As was promised, the J6 Shearings return in September with more shocking details of the Branches of Rhododendron. Here’s another look at the Rhododendron shrub that made watching out the front window of the Executive McMansion so much harder:
Security issues abounded — the comings and goings of suspicious, uniformed service people; surprise forays by neighborhood cats (and dogs who had looked cross-eyed at G in the past); newsworthy behavior by neighbors —all were obscured by the tall shrub. For example, we entirely missed seeing this:
In a disturbing incident across the street from The Yard, there was a break-in by two men, who assaulted the resident of the upstairs apartment. The local Neighborhood Watch called the Police, who rounded up and arrested the assailants. (The victim suffered broken ribs, but otherwise appears to be doing well.) Chalk one up for the Neighborhood Watch!
In any event, it was incumbent on me to do something about the obscuring shrubbery. Hubby Across-the-Aisle voted to have the Rhododendron ripped out. I vetoed that bill, since removal would entail possible digging near a gas or water line, and the Rhododendron was healthy and doing well where it was, after all. Instead, I issued an Executive Order to trim the Rhodie enough to clear sight lines for VP (Vastly Pleased) Goddard. Again, starting from the bottom and the outskirts, branches were culled.
For those wondering, NO — I did not engage the Melania Trump Landscaping Company to do the trimming. Nor did I order firing an R9X Hellfire missile to slice and dice the Rhododendron as if it were an Al-Queda honcho. (The missile would likely have damaged the gas line as well.) This attempt at Rhododendron Bonsai was all my own effort.
“My name is Rexxmama, President of the Yard:
Look on my works, ye Gardeners, and despair!”
(apologies to Percy Bysshe Shelley)
Due to supply chain issues, I did not paint the plumbing vent as I’d thought I might. I originally envisioned a Day-Glo green paint job with googley eyes, to spook curious feline and canine passersby. I also thought of doing an overall light tan paint job with painted orange or red spots on the cap, to make it look like a poisonous mushroom. Alas, though I was full of ideas, the energy and patience to carry them out in scorching weather were in short supply….. Maybe next year!
On a sad note, The Wandering Yew, which had survived being buried in the darkness by vines growing beneath the Rhododendron, appears now to be deceased after I added potting soil to its pot and placed it in a sunny spot in the Circle Garden. I’m going to leave it and the pot as they are until next season; I’ve read that Yews can put out new growth from old stems, so maybe the nutritious dirt and time will spark a resurgence of growth from the roots and main stem deep within the pot. One can only hope….
While much was accomplished in the Front Yard, as Gardeners realize, the work is never really completed. There are still Weeds out there, threatening an end to our Edens, that only constant vigil and uprooting will remedy.
Finally, for the sports fans and particularly for the football fans, I leave you with a photo of what I’ve been calling the Moss Brothers — two clumps of moss that were desiccated and scuffed onto the driveway when the weather was hot and dry, only to be revived during the most recent rainstorms. I brought them indoors and have been keeping them moist; I don’t know where they’ll end up…planted outside again, or just kept as indoor plants…but whenever I look at them, they cheer me up for some reason.
Have you had a productive garden season this year, despite the wonky weather? What plans have you for planting Fall crops or bulbs for next Spring? Let us know, with photos as well, if you can.