Every greenhouse season, I have customers that tell me how lucky I am to work in the greenhouse, and I agree! Out there, I am surrounded by beauty, by change. By life! Stepping into the greenhouse is like walking outside after being stuck in a smoky, crowded bar for hours and hours. You inhale and you can almost feel your lungs healing with the fresh, invigorating air. Our greenhouses are just little buildings made of metal and plastic, but somehow they are portals to other worlds; other times. Planets where EVERYTHING is breathing and alive. Times before smoky car exhaust existed, and buildings were replaced with trees.
I love it.
That being said, may I tell you a secret?
I am an awful gardener.
Yes, it's true. I'm a con artist! That's right- a charlatan. A quack! A fake, a fraud, a phony.
All synonyms aside, though, I suppose I'm not really that terrible. I mean, I don't kill everything I touch! I just mean, there are people out there who are born to garden. They have a sixth sense of what to plant where and at what point they should trim their trees. When to use which soil and how to tell when to pick annuals vs. perennials. I, on the other hand, have a problem remembering to water. I just remember when my plants start to look crispy.
BUT! Working out in the greenhouse year after year, I have picked up a few helpful tips and I will share them with you.
Annuals versus perennials
This is pretty basic stuff, but important! Annuals are the kinds of plants (petunias, marigolds, moss rose, snapdragons, etc.) you should only expect to get one summer out of. Sometimes they will seed and come back the following year, but it's not a sure thing. Perennials are the type that should come back year after year, like rosebushes, Russian sage, Clematis, etc. I think this is as good a time as any to stress to you that we do not offer guarantees. Plants are a tricky business! They leave us healthy, watered and pretty... the rest is up to you! For example, last year I took home a beautiful hanging basket- deep purple flowers cascading in pretty waves, contrasting with the bright green of the vines. About two weeks later, I remembered about said plant. By then, it was really touch-and-go...
They lied. Deer eat everything.
I know, I know. Someone told you to plant marigolds because "deer won't touch them." Or, "Geraniums are the way to go to deer-proof your garden!" I'm sorry, but New Mexico deer are joy-sucking, ruthless creeps. Yes, maybe they won't eat some flowers, but they are happy to bite off the pretty blooms and spit them out. If you want to keep deer away from your garden, I'd suggest fencing. Or a big dog. Or cat or whatever floats your boat. Or, you know what? I've recently heard from a bunch of people that if you take "Irish Spring" soap and put it around your plants, the deer will stay away. Try it and tell me how it goes?
Over-watering is not a good thing.
When I get myself into the "whoops-I-forgot-I-own-a-plant-and-haven't-watered-it-in-weeks" pickle, it's tempting to pour 5 or 6 gallons of water on the half-dead plant, but that's not the best idea. Plants are living, breathing things, and we should treat them as such!
Sometimes when watering plants in 95 degree weather, it is useful to water yourself, also.
When the sun is beating down on you, the sweat on your neck making your hair stick to it, and you can think of nothing besides swimming pools and waterfalls and winter, you should treat yourself to a quick shower from the hose. I do it all the time! If people comment, just say nonchalantly, "Oh, I had an accident with the hose." Or just come clean! They will understand, and maybe ask to be included next time.
Not a gardener either? For the rest of us, there is an alternate form of plant.
It's a really new development in gardening- it's called plastic? Maybe you've heard of it. It's really a good choice because you get the beauty of live plants combined with the hassle-free lifestyle you had before you decided to garden! Word to the wise: remember to dust them every so often.
So, secrets out: I am no gardener. But I do love working out there... it's a pretty cool job. The pictures on this blog are actual ACE greenhouse pictures I took last year. If you're my friend on Facebook, there will almost certainly be some new ones coming up soon!
And you never know... maybe I'll write Gardening, Lesson 2
:)
Sarah
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