I used to think I had a green thumb in high school. I had a jungle in my bedroom..from standard houseplants to various bonsai plants I’d acquired. I also had a plot in the family garden which I “landscaped” with shade loving plants: hosta, ferns and a bleeding heart which came to us broken and wilted, but was huge and thriving by the time my parents moved away from that house.
I’ve felt like I have a black thumb since then though. Whether my time and energy were being given to the creation of other things or I just didn’t care enough, I’m not sure. I have been killing the unkillable houseplants for ten years now. But now I’m back to trying for that green thumb again.
I’ve got a garden which is slowly becoming lovely, abundant and colorful. Today I spent two hours planting new plants (strawberry, pansies, lavender, plumbago, bee balm and lemon balm) and the other day I spent awhile planting things a friend had shared (joe pie weed, elephant ears, lantana and a few others). My garden is a nice mix of herbs, flowers, and edibles right now. It’s pretty nifty to walk out and pick a radish to put on my salad!
I’m also really enjoying the wildlife that’s drawn to my plants. There are a handful of tree frogs and lizards which occupy my container garden by the front door. There’s also a toad which hops through on occasion. And then I’ve got a lizard buddy who hangs out by the hose in the garden on the side of the house. I’m hoping that once some of my newest plants begin flowering, the bees, butterflies and birds will be drawn in to the area too.
I guess most important is that I’m really enjoying my garden – be it the plants or the wildlife. My grass may be brown, crackling and full of weeds, but my garden is shaping up beautifully. The grass…well, I’d rather a garden than a lawn. I wonder if the landlord would mind if I ripped the lawn out and replaced it with a meadow of wildflowers?
November 13th, 2008 at 8:36 am - Edit
ya know, there’s a whole movement to get rid of grass since grass is really just wasteful and uses water and isn’t a native plant in most areas. lesslawn.com.
November 13th, 2008 at 8:49 am - Edit
I know, Jess! I love it! I’m just not really sure my landlord would go for it. We live in a neighborhood of bright green (chemically treated) lawns… there are very few houses which actually have gardens. Most are landscaped and then forgotten.