This is the junky patch between the patio and the driveway.

The bit between the walkway and the fence is where I had cannas trying to attack us all summer.

To my left as I took the picture is the yellow fig bush and the patch of green by the bucket is a gardenia. The big bush behind the fence is the brown turkey fig. The pot has thyme drooping over the side. The table to the left sometimes holds bonsai and sometimes holds pitcher plants.

The white thing hanging on the fence is a gate I had Riley Foster make for me when we had a deck. It was to keep Sophie contained. When we demolished the deck, I didn’t want to just dispose of it, so it became decorative rather than functional art. It kind of hides the trash cans, too. I guess that means it is still functional.

I’m thinking that I will let the cannas continue growing on the back side/yard side of the fence. If I do that, I need to move the trash cans out of that spot and move the white gate to the other side of the fence. That just takes pliers though. So, NBD.

That strip can continue to grow the yarrow that has crept over and I have some echinacea seeds from a friend to plant there next to the echinacea I had already put in. Those should be low enough not to be annoying to walk by next summer. She sent me some foxglove seeds I may try there, too. My chives and saffron crocuses are up by the patio. But, they don’t spread quickly and there’s room for all that, I think.

That area doesn’t seem to be eaten up with centipede grass. The other side, the gardenia side, is full of it. It’s also full of yarrow, mint and milkweed. So, full that the gardenia is NOT getting a fair shake. But that bush is established enough that I don’t want to try to move it because I’m afraid I’ll kill it if I do. And I don’t have a better place for the nice smelling shrub. At least not if I want to enjoy the scent when it blooms. I tried gardenias out by the front stoop and that was a disaster. FAR too much sun. And when I moved them, one did die. This one has been more determined.

The bucket is full of centipede grass I’ve been pulling up. But, it is so deep and so determined, I’m not sure it’s worth the labor.

I feel like I can either move the edgers and give up or dig out as much of the soil as much I can and fill it back in with topsoil, intending to fight the centipede as it tries to creep back in. Third choice is to just keep pulling it forever.

I feel like all my choices end up with centipede growing there because it’s such a sunny spot. Digging will just give me a little respite before it’s all back.

If I dig it out, the gardenia will need to be mown around. But, it will look less junky than that it has this summer. And the yarrow has already spread to the other side of the path. So, it’s not like that will be lost if the gardenia side is whacked.

See? I knew that if I’d write about it, I’d figure what I really want to do instead of looking at it and dithering.

Thank you for your patience.