Black Thumb?

Well, that is what I call it anyway. The opposite of a green thumb (I guess some would call it a 'brown tumb'.) Whatever one it is, that is what I have. I never have much luck growing anything (or keeping the Orchids alive that my hubby insists on buying me all the time.) But this time I have managed to keep my Hydrangea alive for two years! We bought it the summer that we moved in and it was a baby plant but it had beautiful blooms on it. Well, the next year it only had a few leaves and these giant brown sticks growing up around it. We thought it was dead and that we just didn't take care of it properly. I wasn't at all surprised either. But we didn't dig it up just yet. And a few months ago we were at WalMart (of all places) buying some Petunias & hanging baskets for out front. I mentioned to the lady ringing us up that my Hydrangea didn't bloom last year. And guess what? She told me that Hydrangeas will not bloom the year after you plant them. But the next year, they will! I was super excited to hear this and we went home & trimmed back the ugly stick things and let it grow. And this year, it is bigger than ever and has several blooms on it!!! This makes me happy considering I kill almost anything we plant. However, we have managed to keep our Japanese Maple alive that we bought that same year. That thing is getting huge & doing great as well! I guess another reason I am so shocked that the things we have planted out front are doing well is that there is so much clay, rocks & gravel in the soil from the construction (we live in a newer subdivision) and the builders didn't bother with top soil.

And here they are! =)

While we are on the subject...I always say every year that I am going to start a vegetable and herb garden. But I never do, which is mostly out of pure laziness! Last year, I was recovering from childbirth and that was my excuse ;) But this year, we have a privacy fence & everything. I just haven't figured out a way to keep my idiot dog out of it if I did plant one... Of course I could plant raised beds or something but we are not that motivated. If my parents lived here I would definitely enlist them as helpers since they are good at that stuff.

I always have all these great intentions and never follow through. :( Like, I was also supposed to install (or have Jeff install) a clothesline outside since we now have the fence and no one would be able to see it. But, alas. No clothesline yet... :p Does anyone have some motivation I can borrow???

Here are our little pencil Holly trees flanking our front door. I wanted topiaries but they were crazy expensive, so I settled for these. Apparently I need to trim the one on the right!