Saturday, April 10, 2010
New Beginnings
Ahh spring is the time of the year when we all love to head to the garden shop with unabashed hope and optimism that our efforts and investments will pay off with a garden similar to those we see in magazines. I truly believe that some people are meant to be gardeners and some people aren't. I want to be the former but I have a nagging fear that I am actually more the latter. I have had inspiration before but I seem to run out of gas as the season progresses. Partly due to frustration over my shady yard, gazillion weeds, and clay soil but also partly due to a bit of a lack of focus. This blog is going to be my inspiration to "stick with it" this year as I attempt to turn a yard 0f overgrown weeds, clay, dirt, rocks and general wildness into a stunning garden and outside space. I will definitely have some help along the way or this blog would have to be called the Desperate Gardener rather than the Hesitant Gardener.
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I believe there is hope for the Hesitant Gardener should she really want to put the time and effort into applying the rules of shade gardening to her backyard; and while I am no botanist, I think shade gardening is probably a little more eco-friendly than full sun garden given the amount of resources that can be saved in shade gardening. In pondering that thought - just think - "August" when your withering plants are screaming for a drop of rain amidst a drought; the time has come for you to once again replace your two month old mulch that has matted down and now looks like a good bet for your patio kiln; you finally decide to water your I-might-not-make-it plants but your hose keeps kinking up because the hot sun has made it soft and pliable so it kinks just as you begin to spray and you swear off anymore watering; or, most importantly, the rain barrel you planned to buy never really came to fruition so you use way too much of one our most precious natural resources to do daily watering of your withering, mulch not working garden plants. There are so many varieties of shady plants, flowering/non-flowering, perennials/annuals, and shrubs/trees, that will do wonders for your yard. Too many weekend gardeners want to mimic the "look" but fail in their attempt because they do not take into consideration the external factors (soil conditions, planting zones, pet and pests control, etc.) that are involved in shade gardening. I invite you to put down the Southern Living and Better Homes and Gardens, pull out your laptop and do a little research on shade plants. You will be pleasantly surprised by the amount of useful information you find on the subject and it will be well worth it when your yard is a luscious, green space that neighbors envy and one that is so beautiful that even a curious, black lab will not disturb it. Remember, Hesitant Gardener, a beautiful garden is a perpetual work of art.
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