Not Born With A Green Thumb

Due to an unusual hard freeze last spring in Nashville coupled with extremely dry summers over the past two years, the flora and fauna in our neighborhood have taken a hit. Casualties were heavy, especially in our front yard. We lost two evergreen bushes, a small Japanese Maple, a gorgeous large azalea with pink flowers, and a towering old pine tree at the edge of our back yard. One bush by our mailbox is hanging in there, but looking fairly shabby.

Since Curb Appeal 101 would list dead foliage as a landscaping faux pas, I’ve been having some out with the old (or dead in this case) and in with the new longings. My mother has dirt in her veins, she likes to quip. Her flower beds, which meander through her entire back yard, form a gorgeous, cheery cottage garden filled with plants she has inherited and transplanted over the years. Each flower tells a story. Some were given to her by friends, some were given to her by my grandmother, all were planted with love.

I, however, am not blessed with a green thumb. My annual spring mecca to Home Depot to buy impatiens and vinca for our back patio always leaves me a little stressed. I forget to water the ferns on our front porch. I am fairly certain that as I type this post that there are dandelions flourishing in the towering shade of our daylilies. My mother is retired and spends her days outside tending to her flowers. I don’t have an overabundance of leisure time for pruning and dead heading and weeding.

I was out walking one evening with my 6-year-old and I pointed out a beautiful blue hydrangea bush in a neighbor’s yard. It’s a stunning color and the entire yard is well-manicured with several flower beds.

"Mommy that is the most bee-yoo-ti-ful yard! It’s prettier than ours," my daughter said.

One of the best birthday presents my husband has given me was a surprise visit from a landscape company two years ago. They arrived at our home that morning and spent the day sprucing up our yard. I never thought fresh dark mulch would turn me on, but it did.

An original Deep South Moms post.

When she's not coveting her neighbor's big hydrangeas, Jamie can be found at BlondeMomBlog.