All the plants I planted in the front border died because I forgot to water them. Which is totally in line with depression gardening.
As in, I have depression, & this is apparently what gardening is like.
The house was built in 1928. At some point in the mid-century post-war years, somebody put in some plants in the back border that I just can't stand. The dogwood is fine - I have two fully mature dogwoods, one salmon pink & the other cream white - but there's a Tree of Heaven that has GOT to go. Those fuckers are invasive AF.
There's an Andromeda plant that smells great but I never liked the aesthetic of those, so it's going. And then one of those big tall plants with these broad, waxy leaves that looks like it ought to be tropical & I never remember the name of it. I HATE those plants.
@Impious_Jade
You mean rhododendron?
If you download an app called PictureThis, it's very helpful in identifying what's in your yard and whether it's valuable to you or to pollinators.
https://www.picturethisai.com
@AlphaCentauri No, it's a Japanese aralia, aka a fatsia plant, one of these: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatsia_japonica
@AlphaCentauri For some reason I've never liked them, they just aren't my thing. I'm more a lilac & rose kind of gardener, all the old-fashioned messy stuff.
Excellent tip re: the app tho', I'll have to download that!
@Impious_Jade
Yeah, I've never seen that plant, but it doesn't do much for me, either. To take up that much space, it ought to do more to pull its weight.
Tarps are down to kill all the grass in the front yard though. I'll probably leave the whole thing for an entire season and worry about planting this Fall or early next Spring. Then I can start over.
I only bought the house in March anyway. There wasn't really time or money enough this year to do the garden right away. Although I think I'll be able to do the veggie beds in the back, at least. And get rid of some of the shitty plants back there that I loathe.