Friday, September 10, 2010

Taking Out Some FRUSTRATION on My CANNAS

Was busy last Saturday in my Lost and Found garden. I had been looking out there ...feeling all kinds of emotions. Then I started considering my cannas, my thug cannas all in my garden.
Yes, they can be pretty, but they have looked ratty for years now. And they can be invasive here in the South. Something, some little bad bugs, worms, whatever eat them ragged before they reach their full beauty.
That made me mad and frustrated at them. So I decided to rip those cannas out. I was feeling pretty strongly about it, looking forward to it.
Halfway done here, I worked diligently, satisfyingly... and ripped one by one out. Fairly easy except for a few.
I think I may have scared Maxine with all my pulling and tugging and grunting. So I stopped and loved her up.
She is super-sensitive, like me. Blessing sometimes , but I feel mainly a curse.

I  know you gardeners out there who can't grow cannas think I am bonkers, but they grow like wildfire here. My husband hates them, they get very ' yucky looking after a while. Fall over, messy plants.

See ? I am not going to spray chemicals all in my garden to kill whatever minuscule varmints are doing this.
Further yuck .

They look dead to me, and I don't want anything like that in my garden. I know exactly what all you philosophers and psychologists will say that means right now to me. And I can tell you that I already know what it means.
So I rip and I tug and it sates my frustration , for a very short time.

The bad boys. Down and out , but I know these guys like a book, they have roots that live forever.

A tangled mess of roots, and I KNOW I don't have them all out.

The babies coming out .Tons of roots below still . Makes me consider  another spiritual application in my garden concerning the ' roots of sin ', and how we think we can get rid of it on the surface of our lives ...but if we don't go deep enough , and extract the tap roots, or the jumbled up mass of roots that lead us to our own problems...then we won't ever conquer them.
Surface spirituality disgusts God. He knows when we leave the roots of our sins.

Back to my canna destruction therapy.

 Maxine comes over to check on me , well really she just wants me to cart these out to the curb so she can get free of the backyard and possibly harass a passing dog on the front sidewalk.
Or scare my mailman.


Further pitiful, yucky cannas I planted in the back that never even bloomed. 
I know that some smarty-pant gardeners out there will leave me a comment and let me know exactly what is eating these guys up.
Pitt-Tee-Full.
I rip these out too.
That's me in the very back, my little boy was taking some of these shots...as you can tell by his artistic angles..he is swinging on his swing doing this. That's what I get with a 9 year old. Beggars can't be choosers.
He loved getting the rainbow here, I was getting very hot, it was of course humid here. I would normally say this shot represents ' hope ' for me. Not really ready to receive it yet though. I can't even see it yet , much less receive it.
Ready for the curb, rainbow still revealing itself here. Never saw it in person, only showed up when we looked later at the shots. I'm betting God always sees rainbows around us.
Maxine ready to escort me to the curb.


Then Maxine and I come back, see my assistant photographer on his swing ? I wanted to sit here and see what I thought my garden looked like without the cannas.
Before:
I always liked their foliage.


After:
Opens up the garden quite a lot. I bet you are thinking, " I like the cannas in there better. "
But I sit back with Maxine, and look some more...

And I decide I am pleased . Petting her beautiful black coat is soothing too.

Life just keeps going on...regardless.


I encourage you to go rip something out of your garden, something that has always bugged you, but you have allowed it to stay.
It will feel good.


be safe,
Gina












13 comments:

  1. Dear Gina ~ Great post. I've got a little pot that has a baby cana grown from seed, maybe I'll just throw it out now and save myself some aggrevation. I already know they are going to look crappy when whatever that caterpillar or whatever gets to snacking on it, so why waste my time and energy waiting and hoping for flowers. I'm getting older and am trying to make my gardens easier to care for.

    I think your garden does look better without them. The exercise did you good too, mentally, physically and spiritually.

    I love Maxine and how she comforts you in the gardens. Tork, our outdoor feline girl, finds me in the gardens usually after I've been working for a bit, and she gets right in my space where I'm working, nudging my hands, or rubbing my ankles and I've learned that it's time to take a break. So we sit together in the shade, she purrs and I relax until we've both had enough and are ready to continue on.

