First the eye-candy:
I am attempting to hypnotize you with Cenizo, Leucophyllum frutescens
As you can see, my Cenizo is dressed for a successful bee-business. It’s been loaded with bees for two days now.
I’m so thankful I didn’t get around to pruning it. Pruning was on my to-do list but so was planting three vines & five perennials, watering the entire backyard, painting the top of the car (yes), doing laundry, and so forth…
I’ll never know whether the Cenizo bloomed because I’d recently mulched around it or because Cenizo (also known as the “Barometer Bush”) felt the change in our barometric pressure when we got rain.
And I just learned in the writing of this post that Cenizo’s leaves can be used to make a tea. I might try it.
So while my Cenizo is dressed “to the Nines” I thought I’d let you see the trendy outfits I wear in the garden.
Notice the cute dog paws at the top of the photo? Elly, the Lab, was my assistant. She located the misplaced spade for this photo. (Thank you, Elly.) I highly recommend you teach your dog, if you have one, to find your spade.
Fashionable gardeners and homeless people prefer the above look. Dogs like it too at the end of the day.
Let’s pick apart this outfit to see why the successful summer gardener should wear it.
Notice the frayed collar? This is a necessity to wick away perspiration. Cotton is a must. Both the t-shirt and bandana are made of cotton.
Above: General random holes in the shirt allow additional airflow.
Above: The essential air hole at the knee for ventilation.
Above: The clogs have air vents too. Clog storage is important.–I keep mine outside in a basket right beside the back door.
Another snazzy little “number” above. If you don’t own garden clogs, old Birkenstocks will do. Note that it’s important for your shorts to wear some ground-in dirt. Otherwise, people think you only pretend to garden.
Above: Thrift store belt on hat. If your hat lacks a cord, you can start your own trend by adding a stylish thrift store belt on which to loop shoe strings that act as cords to tie your hat to your head.
I tried to get my dogs to wear some of my gardening hats for this post, but they refused. I wonder why?
What not to wear:
Above: This is a sweat catcher. It catches sweat, bugs, and dirt. Don’t wear one! Not sure what men use it for, but please note it does not make a good gardening hat. However, you might try using it as a bird feeder.
And let me tell you the truth. I really want my garden to pop, sizzle, and shine NOW, but it’s still very much a baby. This song pretty much expresses my gardening sentiments to some extent.
Have a great day!
The Hairy Toe Gardener 