Mary Claire Rowe

Now that we have had weeks, and weeks, and weeks of rain (not that we are complaining), this honest gardener will have to admit, there is not a whole lot of gardening "goin'on."

Oh, the garden is growing good plants and weeds, but with such damp soil, cloudy and muggy mornings, my interest has waned just a bit. For me, this has become the time of year to view what I have previously wrought, and to reflect on how it could be changed for the better.

Miscalculations on placement really haunt my reverie. Those lovely snapdragons and the French lavender, which did so well when the trees were bare, are a bit too leggy. If we had been having our usual sunny days, their position on the south, outside of the crabapple tree would have been just right. However, with so much cloudy weather, it isn't quite working as planned.

However, the nut sedge is doing very well. Despite deep mulching, it is growing by leaps and bounds. What a shame we don't consider it an asset to our garden, because it is so determined to be there. Those heinous, prickly vines, whose real name I refuse to speak for fear of giving them any recognition whatsoever, are also enjoying the weather.

In order to remove them, I would have to dig down at least two feet or more to their potato-like root. Weed killer just will not do the trick. Mounding up the mulch just makes them happier. It is annoying, to say the least.

Volunteer trees of every sort are coming up through the mulch, and spreading their little roots and leaves. Ah, it is a happy time for weeds.

The problem is that even though I might accommodate some of those plants, their position and placement is just not what I wanted. This is my garden. I am the "decider," as our Commander-in-Chief likes to say. I want it "My Way" to quote Frank Sinatra.

Graciously, I have allowed some volunteers to make a home here. The lovely Sassafrass, and American Beauty Berry came to call in my garden home, and I was happy. Cherry Laurels found a nice spot, and I allowed it. But, in the end, I want to be the one that dictates what gets to grow in my little corner of the world. "Ever-vigilant" should be my creed.

Herein lies the rub. Take a vacation, miss a few days because of rain or sloth, and the garden goes on its merry way, with or without permission. The needs of the seeds sent here by the normal progression of life take precedence over whatever little plan I had in mind for my little corner of the world.

Perhaps I need to reevaluate the situation?

In the end, I guess there is pattern to my garden design. I will choose what I like and encourage it. I will discourage new plants from crowding out the other plants. I will remove what I can without great disruption of the fabric of the garden or my "aching back." ...And, in the case of the unspeakable vine, perhaps I will train it into an arbor. One never knows until one tries.

FLOWER OF THE WEEK: Gladiolus, or the more commonly called Gladiola, grows from corms planted in early spring, after all danger of frost has passed. (the plural form of the word is gladioli or gladioluses.) Also called sword lily, these plants will grow and thrive here in full sun or part shade (late or early in the day). They like moist, well-drained soil, and light fertilization. The ones in my garden have grown and multiplied for 15 years, and have had little or no attention or fertilizer. They just love their place. These African natives reward me each year at this time with beautiful spikes of color that lasts for several weeks. Placed at the back of the bed, they will proved a beautiful backdrop for all the other plants, and when it is their time to bloom, they will be the star.

The IDEA and Heritage Gardens have just been enriched with many new plants. This is the time of year to visit and learn what other, more interesting plants can be added to your home garden to add variety and beauty.

"What's Blooming In Our Garden'' is a regular feature of the Tyler Morning Telegraph Garden Page. It is written by Mary Claire Rowe, a Master Gardener with the Texas Cooperative Extension, and focuses on flowers and plant life around East Texas. To share your comments on gardening, write her in care of the Morning Telegraph.

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