Plants

Ah…the rite of spring…….planting flowers. I cannot believe so many decisions have to be made. What to plant is always the most overwhelming problem and you are always competing with neighbors and friends. “The Jones’s yard looks so nice, why can’t ours?” First, you have to make sure of what “Climate” you live in as certain plants do not thrive well in the Northern states. I have found that out! Did you know you cannot plant a Palm tree in Iowa??? Second…Where are you going to plant, as you need to know how much sun will be available and how much is needed for certain plants….8 hrs of direct sun, 4-8 hours of direct sun, sunny to partly shady, mostly shade with some sun, all shady? Next…..height has to be considered…..you can’t have short plants behind tall plants. Type of soil…. compacted, loose, mixed with sand or potting soil…will it drain well? How often does it need to be watered?.....everyday…..just keep moist….keep fairly dry…..do not over water or under water…..not sure what “over or under” equates to in cups, pints or gallons? Must fertilizer...but not too much! How much is too much? The more I fertilizer me, the bigger I get! Are you planting annuals or perennials? Each has different care instructions. Colors….here is where it really gets tricky….my wife likes reds, whites, and blues and I like yellows. The only plants that are yellow, in our yard, are dandelions. I guess that’s not tricky at all…it’s pretty decisive. One of the biggest problems we have is critters! We live in a wooded area and the animals view our plants as a buffet. My wife spent an hour planting some Moss Roses in a wire egg basket. They didn’t last even 24 hours. Something has pulled them up and nibbled them off. We have now bought a “Deer and Rabbit” repellent spray to try to keep the animals away from the other plants. The biggest problem with the spray is that it smells like real strong urine. When the wind is just right the whole yard stinks to high heaven!! Plus you have to spray it every week to 10 days or when it rains…whichever comes first. Evidently the neighborhood dog likes it as he is now here sniffing everywhere?
Next year we are just going to “Plant” artificial flowers. We can plant any kind of plant we want, they will already be in bloom, don’t have to water or fertilize, and the critters will leave them alone. Why didn’t we think of this long ago?