Thursday, August 30, 2007

Next Year Resolutions

Next year will be different.
Next year, we'll get all the rain we need.
Next year, I'll have fresh mulch in all my beds.
Next year, when I plant shrubs, I'll take into account how big they'll get and not end up with crowded beds.
Next year, I'll remember to prune and fertilize at the proper times for each plant.
Next year I'll go to the nursery with a list of what I need, and only buy what's on the list. I'll have a place for each plant before it even gets to the cash register.

Next year I'll resist the temptation to dig anywhere around the underground phone line.
Next year, I'll keep really good notes on when everything sprouts, puts out leaves, and blooms.
Next year I'll learn how to hybridize daylilies. (The year after that, I'll make little tags and keep records of what's what so I'll know what combined to make a particular plant!)
Next year, I'll learn how to pronounce leucothoe.

Next year, I won't have to make a list like this.

14 comments:

Connie said...

Ah, next year! Something about this time of year when the garden season begins to wind down always brings thoughts of improvements for next year's gardens. I call this Gardener's VISION. :-)

David said...

In my case, Connie, it's more like "Gardener's Delusions!"

Mary said...

HA! I am laughing now. "Gardener's Delusions!"

So true.

Wren said...

Mass delusions! I'm having them too.

Anonymous said...

Yeah and next year I'll keep up with the weeding!

Anonymous said...

Oh, the "next year at Tara" thing! I started my garden diary this year, on the computer, with pictures... I can tell you what happened up through oh, about mid May... I guess it never dawned on me that the time I would spend in the garden would be time I would NOT be spending on the diary!

But, then again, where would we be without hopes for a better future?!

Sweet Home and Garden Carolina said...

I beg to differ, you will go to the garden center, but you will NOT buy just what's on the list. No sir, you'll buy much more. I know , 'cause I work at a garden center and I hear a lot of cussing about that.

Forget about "leucothoe", the Southern tongue just won't wrap around that one at all. My favorite is : Cotoneaster, which most folks pronounce as " Cotton aster . " Not. It's KA TONY ASTER .

But I am pleased that you will take into account how big your shrubs will get eventually. Very important.

Dirty Fingernails said...

Next year's list could be my own except for the telephone lines and the mulch.. I had plenty of mulch.. :) Delusions it may be, but at least they are good ones..:)

David said...

Laughing, Mary? Why? You never delude yourself, do you :)

You too, Wrenna?

Yeah right, layanee!

There's always something else to do, Marion.

Carolyn, you knew the minute I wrote about buying plants that I didn't mean that one, didn't you? That's why I like common names of plants--Latin doesn't translate well into a South Carolina dialect.

Dirty fingernails, if you think my delusions are good, you ought to see how pretty my garden is in my imagination!

Catherine said...

Me too~ delusions that is, I think all gardeners must be, or maybe we are just very optimistic! ~ Next year every inch of my garden will be beautiful, next year I will battle the weeds , and the weeds WON'T WIN!! Next year I won't dread,& complain about watering,~I will enjoy every min. of it!! Ok, you tell me, do I sound optimistic, or delusional..?! :)
Great post david!

Unknown said...

If you learn how to properly pronounce "leucothoe," I'll be very impressed!

No matter how many times I visit Fine Gardening's Guide to Botanical Latin and listen to the lovely woman's voice pronouncing three different species of the stuff... when I see it written out it still trips me up good. :)

David said...

Blackswamp Girl--It's like learning a foreign language. Maybe I could develop and market some pronunciation CDs for gardeners to practice with. Of course, with my Southern accent, people would be even more confused about pronunciation!

Learn Poker said...

Very amusing idea

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Well, I don't really think it may have success.