Recipes, Science Fiction & Gardening

You are probably thinking to yourself, "WHAT do those three things have in common?"

Not long ago I got a card to send to a friend that had a quote from Rita Rutner that read, "I read recipes the same way I read science fiction. I get to the end and think....that's not going to happen!"

While I feel that way about my cooking, I also feel the same way about my gardening. I see these beautiful pictures in books and magazines and I drool over a friend's yards but try as I might, when I attempt to accomplish a certain look or grow a certain plant, well, my thumb tends to be more brown than green. People keep telling me that old adage of "1st year sleeps, 2nd year creeps, and 3rd year leaps". Unfortunately, with the way I seem to be with plants, I'm forever going to be in that 1st/2nd year phase.

Some plants I can bring back to life and they seem to be happy but others, typically the ones I want SO badly to do well, struggle and suffer a long and painful (I'm assuming from the way the look) death.

I keep telling myself it has been a hard summer and THAT is why my garden(s) aren't happy. I"m just going to keep feeding myself that line. In the meantime, Happy 1st Day of FALL and happy gardening, no matter your skill level.