Diary of a Gardener I Don’t Like Tomaotes
How many words come to mind when you think of a gardener? Flowers, pruners, tomatoes, pots, soil, plants. How about hole digger, mulch layer, fence mender? There is more than snipping and deadheading flowers to be a gardener. Planning, creating, digging holes, cleaning fences and sidewalks, moving pots, a lot of soil, pots, watering, removing plants and let us not mention the endless pruning needing done. This is why I say there is no such thing as a green thumb. Last time I checked mine is still my peachy toned callused thumb, not green at all. To maintain a plethora of plants, I have had to kill as many if not more in my gardening journey. I have encountered every pest problem, soil problem, watering problem and simply just the wrong plant for the wrong area problem. But I do not let that deter me. I research and read and talk and ask questions and most of what I have been successful doing has been a mix of trial and error and my own determination.
That folks is a gardener. I stopped trying to grow juicy, red, and big tomatoes a few years ago after many attempts. Growing vegetables in southwest FL is not for the faint of heart. I lack space, time, and an appetite for tomatoes. So, I asked myself, “self, do you like tomatoes?” The self-responded “not really enough to grow them.” My answers were clarified after finding the last two almost ripe tomatoes half eaten by squirrels. That was the end of my vegetable gardening. One day when I have more patience I will try again.
I promise there was a point to this story. Learning to be a gardener and have the infamous green thumb is learning what you like, do not like and are willing and capable of taking care of it. Many people do not have the physical capabilities of gardening. More people who live in the sweltering Florida sun simply do not want to garden in the heat. Understandably so, it can be very miserable. None the less, the plants still need you and your gardening hat. Another aspect of being a gardener is learning your physical limitations. It is learning what your body needs while you are gardening. It is knowing what proper attire you need. Equipment and tools you want. It is keeping the bird seed and fertilizers out of vermin’s reach. It is keeping the bird feeder supplied, the sidewalk cleaned, the trees trimmed, the weeds pulled. This is what I do. Thankfully for me, this is what I like. I like it so much I get paid sometimes to garden but overall, it is something I love. I love the soil between my fingers and under my fingernails. I love sitting down on the chair next to my potting bench and having a long and cold drink of water. My body sinks into the chair, I can feel the wind cool off my skin and at last I can see the fruits of my labors. That folks is a gardener.
