LATE SEASON GARDEN TRIALS EYE EXAM

If you wear glasses, then you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. This is the part of the eye exam where they put a machine up to your face and ask; which is better, one or two? Then the eye doctor asks the question again and again while the choices get closer and closer to being the same. Finally, everything's in focus and you're done. Let's try it now at the end of a hard summer!
Which is better?

One?                                      or         Two?

Easy, it's one. I'm keeping Coreopsis 'Route 66' but pulling Melampodium. It's eaten constantly by bugs.

Now for some out of bloom foliage:

                                                                          

               One?                                  or   two?

Again, I'm keeping one. The miniature coreopsis is compact while the Osteospermum sprawls.

Now for a hard one. I can only keep one of these due to lack of space:

One?                                           or                    two?

As much as I dislike picking, I'm going with number two. One sprawls too much, but is prettier.

Both are types of Salvia.

   One?                                  or  two?

Both of these Vincas are very nice and steady bloomers, but I prefer one due to the white eyespots.

And finally,

one? or two?

        

This one was easy. One (the Zinnia linearis) beats out two, the poor Blackfoot daisy. 

And this painful process is how we gardeners improve our gardens year after year. 

That's it for today. It's time to pull the losers. Boo hoo. Have a terrific gardening weekend. David/:0)

The first year of the cottage garden instead of St. Augustine grass.