July 31, 2006

Confessions of a messy gardener

I'm in the middle of the summer doldrums. All through spring I'm very gung-ho and eager to work in the garden. Then summer heat hits.

Not only is muggy weather a natural invitation to laziness, but it's not exactly the best time of the year to be moving plants around either. At least that's the way I rationalize it.

Overgrown spotTo my significant amazement, I've got several places in my beds that are badly overgrown (after only two years!) and need a substantial decluttering. My problem is that some of the plants I'd be uprooting I would want to save elsewhere. The general messiness has been exacerbated by a week's vacation followed by a several-day visit by an old friend I hadn't seen for over 20 years. It goes without saying that the garden was neglected. Mind you, the vacation and the visit were wonderful, so I guess it was worth it.

I won't bore you - and embarass myself - with a list of all the things that need tending to. But I do believe I have come to a decision.

I don't need to impress anybody, so I won't try. I'll pull the occasional excess plant, but I'll wait for cooler days to start juggling, so that poor Captain Kirk hosta is likely to stay overwhelmed for a while. After all, the garden is for my enjoyment, so as long as it's not a question of the plants' health, I'll resist the urge to pretend I'm a gardening diva and just enjoy it, messy as it is.

Come fall, I'll make room in my "composting can" by spreading all the usable stuff, and then fill it up with the rejects from the beds. This of course makes another wonderful excuse not to take action now: "The compost can is too full! Where would I pile all that stuff?"

Here's to the lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer and iced coffee on the patio!

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3 comments:

Sandy said...

I hear yah! I do as little as possible in the garden in July and August. Unfortuneatly I told some people they could take their wedding pictures at the end of August in my garden. What was I thinking! I too would love to edit and move things around but it just isn't a good idea in the heat of summer.

Unknown said...

The one word to make you feel better here, Janet, is: Lush. Just look at that "overcrowded" bed as being Lush and full... and frankly Captain Kirk is making a nice backdrop for some of those other plants anyway. :)

Pretending that I'm trying out a Lush look is getting me through these dog days until the cooler weather hits. Then I can just tell myself that Lush needs to be simplified a little, and voila! My laziness has been hidden from myself for a whole growing season! lol.

Janet said...

Sandy, it is a confident gardener indeed who invites people in for photos at the end of August!

Blackswamp_girl, got it. Lush. I do like your way of thinking.