Neglect or Nurture?
This evening, the boys and I went out for a bike ride to get some excerise after dinner. My husband and I love looking at people houses and gardens on our evening treks. There is so much new development going on that their is lots to look at and admire.
As we were zipping along, one house in peticular stopped me dead in my tracks. This new garden was very tidy and full of annuals everywhere. Now this is not the type of garden that has ever really caught my eye but what did was how beautiful the annuals were. The most incredible begonias you've ever seen! The window boxes were so healthy looking they looked fake. That is what stopped me so suddenly. At first I thought they were! It is the middle of September and most annuals that I have or grudgingly take care of are pretty close to being done! After a moment of staring I thought....you know....I'm a neglector type of gardener. This gardener obviously has lovingly nurtured these flower daily for the entire season. Is it because they have a small little garden and have the time to nurture. Maybe they are retired or maybe they have no children. I can't help but admire people who garden like this. It puts me to shame. My poor, poor neglected garden.
As we were zipping along, one house in peticular stopped me dead in my tracks. This new garden was very tidy and full of annuals everywhere. Now this is not the type of garden that has ever really caught my eye but what did was how beautiful the annuals were. The most incredible begonias you've ever seen! The window boxes were so healthy looking they looked fake. That is what stopped me so suddenly. At first I thought they were! It is the middle of September and most annuals that I have or grudgingly take care of are pretty close to being done! After a moment of staring I thought....you know....I'm a neglector type of gardener. This gardener obviously has lovingly nurtured these flower daily for the entire season. Is it because they have a small little garden and have the time to nurture. Maybe they are retired or maybe they have no children. I can't help but admire people who garden like this. It puts me to shame. My poor, poor neglected garden.
posted by Sandy at 8:41 PM
5 Comments:
I work hard to find plants that like benign neglect.
My favorite annual right now is Salvia 'Lady in Red' - troops right through the heat of summer and is still going. You do need to deadhead occasionally, but fresh spires of flowers soon follow. I have to start these from seed next season so that I can stagger their growth by a week or so... right now all the plants tend to get deadheaded all at once.
I like to supply for the hummingbirds, too. They love the salvias.
Oh, too have the days of too much time on your hands. I bet the flowers were stunning. If she has a secret, I'd love to know it. Next time, knock on the door.
I almost did knock on her door.
Reminds me of something said by a gardener giving a tour of his garden on HGTV - his gorgeous garden. He said something like why not make every single spot on your property as beautiful as it can be? Sounds like that's the philosophy of the garden you saw, and a philosophy I can get behind. Now if I just had a smaller lot.
I would love to have a perfect garden. It's just that I always have other things to do too. Like be a wife, raise my child, work,friends, clean the house. Then their are always other passions like horses or photography. So much to do, so little time!
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