Today, I am here to lessen your anxiety about your plants. For those of you who are super-duper anxious and you pretty much have your PhD in it, this little story is for you. Buckle up, buttercup.
First, I can relate. I have certain things I'm anxious about. Scott can relate. He has certain things he is anxious about. Running a three-headed monster based on weather can create some anxiety. Throw in the fact they are living things we work with? Anxiety. I was talking about the plants, not the people. Okay, sometimes people. LOL! We all have our quirks now, don't we?
Second, remember when I said plants? Living things? I was having an email conversation with a client regarding some plants and concerns over how they are looking. This is quite common and something we also see in the Garden Center. When you see something concerning your plants, it never surprises us. What are the things that affects a plant? Weather. Water. Food. Pruning. Blooming. Disease. Age.
Wait, what? Yes! Let me say that again.
Weather. Water. Food. Pruning. Blooming. Disease. Age.
I tell customers all the time, "We are basically selling you toddlers." We provide a toddler to you in a very pretty package (and a quiet package that doesn't move I might add unless you pick an invasive one) and
your job is to keep it alive
. You have to roll with the weather changes. You have to learn what it likes when it comes to watering. You have to remember to feed it. You will have to give it haircuts. You have to be sure it stays healthy physically and sometimes it may need a "shot" of something. You don't want it to have too much exposure and video games. It ages and sometimes even ages out.
Last, what does this mean for all of us? Rolling between seasons is always hard, especially in this area with our erratic weather changes. The best thing you can do is understand your plants. I love
YouTube
and I'm not afraid to use it. If you don't know about a plant or what it likes or how to prune it? Google it. Phone a friend (us, too.) Education and understanding is key. And sometimes you have to treat it like a toddler. That might mean walk away! Sometimes you do all you can, wait, and let him/her work it out! Did I mention patience? You need patience to garden and enjoy your landscape. It isn't always roses and cone flowers.
If you don't have patience, try rock gardening. If you do have patience, stop in for a visit. We have plenty of toddlers looking for loving homes that need care and nurturing. We just love sending the kids to new homes, but you have to do your part. Join in the gardening fun. Happy summer, and happy gardening!