Just leaving now. Look kind of familiar.

The violas and forget-me-nots go everywhere, and my Shasta daisies and Maltese cross are almost up to my armpits and very thick. My husband says they look "weedy." I think they're beautiful.

I am always being told that my yard is weedy, or a mess, or some such unflattering comment. And I absolutely love it. I call it "cottage garden". Sounds better.

It was not always that way, I really did try to keep up with it and tame it down, because I wanted Shasta daisies and Maltese cross (both of which I have had and have been invaded). But I always wanted to live out in the country instead of in town, and wanted a natural yard and garden, so I decided that I can still do that, right here. And it is a blessing....less work when I gave up fighting and let the survival of the fittest take over.

is that it's different every year. It's always a guess what's going to come up and thrive or maybe take a back seat one year and then come back full force the next.

You've inspired me. After dinner I'll go out and take some pictures of my "weeds" and get your opinion.

Like I said, I will post some of my insanity some time. I took some pictures today when I got the Carolina Allspice flowers.

I can't tell for sure but they look like it. I don't know what it is, but don't those leaves look like grape leaves?

I like the wild places like that.

Although that is not what I meant. I still don't know what it is though.

and doesn't look like your strawberry plant, but will try to get un-fuzzy pic when I return, Saturday or after. Am in DC suburb now, where 'my' beautiful rose resides.

I call my yard eclectic. I get a lot of free plants from clients relandscaping or extras from gardener's/landscapers. I find a spot and if it grows it stays.

Years ago, I quit buying plants, since the ones I bought never lasted, and the ones that were free took over. There is a reason for that. People give away the invasive plants that they have to keep thinning out. And since I don't bother thinning, it is a dog-eat-dog world in my garden. But it is all green and lush and that is enough for me. You can tell by the photo of the bushes that there is a lot of green.

Eclectic is a good term---I think I will start using that one. It is better than calling it my mess. And since I have given up planting anything else, I am getting rather eclectic with yard decorations now to add color to all the green.

I think I was tainted by my (great?) Aunt Mineva in my childhood. She owned several acres in Pasadena across from the Chevy Chase golf course. It was all hillside so she terraced and planted, terraced and planted. My parents would visit. I would stop in long enough to say hi, make an appearance for what ever meal we were having and dash back outside to lose myself in the wonder of the garden… and all the garden art.

Most of my garden art comes from clients' cast offs. If I owned my place I would terrace and plant, and add tons more garden art.

than "strawberry bush". I was reading about the different local names for it, and it was funny that they explained that the reason it is called strawberry bush is because of the color of the flowers---give me a break. If you have ever smelled them, you would understand the name.