Hello. My name is Susan and I’m a Master Gardener. And sometimes I’m a terrible at it. There, I said it. When you’re a Master Gardener, people expect a lot outa’ ya. Heck, I expect a lot outa’ myself. But, I definitely do not have it all under control, even when I know the right thing to do.
For example:
I leave tools out in the weather. All. year. round. On purpose, even. I’m lazy and I want them where I use them. The garden fork and the wheelbarrow near the compost. Hand tools, gloves and shoes on the back porch. A basket for weeds in the garden.
This one annoys me about myself more than any other, I think. I like to try different varieties of plants. I mark them clearly when I start seedlings. And then I transplant them into the garden, and I don’t. So, are these the Fiesta broccoli, or the Arcadia broccoli? Last year, I planted two varieties of brussels sprouts. One did fantastic. The other, not so much. Ummm, but which was which? Really bad habit.
I have a passion for gardening, but I DO NOT enjoy starting seedlings. Potting, repotting, watering, re-watering. Measuring fertilizer. Oh, who’s kidding who here; I never measure. Gaaaa! I have an equal dislike for caring for houseplants. Love them in the house. Don’t love caring for them.
I emphatically preach against stepping on your garden beds . . . and yes, I occasionally step on my garden beds. But only rarely. So, not so bad on this one.
I run into the house to grab something I need. And I don’t always take off my shoes. I guess that makes me a bad housewife, not a bad gardener.
I know my own problems – the pests I get in my own garden, for example – but I’m terrible at diagnosing your problems. And people always want me to diagnose their problems.
I’m inconsistent. I companion plant. I don’t companion plant. I rotate crops. I don’t rotate crops. I’m going to foliar-feed this year, and I do it twice. Tomorrow I’m going to plant the peas. And I clean house. On and on.
I’m not always so organized, either. I have a gardening journal. Some years I’m not bad at recording what I plant, where I plant it, and problems I’m having. Other years, there are slips of paper with notes all over them paper clipped into the journal. And please don’t ask me how much I spend on gardening in a year. I. don’t. know. Keeping track hurts my brain. I need a secretary. If I had a secretary, I would be organized.
But, I mostly end up with a fantastic garden. And I do lots of things right. I’m grreat at building soil, and I even wrote a book about it. I’m a zealot for composting, and I’m good at attracting beneficial insects to my garden. My plants are usually strong and healthy, and I’m passionate about what I do!
What about you? What are your gardening confessions? Fess up now.
To learn how to build a garden that builds healthy soil, be sure to check out my eBook The Art of Gardening: Building Your Soil. You really can become a better gardener, and you really can grow healthy, nourishing produce. It’s all about the soil! Click here to buy now.
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Lenore says
I think you are adorable. I love your honest rant/ramble about your gardening techniques and organizational skills. I can identify with your way of doing things. love stuff organized but it is like a container of milk left out of the fridge, not that long of a shelf life.
Susan Vinskofski says
Haha! Yes, I like the way you put it – “not that long of a shelf life.”
Sarah Auzina says
My gardening technique is simply… try. I’m still very new to it all, and in fact my first seedlings are just growing their true leaves (they look like cilantro now! Wheeeee!) and so, I just go with the flow. I know there will be casualties of my learning curve, but I hope to minimize them and learn as much as I can!
Susan Vinskofski says
Don’t ever give up, Sarah! Its all so worth it!
Amanda says
This all sounds very, very familiar. 🙂 SO glad I am not the only one! I have finally figured out that just like parenting, you have to learn to forgive yourself your shortcomings and do the best you can. My plants may not be as lush as some gardener’s plants and some weeks the weeds win the battle, but every year my garden still manages to produce some yummy stuff.
And my kid’s brains haven’t yet oozed out their ears because they watched a little too much T.V. on the weekend. 🙂
Susan Vinskofski says
No, you’re definitely NOT the only one! 🙂
Sagebrush Queen says
Other than not being a Master Gardener, this could’ve been written by me. I do, like, ALL these things!! Thank you for making me feel not so all alone. Lol!
Susan Vinskofski says
Glad to be of service!!!
????? says
Awesome article, thank You !!
Karin Sorensen says
ha, oh my, i love your honesty. i had a clever excel sheet with pivot table to chart all my seedlings, time and money were running out, so i threw everything rather helter skelter outside and i have no idea what some of the stuff is i grew. since i started a bunch of stuff i’ve never grown before. oy! it’s all good though, gotta start somewhere. you blog is very inspiring. thanks for that
Susan Vinskofski says
Oh yes, been there; done that!!!
Linda says
I feel so vindicated!!!
Susan Vinskofski says
Glad to be of service!!!
Rafika says
We have a huge garden for entertaining guests, which we have a hired gardener take care of on a regular basis. Then, I have a small patio garden where I grow all of my kitchen herbs and vegetables: grapes, figs, blackberries, basil, thyme, mint, and more. I truly LOVE that garden and plant, weed, feed, fertilize, water and harvest all on my own. I don’t care how much it costs; it makes me happy. My cat enjoys laying on top of my carrots, eating my cucumber babies, rolling in the strawberries, pulling down the sweet peas, and chewing on the green bean leaves. I think she thinks she is helping me. I’m not so sure. My guilty pleasure is spending time in the patio garden in the morning before heading to the office. It feels so zen. Sometimes, I’m late, because I just couldn’t leave the lemon verbena, which smells divine when it is flowering.
Susan Vinskofski says
It sounds wonderful, Rafika!!!