Having taken up residence here in August, '06, and needing to make some major, indoor amendments right away, we had little time for exploring (or even noticing) what was happening outdoors. I daresay, though, that the subject bush did nothing noticeable that year; it sat there, being a large, green bush. In the fall, Son4 and I noticed the interior of the bush was riddled with what appeared to be dead, dry, brown reeds. So we spent part of an afternoon literally walking into the bush, pulling them out of the ground, and we amassed a goodly tower of reeds to be hauled away.
As winter set in, the remaining green, leafy bush became a large clump of single, brown reeds. Hmm and uh-oh. And it was around that time when Charles began grumping about the bush. Everything gets kinda ugly in winter, so I pled for the bush's life.
Sure enough, come spring of '07, the bush began to leaf-out. By late June, I brought the bush to the attention of Charles, and he agreed that its summer show warranted a stay of execution.
The bush wintered in brown, reed form again, and Charles was again threatening all manner of harm to it. On March 22nd of this year, I set fire to the reeds. It was do or die time. That bush was setting Charles' teeth on edge, thus mine were doing a little grinding of their own. NOW look at the bush:
Pretty. ºÜº
In May I noticed little, green heads popping out of the burned circle. Sorta put one in mind of an asparagus patch. Sure enough, the bush grew and grew and eventually graced the driveway island with an enormous pouf of rounded, lush greenery. I was feeling pretty satisfied with myself, the protector, the lifesaver.
Then last week, Charles asked, "Have you seen your bush!?" I had. And satisfaction had turned to full-blown puffed-up-ed-ness, but I wasn't going to be the first to mention it. It had not only adorned the island with greenery through the summer, it was now fully abloom with beautiful clusters of flowers. My tender ministrations (read: Okay, I'll just set fire to the stinkin' thing) were just what the bush needed:
We still have no idea what the growth really is, so if anyone out there can name this spring asparagus-looking, winter dead-reed, summer lush, and autumn flowered thing, do tell.
O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved. ~Psalm 66:8, 9
4 comments:
Is it spirea?? The leaves look kind of spirea-like. ????
I don't know about it being spirea. If it is, it must have been planted at the same time as the central portion of the house was -- 1880 -- because it's mammoth.
But this "bush" has no apparent central portion other than this is the middle. Each "branch" appears to grow independently and dies off annually. I'll have to take pictures in the winter, when the leaves are gone, and it's a stand of dry, brittle reeds. Very strange. Maybe it appears in one of last year's snowman photos. I'll hunt. ºÜº
Some plants are like a Christian I know( ME!!!!!)...they have to be put through the fire if they are going to be worthwhile in the slightest.
For some reason this post made me laugh, and I found it very funny. No idea what the bush is, but it very pretty! :) Good thinking, Miss Caroline!
Whom the Lord loves, He chastens (Hbr 12:6, 7), and He gives us beauty for ashes (Isa 61:3).
By grace through faith. Amen and amen. \o/
~Dust
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