A bumble bee burrows in to pollinate a tomato flower. © iStockphoto
Happy New Year! Hope is at the center of the gardener’s soul. We hope the seeds will sprout. We hope the plant will bloom. We hope for tasty tomatoes. We hope for better weather.
Appreciate all that Mother Nature offers and build an understanding of how the environment and ecosystem work.
Patience is what we learn from Mother Nature. You just can’t hurry Mother Nature and you can’t control the weather.
Plant something new. “I always tell people to try at least one new plant every year. There’s too much out there not to experiment,” says Irvin Etienne, horticulture display coordinator at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. “If you are doing 10 or 15 containers, then you should do more than one in new plants. If you have two, three or four, then do one.”
Yesterday is yesterday. Don’t beat yourself up because a plant died.
Never ever apply an insecticide, fungicide or herbicide unless you know exactly what you are treating. Using an insecticide to control a fungus is a waste of money, product and bad for the environment.
Examine attitudes about bugs. They are not all bad. In fact, most of them are good. We have them to thank for the tomatoes, squash, apples and most of the other foods we eat. Bugs also are a prime food source for birds. No bugs no birds.
Watch what happens in the landscape. An occasional walk through the yard can be quite revealing.
Yes! You can grow that. Give it a try. On the 4th of every month, bloggers post how-tos and encouragement at youcangrowthat.com
Educate others about the joys of gardening and share your expertise.
Ability comes with practice, honed by our garden successes and failures.
Respect and nurture Mother Nature in your garden. And, hope for the best in 2013.