to not stranglwe the pair of them. Came back from getting Mom some groceries and found this. This is/was my beautiful Ostrich fern bed. Chopped and covered with black plastic...the entire 30 foot stretch of it.
(sigh, whimper)
Lord give me strength...
Did you communicate your displeasure?
The last time I voiced my displeasure Mom cried for the whole day and DH called me something unprintable. I quit. I give up. I don't care anymore.
I hereby tender my gardening resignation.
Wow! That's awful.
Take off black plastic & plant odds & ends--should not have your space.
OMG :O There are no words.
Oh no. Was there any sort of explanation for this behavior? What is their plan for this area anyway? My plan would be let them plant it or seed grass or what ever they are going to do, wait, then get out the old black plastic tarp, wait, plant ferns. Honestly I cannot believe anyone would do such a thing without discussing it with you first. They were aware you liked it the way it was right?
ooooh! so sorry. Do you own a shotgun?
Sold all the firearms after last boyfriend tried to shoot me ^_^
Mom is obsessed about this vine growing back there...can't remember its name but leaves look like a chestnut kinda? I liked the look, it was my wild area behind the bird feeder. I'm sure whatever they decide to do will look lovely...but sheesh!!!
ferns are very hardy i bet they will come back - offer to watch them REMOVE the mess or they will deal with the consequences.
Black plastic is a mess - had it here when we moved in 4 trips to the dump later almost all gone - still find pieces here and there. learned out home was called the black plastic house by neighbors afterwards.
OH NO THEY DIDN"T !!!????? I can't even fathom. I am so sorry.
Geez, im so sorry.
Sorry 3. Hope they were clueless instead of mean.
(sigh) That's the biggest problem... they mean well. Mom's the instigator and DH jumps on board.
Whaddya do?
I knew you'd all understand!
Well you can mean well by bludgeoning them. ^_^
so sorry they did that to you... it's terrible
EEEEE - Ghaaaad
this reminds me of the day my husband went through my perennial bed with a broadcast spreader full of fertilizer , That also contained broad leaf weed killer ! the ladies at my local garden center said " that is ground for divorce !", I am so sorry they did that to your plants . : ( even if they meant well , It hurts when someone invalidates you
I'm so sorry!!! I don't understand how they could do this to you. So so sorry
Such a hard position to be in. I'm thinking that the ostrich fern will grow back - it is tough stuff.
It's so difficult when they are just trying to help. My mom 'weeds' my garden when she visits. She's in zone 7b so 'weeds' out alot of my native plants sigh.
Ever think about planting stinging nettles? They are an excellent source of iron when cooked!
Perhaps if you tell her you enjoy the ferns I am sure they will come back and introduce her to the Fern and Moss Society which has a great web site and alot of printed material if requested.Before my horticultural growth I also looked at ferns as weeds and savaged them now I find them great tools I transplant them to many tough areas to help groom.
Visitors should never touch a 'home' garden without permission. that doesn't help 3 gardeners. If possible a discussion about plants is necessary, although I understand there are problems with it.
Oh Dear, 3G! So sorry to see this heartbreaking sight! I agree that the ferns will come back if you can get all that plastic out of there! My ostriches are indestructible. But, the murderers will have to step out of the way for them to come back.
That's heartbreaking, 3G, to say the least! I would be devestated. My friend Karen has to deal with well-meaning, ignorant, pig-headedness from her DH and son at her place from time to time. I get so disgusted when I hear of something they did to ruin her gardening efforts.
I sometimes get my sister, whom I live with, doing something pretty thoughtless here. She knows the gardens are my domain. Often she does good, but a few years back she decided to trim back some rhodies. She practically butchered them! Thank God rhodies are fast growers, or most of them are, anyhow. But I had to go and prune some others back before she got her hands on them. I told her that next time she wanted to prune something that radically to let me know and I will handle it.
Yes, those ferns will bounce back if you remove the plastic. Or maybe you could dig them and plant in another location. It's sad that your DH can't consult you before doing things like that.
Karen
YOIKS! And I cried over the Late Blight epidemic over here...I'd'a been hysterical if that was mine!
Perhaps you need to get some "crime scene tape" to mark your territry. (Or an electrified fence!)
so 3g what has been done to the crime scene? has the plastic been removed?
At first, dg, I understood you lived with them in their house, later you mentioned your Mother was visiting you, so whose house is it? If it is yours, I would tell my parents off, have done that before but they would not dare to do that in the first place if the property is mine
I am really puzzled
Lee Anne, I thought you three had a fairly amicable division of whose was whose and who could do what. I don't think revenge, though sweet, would improve the situation. Well, it might help your ferns, but you still have to live with these people. Can you communicate your displeasure, as was suggested early on?
edited to add: Of COURSE, we understand!
This message was edited Aug 14, 2009 5:04 PM