As I was locating photos for a project, it occurred to me that I have very few photos of me in the garden. My resolution this year is to take photos of everyday activities that are meaningful.

I have thousands of garden photos but the only photos with me in my own garden is with a fork digging garlic and of my hand with a pruner. Those certainly do not reflect the joys of gardening. The same is true for my crafting projects, just the item with no person in the frame. It’s as if these things materialize out of thin air. This must stop; I deserve to be recognized along with my creations.

I suggest placing yourself and your loved ones in the midst of your gardens. Show the joys by getting down where the flowers and vegetables grow.  Lean up against your favorite tree. Walk down that garden path.

Need some ideas? I did an internet search with “photos of yourself in garden” and back came hundreds of ideas. I wrote a blog about the uses for garden photos a few years ago: 3 Uses for Garden Photos  But it never occurred to me that photos should be more than practical when I wrote that article. 

​I suggest here that you forget about the practical and go for the memories with you and those you care about also in the frame. You’ll thank yourself on those cold winter days in the future when looking through your photo collection. 

Just some quick notes from this growing season that I've been hearing from fellow gardeners: 

• Green Beans:  the bush beans are mostly finished and many gardeners have either no pole beans or they are very late blooming like mine.  In fact my are just blooming so by the end of the months I should have pole beans.
• Zinnias:  are looking good with this nice warm weather they are blooming well. Hope that continues to frost. 
• Lilacs:  Many gardeners are reporting that their lilacs are dropping leaves. What's going on? A response from the USDA about this provides an excellent analysis of the potential issues.( https://ask2.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=881100 ) In their response they state: "It could be a blight caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae. Among other things, it is characterized by leaf spots that can lead to leaf darkening, leaf wilting, and premature leaf dropping. Fortunately, this is largely a cosmetic condition and unless it occurs over several seasons, there are no adverse effects. It is associated with wet conditions, which certainly describes our current 2024 season. Because this is NOT a fungal pathogen, application of fungicides will do no good. It can be transmitted from one season to the next via leaf debris. To prevent transmission from one season to the next, thorough fall cleanup is essential. "

The big garden shows are coming to an end and the garden magazines have articles about what they see for trends this year. 

• Going natural is still a big trend which helps gardens, pollinators, and the environment.  Keeping wild areas in your garden supports wildlife and insects plus reduces your workload as a gardener.  A win/win for everyone. 
• Houseplants – almost every article and blog mention houseplants as becoming more popular.  As more people either don’t have the time or space for a large garden, a few houseplants can help clean indoor air and provide needed greenery to keep us connected to nature.  Also hanging houseplants are becoming popular along with macramé.  Wish I would have kept all that stuff from the 70’s!
• PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral is the color of the year so expect to see more plants with coral flowers and leaf coloring.
• Edibles – Adding food plants is gaining popularity whether it’s a pot of tomatoes on the deck or berry bushes in a mixed border.  In fact plants that do double and triple duty of producing food, attracting wildlife and creating greenspace are in high demand.
• Compact Plants – More nurseries are offering compact plants to replace old favorites.  Look for compact hydrangea, lilacs, and spirea to fill in borders.   “Dwarf”, “little”, and “wee” are just a few words in the names that will give you a clue.
• Plants of the Year – Many organizations have plants they feature each year.  The National Garden Bureau has announced the four classes for 2019 that they will feature.  Or check out the All-America Selections for plants judged superior by an impartial panel.   
  *Bulbs- Dahlia
  *Annuals - Snapdragon
  *Edibles - Pumpkin
  *Perennials - Salvia

Why not try something new in one of these trend categories?  

​​I’m a gardener and I’m lazy.  When it comes to gardening I dislike the labor involved with weeding, mowing, pruning, and yes even at times planting.  As a result my garden has untrimmed edges, overgrown lawn, and volunteer plants that some will recognize as weeds.
 
Now this is a problem for me since I am a life-long gardener, grew up on a farm, am currently a University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer, and teach gardening at the local technical college.  There are certain expectations that come with all of that.  So I am always on the search for ways to accommodate my sloth and give the illusion that my garden is a showcase. 
 
There are many magazines and books that wax elegant about digging in the soil, smelling the warmth of the earth, the joy of seeing the seeds that one planted bursting forth with new life.  I’m more interested in those with “low maintenance” in the title.  This is a code word for lazy gardeners to pay attention.  Here are a few tricks that I have discovered.