I Don't Procrastinate - I Pick My Battles

Each and every year is always different.  This year - the plan was to let the gardening go.    This year - it was gonna be all about - animals.

And then…

The Volunteers showed up.

Two Cherry Tomato plants - from Loyd - our neighbor.

Now this is a funny one.  These two tomato plants are - literally - Volunteers.  In fact - Loyd tells me they are the 3rd run of Volunteers - from a couple tomato plants he got from another neighbor a few years ago.

He let the two plants have their way - all over the banister of his deck at the front of his house.  Come the fall season - he just let ‘em do whatever they were gonna do.

Eventually - cherry tomatoes dried on the mess.  And he just rubbed the tomatoes between his hands and let the seeds fall - before taking all of what was left of the bushes out to the compost.

But the doo-rag biker is downright anal when it comes to keeping his pickup and his Harley clean and spit-shined.  { SMH }

Last thing he said to me before he handed these two to me - " Hell, I can't even find anybody else to take any of 'em off my hands! "

I can grow 1 or 6 Jalapeno Pepper plants.  Doesn’t matter.  I manage to yield enough that could help out a handful of restaurants.  But this year was all about animals.

And then…

We cussed when we discovered we were opening our last jar of Peppers.

Hubs brought home a 4-pack of really pretty seedlings.

Three have gone into my flowerbed - with the two Volunteer Cherry Tomato Plants.  The fourth plant went to Loyd.

Yes.  I cut the heads off the Jalapeno Pepper plants.  It encourages the bush to develop more thick and stocky - for extra and more rounded support.

I always plant my Tomato Plants deep.  I cut the leaves off at the bottom - enough to give me about 50 - 60 % of the plant stem.  Tomato stems will root a lot more for you when you do that.  Gives you another opportunity for extra support.

My flowerbed tells a story about me - if you really pay attention.  My life is all about picking my battles around here.  Sometimes - you have to let the weeds go - when you’ve got 2 grazing areas to construct entire fencing around.  Lots of corner posts.  Lots of webbed fencing to stretch.

And thank God - for blessing me with the thought to choose a few good ones to plant in the bed - that I can depend on to take care of themselves long enough for me to get something else done.

I can hardly wait until my Coneflower begins to put out a full bouquet!

The Salvia - she even had babies!

The Rosemary is tattling her butt off.  I really need to get in there and square her up.

But our Blue Rose of Sharon popped her first bud this morning!

This is 2012.  This little lady was a mail-order plant that came to us in 2002!  She has survived in big pots - and moved with us - twice!

She's 10 years old!

This is a dark red Crepe Myrtle bush that we bought last year.  I love these things!

I thought I killed her.  Looks like one more “ Tough Girl “ has decided to stay.

Our Azaleas are playing out - which is a good thing.  We’re getting ready to do an overhaul here - as soon as I’m able to power-wash the last dead bud off both plants.

Ugh… more Volunteers.

Orange Cosmos that I planted last year.  They haven’t gone hog wild - yet.  That’s why they’re still there.

I am NOT procrastinating.

I pick my battles - and they’re low on the list.

But this…

This is another Volunteer that is showing up.  Actually - this would be - many - Volunteers.  Yes - enough to fill Neyland Stadium.

I may have blown it here.  We planted Malabar Spinach in a huge pot last year - with a trellis hanging over it.  It considered itself kind enough to leave us gifts.

I just keep pinching ‘em outta the ground - every time I walk by.

We’re having to do another re-weigh on the boys in the morning.  I dunno.  Dwayne’s hands were swollen - or - Bruce was jacking with him for some fun - holding a deep breath.

I don’t need a weigh tape to support my own eyes telling me there is no way that steer gained 19 pounds in 1 week.  I’m just not buying that crap!

Artist is expanding his vocabulary.

“ Artist… you wanna cookie? “

“ Where is it? “

Kid you not!  And he smacks when he eats his cookies.

I pick my battles.  Artist’s table manners training is low on the list.

I dunno.  Just keep looking.  It’s somewhere down there on that list.