I have a bad track record with plants. My thumb is black – not the black of rich soil, but the black of decay. I mean well each spring when I scoop up fresh plants and deposit them in my shopping cart, but I either lose interest or just can’t figure out how to keep them alive. It amazes me that a plant has a better chance of survival while sitting, seemingly neglected, on a shelf in the middle of Costco than it does in my care.
I possessed good intentions and much excitement when I brought this lavender home three weeks ago and photographed them. Last week I realized that to keep them alive I must DO something, so I took a spade and some potting soil and put it in the ground. I think the new lighting conditions will be good, according to the attached tags. Most importantly, the plant hadn’t turned brown and brittle yet, although those purple flowers are no longer so vibrant.
I’m no fan of the heat of our Georgia summers, but I love the light rain and mild breezes of spring, days when we throw open our windows and invite in the sights, sounds and smells of the outdoors (until the pollen count gets too high): bold strokes of green and fuchsia, crickets chirping at night, honeysuckle in the air.
Do you plant things in the spring and summer? And do these things actually live?