Friday, April 24, 2009

Green Thumb

Back in the fall my Lantana bushes were taking over my planter and desperately needed a trim. I pulled out my handy clippers and went at them. When I finished, all that was left were 2 bare, woody stem clumps. How could this compassionate service go so terribly wrong?
For several months, every time I would walk out my front door I would look at those sad, sad stumps and feel bad all over again. I was just trying to help and I killed those poor plants.
In January I threw some 25 cent wildflower seeds into my planter and started watering them with hopes that they would grow and hide the poor Lantana. After a few days of water, I was surprised and ecstatic to see new leaves on my Lantana bushes.


Perhaps they weren't dead after all. Another month and some more water and sunshine and my Lantana was thriving.


And now I'm right back where I started. The Lantana is once again taking over the planter.


I wonder if I should get the clippers out?
Oh, and notice the pink flowers that managed to grow from the seeds I planted. They had to grow some TALL stems to get out from under that giant Lantana but they're trying their best to hide it.

2 comments:

missykac said...

Dianne, this gives us hope. Our bushes and trees in our yard were getting so overgrown that we decided that we needed expert help. We hired a professional company to come and prune our trees and bushes. They cut all the bushes back to only bare twigs and our trees are now missing a good half of their leafy branches. We are extremely worried that they are all going to die. Hope we get your miracle and they grow back.
However that probably won't happen
until next spring. And all this because we were trying to help out with the overgrowth. Thanks, I needed this blog!

Angela said...

Wow, what a pretty plant and what a recovery it made. I love seeing pictures of people's plants and gardens on their blogs. Today Scott planted some raspberry and blackberry plants in our backyard. A few months ago he planted a cherry tree and last year he planted blueberries. I'll have to share some pictures of our fruit (I hope we get some!)