One of the coolest things that I’ve found with having a blog that some people actually read is that, when I ask a question, there’s a much better chance of me getting an answer, because someone is going to know.

Case in point: yesterday’s question about the mystery plant in my yard.

You know…this one:

Well, guess what? People listened. And I got answers.

The amazing Mama-In-Law called me this afternoon, sounding a tiny bit excited. Well, she saw the picture on the blog, and when she went to lunch with some co-workers, they drove by a plant that looked just like the one in my yard. One of the other ladies actually has one, and gave the Mama-In-Law the skinny.

It’s a Lady Banks Rose.

From my reading about it on las intrawebes, it is apparently an almost thornless rose that can grow to be ginormous, is fairly low maintenance, blooms early to mid Spring, and is easy to train to climb on things. All of these sound like major pluses to me. Especially the “ginormous” and “climbing” parts.

See, where it is in my yard is against this dilapidated old wire fence that separates our little green sanctuary from the vacant house next door’s nasty mess of a yard and it’s creepy condemned garage apartment.

And beyond that yard is a group of other yards, backing up from a side street. And those people hang out in their backyards, playing some game called “cornhole” and yelling at the Gamecocks on the radio while drinking a lot of beer.

Side note, I hate that the game is called “cornhole.” It’s that little game where you throw bean bags at a board with holes cut out of it that you play at elementary school and church carnivals. There’s a cute template for making a “Ni Hao, Kai Lan” bean bag toss game on the Nick Jr. website right now, fyi. Anyway, I hate that name for such a cute little game. And what I hate even worse is that I’m sitting over here, watering my petunias, cursing those damn kids under my breath for drinking in the yard late at night and making too much of a ruckus with their silly games…and realizing that, if I wasn’t sure of it before, I am now painfully aware that I am a square.

Anyway, so I like that we have this Lady Banks Rose there, because if we play our cards right, we may be able to use it to give us some much needed privacy on that side of the yard. I’m thinking that we’ll get rid of the nasty ivy growing all over the ground (ivy is cute on some old brick cottage, but not on my gross wire fence), and try to get that rose to cover the entire side of the yard. See below.

The only problem is that there is a hydrangea and gardenia between where the rose is now and where I would like for it to spread. Maybe I can root it and just have one on either side of the aforementioned southern staples?

Ooooh, and I could maybe move some of the azaleas from the front yard back there, too, since they’re not doing so well in their current location.

And while I’m at it, I suppose I ought to put in one of those claw foot tubs full of wild flowers…you know, because I’ve already got a bed frame back there, and because I’d really like to show off for my new neighbors. So they can see how classy we really are. That’s a great idea, right?

Oh, and that darling Mama-In-Law…she’s letting that whole “dollar” thing slide…as long as I root her a piece of it.