Random bits and bobs

[stoney321]

I spent the weekend outside in the garden because *sucks in breath, hands on hips* I happened to get a Certified Letter from my HOA saying that the weeds in my garden were unacceptable.

O_O

WAIT. Wait. Let me explain. I have no weeds. Well, there was one. ONE. This is in a flower bed that is over 60 feet long and just over 20 feet deep, mind. ONE WEED. The letter that I received a) had the wrong address in the photograph, which indeed had weeds and b) was dated in July.

To say I was affronted is putting it lightly. (Newcomers: I'm a Texas Master Gardener. I take that shit personally.) This was a perfect excuse to start the Fall rip-out of plants that are done for the season, dead head, divide bulbs, etc. So that's what I did. It's all tidy and open and empty and waiting for new babies and I am VERY HAPPY. And I took a nice picture and will be emailing the HOA later with a bit of a hemhem, you were saying? added.

I went to a neighbor's house on Friday for drinks, met the CUTEST GUY (not like that. Well, he's attractive but just keep reading) that was a) former Mormon, b) former Missionary, c) gay as rainbow glitter on a mustache and d) hilarious. AND ALSO E) A GARDENER. I told him he was my gay doppelganger and we spent hours swapping stories. ALSO. ALSO. AND. His mother and sister both sing in my father's exclusive choir. O_O I MEAN. (omg, my husband had to peel me off of him to get me home and now we're FB bff. Lol.)

AND LASTLY. My son came home from work last night with a straggly bouquet of flowers for me (he works in a grocery store as a sacker, so they were those kind of flowers) and I am still looking over at their bedraggled selves and grinning from ear to ear. I'm fairly easy to please, it must be said. <3 Also, AWWWW. <3

AND NOW I WANT NACHOS. Or guacamole. Or something fatty and bad for me. *grumbles* I am completely surrounded by a lack of bad for me foods, stupid healthy living.

Comments

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I've always loved botany and this was a way to get specific training beyond academic knowledge. Nothing like a year long lab! I absolutely love that I went through the training. I LOVED working at the Extension Agency and helping people learn to enjoy their gardens as well. (And volunteering at schools is always fun, too.)

[kuzu-no-ha.livejournal.com]

Ok that makes sense. I love botany as well. I figured you like that aspect of it, too.
Up here Uconn runs it, and it appears they have additional classes after you certify. Have you taken more classes?
Also it looks like they have a certain amount of volunteer hours, do you have that too?
Thank you for sharing your brain goo. You are the only Master Gardener I know!

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

My arch-nemesis college runs it here in Texas (A&M) but it's a fantastic program. They've changed it some since I was in class, but it was pretty damn rigorous. To maintain membership in the MG society you have to have 12 hours of education every year, in addition to 40 volunteer hours.

I'm not an active member of the society currently, because I moved out of the county and driving for an hour to go to a class on tomatoes was a bit much. ;) I do a lot of online reading and of course, loads of hands-on training in my garden (and any neighbor that collars me on a good day.)

[kuzu-no-ha.livejournal.com]

Ok that seems reasonable then. This part filled me with nerdy excitement "Tree/Shrub/Vine identification project must be completed by the end of August"

ERMERGERD PLERNTS!