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To future garden owners…

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August 22, 2015 by Hope Gardens

“Despite the gardener’s best intentions, nature will improvise.” Michael P. Garafalo

Plant failure happens. And sometimes there’s no reason to be found.

Weeds are a part of life and you will never be completely rid of them.

There is no such thing as a maintenance-free, problem-free garden.

There is no such thing as totally organic.

The words: totally, always, completely, guaranteed, even average or sufficient, do not apply to the natural world. They are all constructs of human expectation and quite honestly, pure friggin folly. Mother Earth does not offer a money-back guarantee.

Vegetables and fruit plants may or may not produce, and this will sometimes be a mystery

There is no magic bullet to combat bugs or disease – organic, natural or otherwise.

Rain, heat, cold, sun and wind cannot be predicted or controlled.

Your garden will produce exactly as much as it will produce.

The plant that was available yesterday, may not be available today.

Prices go up, they rarely go down.

Beginner’s luck is a thing in vegetable gardening. As is the sophomore curse.

Your project may get delayed.

I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. I do not know how fast this plant will grow or when it will reach a certain height or when it will flower or go to seed or die.

This isn’t rocket science. It’s Earth science. Please stop stressing.

“Gardens are not made by singing ‘Oh, how beautiful,’ and sitting in the shade.” Rudyard Kipling

Your irrigation system may be old or have been improperly built or repaired before we got there. That doesn’t mean we broke it.

You should know the ins and outs of your timer and irrigation system. This is your house. Your investment. Even if you pay me to help you with it, the responsibly for your property is ultimately yours. Embrace it. There are tutorials online. You don’t need to everything about them but for the love of pete at least know where they’re located on your property.

It is also helpful to know if someone has walked off with all the plumbing under your house.

This arrangement is a two way street. We both need to behave professionally. Paying me does not negate the need for civility. Nor does it indenture me to work for you in perpetuity.

I do not know where my sources source their materials. That is why i say there is no such thing as truly organic. Materials and products travel many, many miles in this economy and there is no control over them until they arrive at your door. How you treat them when they cross your threshold is what matters and all you can control. So act accordingly.

The loveliest people have the loveliest gardens. Even if you have hired someone to tend your garden, you should tend it too.

“The best fertilizer is the shadow of the gardener.”
Pssssttt: that’s you!

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