The seven deadly sins of gardening. And I confess, I confess - I'm guilty of every single one. But go on - hand on heart can you really say you don't do any of them?
1. Thou shalt not pull the seed pods of the heads of newly sprouted seedlings. Oh, but they look so trapped. Surely they'll never get them off without help. Yes, I know that last time both the seed leaves came off with it. And the time before, and the time before that. But I was only trying to help. Surely, this time if I'm gentle ...
2. Thou shalt not dig up your bulbs and tubers to see if they're doing anything yet. But they've been in there so long and there's no sign of anything. I won't disturb them, promise. Yes, all right, I did rip the roots off that Jerusalem artichoke last time, but this time I'll go really, really carefully...
3. Thou shalt not forget to go back and empty the surplus water out of the saucers under the containers. Yes I admit it - there's no excuse for this one. I just got distracted. OK, OK - I just got distracted again. But it might be all right this time. I mean it's a big pot and it will only be the bottom couple of inches which are soggy. Maybe the roots haven't got down that far yet...
4. Thou shalt not forget to label your seed pots - not only with names, but above all with colours. Now, I resent that. You know that I labelled every single pot in the last batch. What do you mean, going back half an hour later and labelling things Mystery and ???? doesn't count? And as for colours - well, maybe I like that bright pink zinnia in the middle of the marigolds...
5. Thou shalt not throw in another couple of handfuls of fertiliser just to "finish off the box". What? The Four O'Clocks you mean? But look how healthy they are. Look at that foliage. Have you ever seen them come up so lush and green? They're a delight to see. Oh .. right -no, I suppose they're aren't many flowers this year ...
6. Thou shalt not try and grow plants which you know perfectly well won't survive in your garden. You're not going to let me forget those hostas are you? Oh - it was the Himalayan geranium you were thinking of. Well, you never know - we might have had a cool summer that year...
7. Thou shalt not - but wait a moment, it can't just be me. Go on, you know you do it too. So confess. What's your seventh "deadly gardening sin" ?
19 comments:
Well I'm definitely guilty of the first one. And probably some of the others. I think what I'm most guilty of is not thinning out seedlings at the right time so they grow all straggly and leggy! Val
Oh dear, I'm guilty of all of them! But that did make me giggle. I think my worst sin is not thinning out, it always seems such a shame, and I know that if I try and replant the thinnings elsewhere they just won't survive the heat. Serves me right though because the other day I went to get some carrots and found that they were all very long and thin... no room!
Sue, you are right with the list. I'm guity of a few offences here too. LOL.
Hmm...I shalt not over-water my orchids any more!
I've NEVER done any of those... well maybe 1 or 2... ok I've done 5 of the 6 (I don't pick the seed pods off, they are so cute that way). As for the 7th I'll have to think a bit, there are so many to choose from. In our learning by trial and error, there has been a lot of error.
Guilty of 4 and 5 but my worst is pruning, give me that job and there's almost nothing left ~ oops! I'm rarely allowed to do it, hahaha though I have 1 small bush in a pot that is MINE :)
Except the first, third and fourth I'm guilty of others and yea, the seventh addition - Thou shalt not overdo the insecticides - be it organic or inorganic. I've damaged few plants badly thinking lots of medicine would cure them faster. I know I'm stupid and guilty.
Thou will not sow seeds too late in the season when thou knows from experience that they will not mature in time.
Out of your 6 I am guilty of one (#6), but that's because I learn my lesson once and only once. It's just so difficult for any book/person/info page that I cannot grow something because of my climate. Now where are those papaya seeds...
As for the 7th, I'd have to say that Thou shalt not purchase more seeds than what is already necessary. Apparently, it'll take me some time to heed this one. I've got two more packages coming in the mail!
Oh, I don't know why I didn't think of those - I've done them all. Specially late sowing. Reminds me, I wish those little surfinia I put in last week would get a move on ...
These are great! And so very true!
An amusing post guilty of all.
Thou shalt not pot on every seedling that germinates as there is not enough room for them all.
I just discovered your delightful blog! But oh, what a topic to start with... my deadliest gardening sin is to buy yet another plant (or two, or three...) PROMISING myself I'll plant it right away, only to have them outgrow their pots, or... horrors... die. Guilty, guilty, guilty!!
Ha-ha! This is very funny. Oh, there are so many errors and dumb things I do. "Thou shalt not plant a huge container and forget to unplug the holes in it for drainage". Oy!
tee hee Sue. I am totally guilty of #1. I can't stand it ~ I have to pull the seed cases off! The others are great too and I am guilty off and on about all of them. My 7th would be buying more than I have room to grow. That's how I got into container gardening ~ it was a place to put the overflow!
Oh my god, I feel so much better now :D I am not the only one making these sins...
Thou shalt not leave in the ground small plants that need to be thinned out "because they're doing so well and it's a shame to kill them". You've gotta be ruthless to be any good!
I'm guilty of 1, 4, and 6, but sometimes where I live you get lucky with 6 depending on the year. Gardening is an experiment, and you never know. Just like Valeri I don't thin seedlings enough. Or sometimes I'll try to move them and replant them because I hate to just kill them off.
Hi! Loved your post, made me LOL. Do you mind, if i take the liberty and translate it into finnish and post it to my own blog? Of course i would put a link to your awesome blog and mention the original source. My blog can be found at : http://kolmannenkerroksenviidakko.blogspot.com
I belive you don't speak finnish, but I have pictures there. It's a blog about my little garden in the third floor.
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