The Fanciful Magpie

How Not to Garden

Gardening tip of the day:

Don't plant grapes or oregano if you are going 

to turn your back for a few minutes.

I was aware that the one oregano plant I put in 

a few years ago was yards out of its boundaries 

and now looks like an oregano farm.

Every so often I yank a BIG pile of it out

so the surrounding plants can breathe.

But somehow, while I was doing something else

(painting and messing with art supplies probably)

the grapevine came down off its supports

and is snaking through the whole garden.

I had to hack it away from my rhododendron today,

and would love to get it out of the oregano.

But the whole mess is covered with bees!

They love the pretty purple oregano flowers. 

To top it all off, there is not ONE grape

on the grapevine.  If you read my blog post

in March you may recall that I gave it a 

severe pruning and I'm wondering if 

that is why there are no grapes?

Ugh, live and learn.

I think grapes are supposed to be

pruned in February ~ could that be it?

Another mystery:

My nectarine tree just up and died

with never a fare-thee-well.

Look away, it's that ugly.

The bright side:

Now I can see these beauties from the house.

They used to be hidden by the nectarine tree.