The Tragic Tale of Ol' 'Black Thumb' Cummings
I've never been especially talented at keeping things alive. Actually, that's being nice. The reality is that I've killed every single creature of god that has ever been in my care.* Chia herb gardens, hermit crabs, house plants, all of 'em, dead. The only tree I've had any luck in keeping around is a fiber optic Christmas tree. It's that serious.
So it is with great trepidation that I enter into the terrifying world of recreational flower gardening. (cue fanfare) I'm so excited! And not pessimistic at all!
My mom has always had the most beautiful gardens. She's incredibly skilled at seeing the earth as a canvas upon which to create a work of art and I so admire that. I remember as a kid she would have a dirt-stained spiral notebook where she kept all sorts of drawings and notations about what was planted where and when, how it should be cared for, and when you should expect it to arrive. I'm telling you right now that I'm not going to be that kind of gardener. My original plan was to get a bunch of seeds, go out into the backyard, close my eyes, throw the seeds at the ground and then run back into the house, screaming. I hope I won't be that kind of gardener, either. Shooting for somewhere in the middle, and right now I'm in the research and development phase.
The good thing is that I know what I like, and that makes shopping for seeds online much easier than I expected it would be. I found that plants were arranged logically into the categories of annuals and perennials and, since I'm an apartment-dweller, I decided to avoid the latter. I found our, "Zone," and made sure that any seeds I added to my wish list are Zone 5-friendly. I bought a notebook in which to keep my gardener's log. As soon as the sun returns I will go out and measure the flower beds and start sketching.
As I get farther and farther into the planning process I realize how important it was to start now rather than waiting until it's time to plant. Being prepared ahead of time...who knew?
More to come.
* Babysitting rates available upon request.
So it is with great trepidation that I enter into the terrifying world of recreational flower gardening. (cue fanfare) I'm so excited! And not pessimistic at all!
My mom has always had the most beautiful gardens. She's incredibly skilled at seeing the earth as a canvas upon which to create a work of art and I so admire that. I remember as a kid she would have a dirt-stained spiral notebook where she kept all sorts of drawings and notations about what was planted where and when, how it should be cared for, and when you should expect it to arrive. I'm telling you right now that I'm not going to be that kind of gardener. My original plan was to get a bunch of seeds, go out into the backyard, close my eyes, throw the seeds at the ground and then run back into the house, screaming. I hope I won't be that kind of gardener, either. Shooting for somewhere in the middle, and right now I'm in the research and development phase.
The good thing is that I know what I like, and that makes shopping for seeds online much easier than I expected it would be. I found that plants were arranged logically into the categories of annuals and perennials and, since I'm an apartment-dweller, I decided to avoid the latter. I found our, "Zone," and made sure that any seeds I added to my wish list are Zone 5-friendly. I bought a notebook in which to keep my gardener's log. As soon as the sun returns I will go out and measure the flower beds and start sketching.
As I get farther and farther into the planning process I realize how important it was to start now rather than waiting until it's time to plant. Being prepared ahead of time...who knew?
More to come.
* Babysitting rates available upon request.
Comments
I have a black thumb as well. I killed a small rosemary plant from Price Chopper a couple of years ago. If I kill a plant that shares my name, is it murder or suicide?
We have a rosemary plant, too, and it's not looking so good. :(
Post a Comment
All comments are moderated prior to posting.
Happy commenting!