Ever have something in your life that you
love BUT really don’t
like? In many situations it is a subtle
distinction. However - when it comes to my landscape, the differences are clear
as night and day.
Cannas. Mine came with the house. Probably date back to the
early 1900’s. They’re the classic orange flowered cultivar you see all over the
island. They survived the saltwater flooding of Ike. Made it through back to
back freezes and last summer’s drought. I LOVE the notion that these plants are
survivors and thrive with little care/maintenance – but I just don’t LIKE them!
The leaves are always gnawed up and full of holes (despite frequent BT
applications), they flop over and just seem to be out of place.
Hackberry. Also came with the house. A fence line tree. It
too made it through Ike, freezes and the drought. Most importantly, it provides
some outstanding shade for our yard and deck. I LOVE the shade but absolutely
do not LIKE anything about a hackberry. They’re messy, weak wooded and mine has
been so “hacked” it barely resembles a tree.
Schefflera. Another inhabitant when we bought our house. Survived
the storm, freezes and the drought with barely a hiccup. Kind of a strange
plant because it has grown “through” our deck and is now part of the landscape
at 2 levels. I LOVE the uniqueness of this guy, but I don’t really LIKE it as
part of the landscape.
I could go on here (i.e. crape myrtles, boxwood, more
cannas…) but you get the idea.
So am I the only gardener that has these kinds of love/hate
relationships with my yard. Or – are there others that agonize over such
things? I’d LOVE to start over in some of these areas but I don’t LIKE digging
stuff up. I think I need some kind of "Garden Therapist."
