IN LIFE AS IN THE DANCE : GRACE GLIDES

ON BLISTERED FEET.
---Alice Abrams

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

More Mayhem in the Yard

I awoke this morning to the sound of chain saws. It was early for the gardeners so I assumed it was the neighbors. WRONG! My beloved Nandina (Heavenly Bamboo) was being butchered by a chain saw wielding madman. As I continued to watch the destruction with my jaw hanging open, one little tree was reduced from a natural shape to a lopsided lollipop. My Hawthorne, ferns, Lilly of the Nile and grasses are all now the same height: about 6 inches! Sawed off straight across...no shaping, just plain butchery.

After they chopped off what remained of anything green, they started in on the stuff the frost killed. My beautiful bananas, five varieties of hibiscus, bougainvilleas, plus assorted geraniums and vines - are toast. Unless the spring can entice some new growth, the deep freeze, along with the help of madmen with chain saws, my beautiful haven is now hell.

Where are the Plant Police? I'm ready to file charges!!!
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A footnote:
To all of those who have been without power and are really struggling, I realize my post sounds very trivial. My heart goes out to all of you and you are in my prayers.

4 comments:

Katie said...

why did your plants get cut down? that's horrible! I would cry!

Amazing Gracie said...

Thanks for understanding what it's like! I have gardeners who don't speak English (the head honcho does but he seldom comes). I've even had a friend write in Spanish, "Do Not Trim This Plant!" and plastered them on shrubs/plants I wanted them to leave alone. I didn't realize they were going to trim so I was unprepared. Their idea of "trimming" is not the same as mine! I guess the world should be glad they're not barbers!

Have you all recovered from the storm? From what I've seen on the news it was horrific.

Katie said...

My mom had that same problem with her gardener when we lived in Spain. They were always pulling up something she had just planted or cutting something back so bad it never grew back. Most of the time they would replant things that they liked.

My Dad one year trying to be helpful in the winter removed everything cleaning out. All of her hardy plants. Even the roses. My mom cried. lol. she doesn't let him help anymore.

Where I am, in Oklahoma City it isn't too bad. Just a few miles west they are still without power and have been all week. Tonight another storm is coming through, but snow this time instead of ice.
The roads are still bad but nothing is shut down. Lots of car wrecks. Some deaths. I'll be glad when it all clears up. :)

Barb said...

I've read about all the storms of course and it's awful that people have been suffering... but I understand how you feel about your plants. Before I lived in an apartment I used to have a lovely flower garden.