It is always the expensive plants that have the most problems. The cheap, scrappy ones take care of themselves, like stray mutts. Maybe they are forced to because garden centers just toss them if they are needy. Artificial selection occurs before the plants are even purchased.

My mutt azaleas ask for nothing from me. The hybrids, however, demand special treatment. I have two that are gorgeous right now ONLY because I hobbled down the hills to handle their issues last summer.

The first is this fuchsia type between the entrance bridge and the fish pond. It gets an insect-borne fungus every summer. Its leaves get brown, spotty and shrink. If I do not move fast…which is not likely lately, it almost dies.

I must cover the pond with a sheet of plastic and spray the entire shrub. I also use a granular systemic treatment that I water in to start it dissolving into the soil.

Last year I also trimmed it back to shape it as I held on to my purple walker. This is love.

It looks sickly til spring, but perks back up, as you can see. I looked for its marker, but was afraid of falling into the shrub. EMS knows my address!

This other beauty has a different problem. Our neighborhood herd of deer cannot resist its tender twigs.

It must be totally wrapped in deer fence and trimmed to prevent snacks from sticking through the mesh. I do not know its name either. I love what I love. Sometimes I bring home attractive strangers.

The deer mesh is almost invisible. I have enough ugly fence throughout the gardens. Its also easy to move and folds up to store.

I must omit the best show of all down the hill. My neighbor, Nancy, left explicit instructions for me to be careful today while she is gone. My careteam is tired of the trauma. I know Jamie Rambo will save me if I go down again…but I would rather not have doctors pulling my leg  back into position for the third time.

In a few weeks you will see a firey show from some wild favorites! Stay tuned.

FLOW

ELIZA WATERS sent a comment about systemics and bee death. I will check on these two products. Do not buy until I do. Eliza knows her stuff. She alerted me to a harmful hybrid butterfly weed years ago that I had to dispose of. Go ELIZA!

UPDATE:

BOTH these products have substances that harm bees. Their labels DO NOT have the standard two bee-killer ingredients. I had to research its active ingredients to get this information.

Imidacloprid is in BONIDE SYSTEMIC GRANULES. This was bought from a trusted supplier. I will not be this careless again.

Acephate and Tebuconazole are in BioAdvanced All-in-One Rose and Flower Care. This one was recommended by an owner of a garden center years ago. May these ingredients were not researched well back then.

I know to look out for neonicotinoids. NOW THERE 52 INGREDIENTSON THE BAD FOR BEES LIST.

We all will have to research products BEFORE purchasing.

WOW

Bees are so much more important that picky flowers and shrubs.

THANK YOU ELIZA!