Friday, January 14, 2011

Deadheading

hortensia before

Got to move things along from yesterday's post - I feel bad about sharing something like that, really. Not that this is one of those upbeat I Love France sites or vibrant artist with so many creative irons in the fire sites or anything (though sometimes I really wish it was. Life would be so much easier than how it is right now, which is knowing we need to move on, really looking forward to it, but wondering how the hell to make it all happen.) The truth is whatever the writer feels like putting out there, right? So today I want to celebrate deadheading.

I took advice from our friend Mick who's coming by to do some recording tomorrow. He said it was a good time to cut back the hydrangeas, or hortensia, which grow like crazy in the summer and fill the courtyard with luminescent flower balls.

It was so satisfying, attacking these things. They were six and seven feet high in places, all brown and sad-looking. Now they've got crew cuts. Ready to be reborn in spring, to come back more lush and beautiful than ever.

And I've got a new blog post. There - that feels better!

hortensia after

7 comments:

the fly in the web said...

Amazing what a little bit of destruction can do for one!

amy said...

Yes Fly, in nature no one can hear you scream!

Wreckless Eric said...

And while you were giving the garden a buzzcut I was in the attic swearing at the plasterboard and hanging a warped door..

Unknown said...

Kill those hydrangeas! It's all their fault, anyway!

All the best

Keith

P.S. I'm not going to mention yesterday's post but.... Good luck anyway - we're thinking of you, up here in frozen Brittany!

Mike said...

And apparently hydrangeas enjoy a nice pot of tea. Makes the flowers more blue. They like it best served cold of course, straight from the pot.

amy said...

And now, with Eric safely in the studio, we're getting out the chainsaw...(for the large, more unruly trees further up into the garden)

No Keith, don't want to kill them! Just make them smaller, much smaller. But thanks for your thoughts.

It's funny Mike, they change color and it must be whatever's going on with the soil. I will definitely aim for at least one blue plant, I bet they like Yorkshire Tea - the best.

Wreckless Eric said...

The chainsaw belongs to the lead singer and leader of the group - The Shade Lovers. Tomorrow I'm going to get the others to do all manner of important and un-necessary overdubs while he sorts out the garden...