Better Late Than Never

It would appear that I have been more than a little remiss in my efforts to maintain a gardening blog. I believe the last time I posted was in July, 2014, just about three years ago. While three years seems like a long time, I am hoping it has been long enough to properly reflect on what else I could possibly say about the joys of being outside and how a little digging, planting, and nurturing can be good for the soul.

This spring has gotten off to a late start (good to know I'm not the only one) and it has just started to become warm enough to begin working outside. The oak leaves that fell after the first snow last year need clearing as do the gallons of acorns littering the yard. While clearing the ridiculously large pine cones that fell from an abutting neighbor's tree, I noticed that some mushrooms had formed at the base of the rose of sharon I mercilessly trimmed back a couple of years ago (it had gotten far too leggy and leans heavily on one side). I thought the orange of the mushrooms was quite striking against the green moss on the rose of sharon so I took this photo. Then I began to panic that the mushrooms were a sign that the shrub might be rotting. So I performed a quick Google search and discovered that while mushrooms are not harmful in your lawn and garden, they are most likely a sign that something had gone horribly wrong and the shrub is on its way out. Well at least nature gives you a sign when something bad is about to happen. This particular shrub has pretty blossoms, but it will not be a complete tragedy if/when it dies. It has outgrown its space and should probably be replaced with something far smaller. I think of it as an opportunity to change the landscape and create a fresh look.