My Pretties....

Just like the Wicked Witch from the West, I've been flying around the yard petting my pretties.  I love that my yard is aged enough to take care of itself.  

Older than the teen years but not reproducing excessively, it just goes to work keeping the weeds away, adding color to my life, and cleaning itself up after the blooms are done.

Lady Banks is well beyond those annoying teen years.  She is plump enough to block out the sunlight completely, so there is no weeding to deal with.  

The pyracantha is blooming, too.  It's about a week behind Lady Banks, but it has two ways of keeping people, pets and grandchildren out of its personal space: long thorns and a really bad smell from the blooms.  We have three sets of these along the drive. 

They remind me of my mother's yard and have beautiful red berries that the birds eat just before it puts on blooms.  I assume that the berries are bitter until spring, but it means that there's color on the plants for most of the year.

 These poor Pink Hawthorne shrubs are in their old age years.  We had them on three sides of the house, but only one side is left.  The wild critters (raccoon, skunks, and opossum) have dug and eaten around the roots for about 20 years, causing lots of damage.

Richard and the boys--when they are home--have trapped, chased, and cursed the critters, but they keep coming back.  Spring is the worst time of the year since they (the critters not the boys) are mating.  An interesting night is one that includes a skunk.  I generally stand inside a closed window and laugh at the chase.  



Whoa, that last sentence does not sound much like the Wicked Witch.  I may have to find another witch to compare with myself.

I'm open to suggestions....have any?