My son had a friend over to play yesterday.

How can I be kind about this?

The friend made some very "bad choices" in terms of his behavior.

Rather than lose my head (or take off his) I pulled the pruning shears from the shelves in the garage.

While the kids rode bikes, I took out my frustration on the boxwoods and other shrubbery that had grown rampantly out of control over the summer.

When it was lunchtime, I had 6 wagonloads of branches. And I was only about 1/3 of the way through.

Still, I was pleased with the start of the project, and it really WAS a good way to put my "bad" energy into a "good" cause.

Plus, the kids were outside in the fresh air, and that's always good.

I highly recommend it for any other Gardening Moms out there.

I planted several seeds in my back deck planters around the first of May.

Then, summer happened.

Kids went to camp, we spent time at the pool, we battled the drought...

And I sort of forgot exactly which plants went where.

But this morning I was given a cheerful reminder - scarlet sage!

The pink phlox (seen below, about a month ago) got hammered in a Southern thunderstorm.

But the sage enjoyed my hot deck, the sometimes brutal sun, and my constant devotion.

Hummingbirds have been enjoying our feeder all summer, but I have hope now that they will have fun frolicking in the flowers.

We shall see!

My hardy salvia has REALLY grown over the summer. Look at it now, compared with how it started!

But it seems so "leggy" now. Almost as though it's too heavy for itself. Should I cut it back? Or let it go on?

I went out of town this weekend, and rather than ask my husband to water my kitchen window plants (NEVER a good idea) I popped them out on the deck for 48 hours.

I have two small, seemingly healthy pots of basil and Max's incredibly tall green bean plant.

Well, we had 5 inches of rain on Sunday, so water was surely not a problem!

But both the basil and the green bean turned a yellowish color. (however, the bean put forth a blossom!)

I brought everything back inside when we returned yesterday. (draining excess water from the basil pot)

Do you think it was just too much shock to move the plants into the fresh air after they had "grown up" in the window? Or do you think they just got waterlogged?

And will my basil ever go back to it's pretty green color?

At the doctor's office today, I picked up a copy of "Real Simple" magazine.

They had a very clever tip for gardeners!

Before donning your gardening gloves, rake your fingernails across a bar of soap.

The soap beneath your fingernails blocks dirt from getting under them, and washes right out!

I don't know about you, but to me that seems like a real common sense solution to a prevalent problem.

P.S. On a wholly unrelated note, I actually dreamed about WEEDING last night. How sad is THAT??!?

You know I am no June, but last week I tried something I have never done before -- I used my own flowers for decorating a party I was hosting!

I thought my pink & purple verbena looked festive with my polka-dot napkins.

And I loved how my gardenia looked in this cool glass vase. Very elegant. (And fragrant! I had gardenias in the kitchen and powder room also)

And my pretty blue hydrangea made a lovely addition to my foyer.

All in all, I was really pleased with the outcome. I know that I didn't have armloads of blossoms gaily scattered about, but my little vases made me happy.

And I never would have thought of using them without y'all Greenthumbrs!

This afternoon was really pleasant -- funny, how, after a week of 98 degree temperatures and smog alerts, an 85 degree day can seem almost cool!

So after the kids had dinner, we went out into the backyard. They to play, me to weed.

(I have confessed before that I prefer weeding on shady, cooler days. I just don't have the gumption to sweat so hard over a darned weed)

Maggie's garden is the perfect size for me weed-wise because I can get a thorough job done in 45 minutes to an hour.

But I digress.

With the rainstorm last night (huzzah!) the weeds were loose and easy to pull.

And the mosquitoes were looking for blood.

Specifically, mine.

I am sweet meat for those suckers, and I came in after weeding covered in big red lumps and extra spots of dirt on my face and arms from swatting them.

Has anyone ever installed a bat house successfully? I have one (I hear bats love mosquitoes) but I haven't put it up yet.

Dang! As I was writing this, one just flew in front of me! It must have traveled inside on my hair.

*swat*

My beauties, my treasures, my wonderful gardenias are gracing me with blossoms and even a growth spurt!

I've written about these ladies before. Of all the plantings in both front & back, these are the bushes I tend most carefully.

This winter and spring I even "fertilized" them with the water I took out of our fish tank, and I do believe my larger one liked the fish poop :)

It's now peeking over my azaleas by almost a foot!

I am filling my home with the delicate fragrance. In all the bedrooms, in the kitchen, here by my desk...and it's a wonderful thing to fetch the mail every day.

At what point does "grey" water become too "grey"?

We are back in Drought World here in GA. Rain was promised for 3 of the last 5 days. Not a drop fell.

My accumulated water is running quite low, and so I find myself "discovering" water throughout the house.

I am saving the water from the bottom of the steamer pot (maybe the broccoli vitamins will help the plants, right?)

Also I'm collecting the water from rinsing out the coffee pot, the milk jug, and basically anything vegetable/organic.

But what about the water that gets left in the dishwasher, when cups turn over, etc.? Do you think that's safe, or not?

I know that there is a rinse cycle after the main soap cycle, but do you think it gets the chemicals out or not? I mean, we eat and drink off the plates and cups, so presumably they're okay....

But I hesitate.

What do YOU think, oh Gardening Gurus?

I'm not exactly talking about my figure here, though of course I'm always wishing I were slim and trim.

No, against all odds I seem to have successfully sprouted some basil seeds!

Yes, that's right. Me, the Seed Antagonist.

But I have been SO successful that I have loads of little sproutlets all clumped together.

How do I thin them out? Is there a science to it? I'm so afraid of hurting everything by doing it wrong or not thinning at all.

Please advise. :)