About Me

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I am a retired English teacher and department head, the mother of three grand mother of four, and have been married to the same man for 52 years. I subscribe to Dr. PM Forni's concept of Civility. I was born in South Philadelphia and grew up in the 'burbs. I love soft pretzels and cheesesteaks, the Phillies, the Eagles, and San Diego. I love being Mom, Aunt Kathy, Nona Kathy, and Teacher. I spend a lot of time in my gardens in the spring and summer, and in the winter I plan what I'm going to plant. I also am an avid reader and photographer.

Translator!

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Gardener's Protection Program?

I kid about my husband sending pictures of me to local nurseries stridently warning them not to sell to me.  He's my partner in crime -- okay he's the hard labor to my muse.  After 38 years of marriage, the four words he has come to dread are "I have an idea."  I've written this before:  if there's a fresh mound in my yard and you haven't heard from me in a few days, call the police and tell them to bring shovels.

Well, the threat she's a spreadin'.  Our next door neighbor, Jerry, commented he enjoys looking at our flowers and shrubbery and asked a few questions about what he could do with the front of their house.  I offered to draw up a simple landscape plan.  The plan involved taking out his existing flora and replacing it with low, compact species.  He and Nancy, his wife, liked the plan and Jerry rode out to a local nursery and purchased some of the specimens I suggested.  Here's a photo of Jerry thanking me taken right before he burned an azalea on my front step:

18 comments:

Jay said...

You're gonna have your whole neighborhood looking all fancy pretty soon. And then you can get your own show on HGTV!! haha ;-)

Linda said...

That is too funny! I'll be watching to see if you keep posting.

beachgirl said...

Happy Mothers Day Kathy

Lena said...

Oh man, wish you were my neighbor! I could use lots of help!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Purple Flowers said...

This could turn into a whole new business for you. Kathy's Landscape and Design, Inc.

Sound good? :)

A Slice of My Life said...

That's kinda how I feel about my gardening friend that I asked to help. Lots of work, but man do I love the results!

(she told me I wasn't allowed to buy any more plants, but I can't help it...they keep following me home!)

Gilly said...

He burned an axalea? What, deliberately??

Yes, I could use you to design our garden to make it easier for us decrepit 70-something year olds!!

You could definitely make a new business, do the whole road (or am I right in thinking its a cul-de-sac?) Then open them as show gardens - you would make your fortune!

C.A. said...

You are a woman after my own heart, my friend! Keep bringing the neighbors over to "the dark side"! :)

Happy Day!

C.A.

happyone said...

You should go into business designing gardens. :-)

cri said...

E' un giallo, un libro che si legge molto bene, scorrevole, ma credo non sia stato tradotto in inglese ancora..
Buona settimana, Cristina

KathyA said...

Cri,
Amo i romanzi thriller. Aspetterò fino a quando non si traduce, però, prima ho letto:). Spero che le cose stanno migliorando per voi e la vostra famiglia. Il tuo amico, Kathy

George said...

I think I would be as happy as Jerry looks if you were our neighbor, but then you would probably put our garden to shame.

Sweet Virginia Breeze said...

Since Hubby will be retiring soon and I need to find something to keep him busy (out of the house) - perhaps I should get you to do a design makeover for my two acres of yard.

Jules said...

Ahhhh neighborly love. I don't have to much of that. I am so jealous of you people that have grass. Really!! I miss grass....

..... and lightening bugs.

Anonymous said...

Hahahaa....(The words he has come to dread are "I have an idea"....)Soooo funny!!!

Cheryl said...

You are so funny! I'm off to the nursery to buy more flowers :)

Brad said...

"No good deed goes unpunished" - Latisha Baldridge

Kimberly said...

LOL - good thing you were not a math teacher - "I have an idea" is four words. :D Your neighbor Jerry sounds like a riot!