The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

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I will incorporate even more natives into my landscape: 

I won’t plant shrubs in the dead of summer:

I will grow my own strawberries so we can enjoy strawberry and goat cheese bruschetta more often: 

I won’t neglect the soil quality when growing tomatoes:  

I will remember to take more photos after a rain, even of simple foliage:

I won’t allow my yard to be a nice resting place for the deer:  

I will remove my uninspiring weeping cherry tree … finally:

I won’t panic when an unexpected freeze hits and the hydrangeas react like this:

I will improve in the art of “thinning” new seedlings:

I won’t ignore the need to use gloves:

I will use more cool season ornamental grasses so the foliage fills in sooner each spring: 

I won’t give up on my Mets no matter how bad the situation may be:

I will up my creativity when it comes to design:

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29 Responses

  2. Oh, ONG, the strawberry and goat cheese looks great and we grown our own strawberries! The Mets can’t be any worse than the Pirates! Good luck to the Mets. I have given up on the Pirates!

  6. Mets fan ….love you already !!!!
    Few if any in South Jersey…all Philly fans.

    Enjoy cheeses of all sorts, never tried goats cheese with strawberries though.

    Love your “I will” and “I won’t” list. My list is in my head so I’m not accountable for any changes.

  8. John, I kinda like the way that cherry tree looks. If I lived closer I’d help you dig it up and take it home with me!

    Growing strawberries has been a challenge to me because Oklahoma is so full of Bermuda grass. I had only a backyard garden and decided it was better to use that space for something else and just buy my strawberries when they were in season, at $2 a pound. Now that I’m in a location where there’s a lot less Bermuda grass and a lot more space, I might give them another try.

    I will, also, try to remember my gloves. AND, try to remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day….

  9. Scott – thanks for reading and happy to have found another Mets fan, as depressing as it may be right now.

    Lemonverbena – I feel for your Pirates, they have such a storied history but it has been brutal the past two decades. The strawberry/goat cheese combo (and spritz of balsamic) is off the charts.

    Taylorsoutback – welcome and look forward to following along on your blog as well.

    Grouchy – some times the creativity bombs but it is sure fun as hell to try.

    Orchid – happy to see you stop by and will be over on your blog as well.

    Patsi – I know the deal with the north vs south NJ deal real well. You are truly in Philly country but stay strong! Promise the goat cheese/strawberry combo will wow you.

    Darla – i think if i stick to about 75% of these I will be happy.

    Ilene – I’ll personally wrap up and mail you the cherry tree. That’s how anxious I am to ditch it. The blooms are nice but after that I’ve had very little growth and the leaves fall off all season. I’m sure I screwed it up some how.

  10. Loved the post! (Not your injury … I pruned off the tip of my left index finger in a rush to tidy unsightly daylilies … now, always wear gloves … a good reminder!)

  12. Joey – that’s actually the least of the injuries. I took photos of some other gashes but didn’t want to scare people off. Thanks for reading.

    Masha – my first flush of tomatoes all had blossom end rot but then were fine after that. Kind of ugly, huh?

  13. I kinda tracked in here from Ilene’s blog. There are quite a few things that I will have to follow along on in your blog. I have just as much craziness in mine. As well as the neighbors dog who like to come into my garden and eat my tomatoes. Who ever heard of such a thing? Oh yeah, the blossom end rot is a fungus that you can get rid of with a fungicide. I used the daconil fungicide from walmart and got great results. I know there has to be an organic version out there somewhere, but I have yet to find one that works.

    Your post was interesting and it looks like you are on a fine “journey”.
    Peanutmom

  14. The strawberries and goat cheese sounds good. There is nothing like homegrown strawberries.

    Deer in the garden are such a pita but that fawn is adorable.

  15. Thank you for joining my blog’s friend list:)
    I don’t know how you found my Guildwood Garden in Canada?
    On Sunday I am posting more garden pictures
    for my blog anniversay. Pls. drop in and take a look.
    Enjoyed your post, loved the strawberries and goat cheese. Perhaps the Wheeping Cherry Tree can be pruned and saved? I would… Take a picture to your garden center and ask an arborist for help.
    Local garden clubs are very helpful too and happy to give advise.
    *********
    The most noteworthy thing about gardeners is that they are always optimistic,
    always enterprising, and never satisfied.
    They always look forward to doing something better than they have ever done before.
    – Vita Sackville-West,
    1892 – 1962

  18. Hello there ONG !
    thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving comments : ) Even though I can’t order from Bluestone I have not heard a negative comment about them anywhere so I think they have to be very good at what they do !
    It is hard in Canada .. we don’t even have a garden TV show of our own ;-( now how stupid is that I ask you ? But as far as mail order goes I am lucky to know a few and have a list already that I want to send in .. keeps my head above the snow ? haha
    You have a great looking blog here and I think I have to sweep you up and add you to my blog roll!
    Thanks again for stopping by : )
    Joy
    PS .. I love the “neurotic” tag .. me too !! LOL

  20. Smile… I really had to laugh, because I used to make such good resolutions too… but when I looked back I caught myself by doing the same “mistakes” again. Same procedure as every year… Miss Sophie, one could say.
    I wish you a wonderful garden year!
    Kind regards
    Alex from Switzerland

  21. Ha ha! We’ll see what REALLY happens, right? I think we ALL have a list of things we’re NOT going to let happen this year…we think. 😀 Thanks for the smile!

  24. Thanks for stopping by my blog for a visit. I am an avid gardener, so I know I am going to enjoy your posts. I am signing up as a follower and I hope you come follow me. I am actually going to plant my cold weather veggies this week. Peas, chard, etc. I live in NC and “they” say it’s time…we’ll see – lol.
    Penny

  25. Peanutmom – thanks for stopping by, the chaotic life is fun, huh?

    Sweetbay – I have a love/hate deal with the deer but they were here first so I can’t complain

    Guild-rez – I found your blog via another blog but which one I cannot remember. I will absolutely stop by to see your photos. Thanks for visiting.

    Canadian GJ – Welcome and thanks for reading. A big thanks for adding me to your blogroll, will be sure to return the favor.

    Alex – something tells me I’ll not follow all of the resolutions again this year. I’ve failed so often in the past.

    Missy – bank on me not following many of these.

    Penny – welcome and if I’m not following you already I’ll be sure to. Thanks for stopping by!

  27. Ahhh! Another convert to natives! They are much less demanding than many of the botanical divas created in a lab. I’m with ya on the thinning. I should have been more brutal with my zinnias last year and they would have been much straighter and less Suessical. But then, who can resist a zinnia growing sideways? :o)

  28. Some people might say that your new year’s resolutions are a tad late but I think it’s wise to sit down and soberly (you WERE sober, right ?) think them through and then put together the photos to back them up.

    Good goals and superb shots !

  29. Great post, I loved it. I’m not so sure about booting cute baby deer out even though i don’t like them when they grow up. Good luck with that one!

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