By Gail Jacobs
Master Gardener

Oh what to do what to do! Everyone knows what the snowball effect is. That snowball effect can happen so very easily and it only has the best intentions at heart when it starts.

My latest snowball effect started when my friend Sue was thinning some of her peonies. Sue was so very gracious to share her bounty with several of her friends me included. I was eager to have the peonies, as they are one of my all-time favorites!  In addition, I especially enjoy having plants passed from friends and relatives, caring for the plants always stir fond memories of the giver.

So impulsively, I said yes I would take all she would share and knew just where to put them. The next afternoon I set out to put the peonies into their new home everything was perfect the month, the weather and my back. Or so I thought all was perfect. I began ripping into a backyard slope that had not been touched for over twenty years and that is when the snowball effect really kicked in.

One thing quickly led to another and on and on until my back said STOP. There were two “weed” trees well rooted on the slope along with those tall orange flowering daylilies had covered nearly the whole slope and what the daylilies had not covered the tall phlox had! So while I took a moment to consider what the best plan of action would be to recover the space, I decided my new friend Sam would appreciate the peony donation, she was more than happy to find a home on their property. My problem was still there once I started ripping into it I could not just leave it for another season and I knew there were no “yard fairies” to complete the task for me.

A few weeks passed me by and on one of my walks around the property, I realized the answer might be right under my nose. We had a huge stack of landscape blocks that we intended to use on another project a few years ago and had never done.  Inspired by those TV shows that go into a home and re-do some of the rooms with repurposed items found within the house but I recall seeing a few and thinking that it is better to use something than to just let it grow moss. I put my plan into action last Sunday afternoon. There are still things that will need to be done but for now I see progress.  Next growing season may still need some good ole roundup applied to the slope I will wait to see if I can handle ripping up more of the two invasive plantings mentioned above if not a gallon of roundup will go a long way to control it. If you look closely you will see the daylilies green leaves scattered on the slope, I still have much work to do. Those lazy “yard fairies” never did show up.

Orange Daylilies Hemerocallis are what are on my slope and I remember digging them from along a road and planting them there over thirty years ago. These native North American plants can take over a space for little effort or jingle. If you pay close attention to the ditches along our back roads, you will likely see these happily swaying in the summer breezes.

Tall Phlox can also take over a space. These plants had completely taken over the slope. One afternoon in August while I was relaxing on our deck, I could hear this funny popping sound.  The noise made me think of the line from Christmas Vacation when Aunt Bethany says, “It’s a funny squeaky sound”  Upon further investigation; I discovered that those Tall Phlox “pop” their seed out for next season!  I had no idea that was how they became so thick.  So be aware if you plant this in your garden possibly try cutting off the bloom heads before they pop unless of course you want complete chaos or the snowball effect in the coming years!