The nice lady at the nursery assured me, “it’s impossible to kill an oleander.” I almost said, “wanna bet? Come by my house.” Instead, I just said “Maybe I can’t, but something sure is.” When we moved into this house over 30 years ago, the oleander hedge between us and the neighbor was well-established and thriving. In summer it was covered with bright pink flowers; the rest of the year the leaves were dark green and glossy. It formed a pleasant demarcation. It seemed independent and content, and I was perfectly content to let it be. In fact, I never gave it a second thought and only occasionally dragged the hose across the driveway to water it. Then a couple of years ago I noticed withering leaves and bare, dead branches. Oops. “So,” I said as I plopped a couple of smallish oleander bushes on the wagon, “how long do you… Read More »
“I’m just gonna look …”
How is it that I get seduced by plants? I know I should stay away fro nurseries — I’m worse than a kid in a candy store. But here I am again, buying something that I’ve never even heard of and hoping it’ll actually grow and thrive in my garden. I’m batting about 200, but just can’t seem to let it go. Maybe this time it’ll be a home run.
How to Use a Hose
Do you know how to use a hose? I bought a new hose — a Swan Weatherflex Hose — and it came with instructions. Now I may not be the smartest person on the block — I know for darn sure that I am not the smartest person in my family, but then the people in my family are pretty darn smart — but by George, I’m quite certain I know how to use a hose! Somebody suggested — and it wasn’t me — that to eliminate truly dumb people, we should simply remove all the warning labels from products and let nature take its course. When it comes to instructions on a hose, I have to agree. I wondered if somehow there might be some hidden surprise in that length of plastic, so I read the directions. And here’s what it told me: “Remove the plastic ties and uncoil… Read More »
