used by previous
owners. But what a relief it was after everything was done and back into place!
OK, at least for now! ;)
Your garden is so beautiful, Cielo. I had a problem with those pests when I lived in the south as well. I wish I would have known about neem oil.
ReplyDeleteThe bedroom looks beautiful both ways. I'm a gallery girl, but I can see how too many paintings wouldn't let the soul rest and you should always be happy in your own home.
I love visiting you.
rue
Thank you Rue... It is always so nice to see you here!
ReplyDeleteCielo
I like the look of gallery walls but not in my home, like you , I feel restless with some many things hanging on the walls. The bedroom looks beautiful and your home is beautiful too.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much... glad to know there are others out there just like me...
DeleteCielo
:))
ReplyDelete