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I went to the library yesterday to find some basic gardening books. They didn't have Gardening for Dummies, but they did have Roses for Dummies.
Get it?
Roses.
For dummies.
I got two suspicious-looking gardening primers and a tree identifier, which helped me figure out I have a black walnut tree in my back yard.
I am a complete dummy when it comes to gardening, having never gardened in my life. My only success to date was a rubber plant.
But now I bought a house that has a back and a front yard; both seem to have been loved. Long ago.
The front has three mature trees (still to be identified), two pine-looking bushes, a humongous bush with red berries on it, grass, two flower beds with flowers in them, and a single small and pitiful yellow rose.
The back has the aforementioned walnut tree, more grass, and lots and lots of wilted plants, including a large flower bed with wilted flowers and weeds in them, plus another small and pitiful rose - this time of unknown color, having wilted before I got to see it.
I think the front yard got much more thoughtful attention than the back yard. It has this lovely modernist feel to it and there aren't a lot of things I want to do there: eradicate the climbing vine that eats my house, trim the lovely pine bushes a bit, reduce the monster with the red berries to a manageable size, maintain the flower beds and mow the lawn. Also, of course, figure out how to care for the rose.
The back is a disaster. I am not sure what to do with it. I actually know what I would do with it if I had more resources. It's a rather narrow long yard, unfenced, and if I had the capabilities I would fence it, then design a modernist / Japanese-style garden with some flowers, hardscape (not a lot), running water, and plant a Japanese red maple. There's one part of the yard which is very weirdly positioned - you can see it from the road but not from any of the house windows. In that part I would love to grow some organic veggies, though I have no idea how to keep them safe from rabbits.
Yeah, I know, this is Napoleonic for someone who could manage.a rubber plant once.
I know there are gardeners among my LJ-friends... so, if you garden, could you tell me how you started out?
Also, any advice for me?
Get it?
Roses.
For dummies.
I got two suspicious-looking gardening primers and a tree identifier, which helped me figure out I have a black walnut tree in my back yard.
I am a complete dummy when it comes to gardening, having never gardened in my life. My only success to date was a rubber plant.
But now I bought a house that has a back and a front yard; both seem to have been loved. Long ago.
The front has three mature trees (still to be identified), two pine-looking bushes, a humongous bush with red berries on it, grass, two flower beds with flowers in them, and a single small and pitiful yellow rose.
The back has the aforementioned walnut tree, more grass, and lots and lots of wilted plants, including a large flower bed with wilted flowers and weeds in them, plus another small and pitiful rose - this time of unknown color, having wilted before I got to see it.
I think the front yard got much more thoughtful attention than the back yard. It has this lovely modernist feel to it and there aren't a lot of things I want to do there: eradicate the climbing vine that eats my house, trim the lovely pine bushes a bit, reduce the monster with the red berries to a manageable size, maintain the flower beds and mow the lawn. Also, of course, figure out how to care for the rose.
The back is a disaster. I am not sure what to do with it. I actually know what I would do with it if I had more resources. It's a rather narrow long yard, unfenced, and if I had the capabilities I would fence it, then design a modernist / Japanese-style garden with some flowers, hardscape (not a lot), running water, and plant a Japanese red maple. There's one part of the yard which is very weirdly positioned - you can see it from the road but not from any of the house windows. In that part I would love to grow some organic veggies, though I have no idea how to keep them safe from rabbits.
Yeah, I know, this is Napoleonic for someone who could manage.a rubber plant once.
I know there are gardeners among my LJ-friends... so, if you garden, could you tell me how you started out?
Also, any advice for me?
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