When Good Yards Go Bad II

For Part II of my series on Charleston yards gone awry, I thought I would share with you a newly planted front yard installation that cropped up this week, on my walking route to work, while I was away on a business trip.  As we gardeners so often note during this time of year: a lot can happen to a "garden" in just one short week.

So without further ado: here you have it.

"Kitchen" Garden

As with many truly unfortunate ideas, they tend to look good on paper. Communism springs to mind.  But in all fairness, and to set myself apart from the mainstream news media, let me present both sides.  What this genus does have going for it:

- It comes in many colors, an almost endless array
- Variable pricing on different cultivars, priced to fit nearly anyone's budget
- Strong silvery foliage that will absolutely never need staking
- Low water needs
- Doesn't mind if you plant it upside down
- Supreme disease resistance (although the very cheapest varieties may be prone to Rust)

But in my humble opinion, the negatives of this species far outweigh the positives:
- It remains short, sparse and invariable
- Painful if stepped on
- Companion 'plantings' tend to be empty aluminum cans and cigarette butts, two of my least favorite weedy varieties
- Attracts party-ators (aged 22 and under all night partyers) instead of pollinators
- Tends to spread: not necessarily in the same form but its companion plantings and party-ators move quickly throughout the block, overtaking well established gardens in a very short time period.

Anyhow made for a good laugh on my way to work, and I couldn't resist putting it up here!

Categories: When Good Yards Go Bad