The Color Purple

I have a confession....I have a black thumb.

I even kills mums. Sometimes within a week of purchasing them.

However, I have managed to keep three hydrangea plants alive since I planted them 4 years ago. I love hydrangeas, every kind too. So much so, that I gave my Mom a hydrangea plant for Mother's Day 9 years ago. I thought it was a great gift idea and it is still alive and kicking today.

I am proud of my hydrangeas. They started off so small and now they are large and in charge. You can see them on the far wall in the picture below. One summer they bloomed pink, the next they rebelled and I got no blooms at all, last year they were pink and purple, and this year they've come in a deep purple.

The crazy looking bushes on the right are my azaleas. They were taking over the side walk and anyone that tried to walk in front of them. I think we lost Thomas a few times amongst the branches. Brett got at them with some hedge trimmers and now they look so sad. I told Brett to cut them way back and he actually did as he was told. Good thing azaleas are like hair. When they get a bad cut, they just grow right back. It might take some time, but they'll be long enough for a pony soon enough.

Another plant that's been going strong season after season is my pear tree. I think it's a Bartlett Pear, but I am not 100% sure. I do know it produces a ton of pears, which brings a lot of flies and mosquitoes to the yard. (Please reread that sentence to the tune of "My Milkshake brings all the boys to the yard.." it makes it that much better). Brett hates it when he has to mow the yard but spend 30 minutes before hand tossing all the fallen pears into the woods so he can get to the grass. He's threatened to cut it down every year, but never follows through. I love the pear tree.

I've been looking up recipes that include pears in the ingredients. I hate to see all that organic, home grown fruit go to waste year after year. Most of what I have found so far are dessert recipes and that just isn't going to fly in this household. I am sure there are more healthy recipes out there, I just haven't found them all yet.



Come September I'll have plenty of pears to go around.

Finally, Thomas has started a mini garden of his own. He came home with this school project last week and his seeds sprouted just the other day. They are cucumber plants and I am not too sure what to do with them once they get too big for his classroom-made wheelbarrow. These little boogers are growing fast, so I better figure it out soon.



Luckily, none of these plants are very high maintenance like the Mums I planted and managed to kill. These plants seem to take care of themselves very well. Those are my kind of plants.