    I loved this * I'm betting God always sees rainbows around us. *

    May you feel God's rainbows surrounding you daily.

    Love and hugs ~ FlowerLady

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  2. Gina I always love to read your post. You're an excellent writer. I am always drawn in.....I'm ripping it out as fast as I can.

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  3. Well, as the saying goes: One lady's weed is another man's treasure.

    You wouldn't believe the efforts I go to to keep cannas.

    But if it makes you feel good... that's what to do.

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  4. I definitely prefer the end result.... You've had quite a workout, friend.

    I notice that your assistant photographer and puppy keep close watch on you. I suspect others are looking on, too.

    Be strong. Be courageous. You are His dear daughter.

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  5. I THINK that's a new header photo, isn't it? I like it!

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  6. I'm so with you!! It does feel good to rip stuff out the bothers us. Because everytime you go out and see it you just walk by and say 'next time'. I took your advice and pulled some dreaded non-flowering lambs ears out of the front this morning and laughed when I read your post. Thanks you are inspiring :)

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  7. Dear Gina, I think you did well, very well my friend!!! If something doesn´t like you in your garden (at least) go and rip it out... and this is exactly what I have been doing in my garden these days... well, moving bushes that I don´t like to the hill where only I go most of the time... and adding new things, roses and more roses, in the free spots!!!! It´s so energizing working in the garden, very hard and determined!!!! You look great doing that work!!!!
    many hugs to you my darling,
    maria cecilia

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  8. The garden is yours, and you do whatever you feel is right for it. I love your new blog's header picture. Also, thanks for the comment on my animal post. 'Cookie' for a German Shepherd? It IS funny! Our other GS was Julik. In Russian, it means someone who can trick and cheat you, but has a sense of humor and not a very bad guy. My Russian friends couldn't believe I gave that name to a noble dog. Thanks again!

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  9. I too have a love hate relationship with cannas, I lost all of my to snails this summer but they keep on coming. If I could I would rip out the two bougainvillea trees in my front yard I am soooo tired of pruning them.

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  10. I'm going home and rip out my cannas too. I've had it with them. They are so tall and take up so much space in my gardens shadowing other plants. I might find a place where they can just grow and take over an area.

    I think you did the right thing. It does look better. I agree with Flowerlady that it must have done you a lot of good physically, mentally, and spiritually. I like your analogies especially about the roots of sin.

    Hope you are doing OK Gina. You are still in my prayers sweetie. You are a blessing.

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  11. Gina, I think the garden looks fantastic with or without the cannas, but I agree, I like the look better without them. Here in WI, we can only grow canna as an annual or we have to dig them up entirely and store them in the basement each year. I got so tired of doing that, I just gave up and don't plant them anymore as the roots are huge and need so much room in the basement for storage.

    We tend to get a bit carried away with chainsaws and trees around here, but garden renovations can be so liberating, as you well know. Sometimes just removing a few limbs or plants makes a vast improvement. The rainbows in the shot are lovely. Your son takes excellent photos, too!

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  12. another great post, gina. you have a gift, for sure. my maxine look-alike dog is nudging me to go outside now. i'm going to remember the rainbows i dont see while i'm out there. love, daricia

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  13. Hi Gina,
    You have a wonderful garden blog and garden.
    The Lost & Found Garden...great name.
    I know about those little worms that get in the cannas....not fun.
    I have one variety of canna (Canna musaefolia) that resists bugs and I keep it around since it behaves and attracts hummingbirds. As to ripping something out...great idea. For me,it's going to be the wild morning glory vines that haven't bloomed ONCE this summer. The fig tree parable in the Bible comes to mind. :-)
    I'll be back to visit often.
    God's Blessings to you and yours.
    David/ Tropical Texana/ Houston
    P.S. If you want something with big leaves and no troubles, try hidden gingers (Curcuma petiolata & Curcuma longa) They're superb and about half the size of cannas.

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I love comments , please leave one if you like. I try to respond to comments,but if I'm running behind, please know that I read each one before they are published. Thanks much, Gina