New Year's Resolution

It's New Year's Resolution time for me. You know those people who make the same resolution year after year, hoping this time they'll really stick with it (the whatever it is they swear they're actually going to accomplish)? I'm one of those people. My resolution comes not in January, but in late spring. Every year, without fail, I think 'This is it. This is the year I will garden successfully.' No, I don't seriously believe that all my plants will make it. But I do believe that I will tend to my plants carefully, accurately diagnose problems when they arise, and treat plants as needed to eliminate pests and climate-related ailments--even though a voice in the back of my mind reminds me that I'm not the outdoorsy type and am unlikely to spend much time gardening once the temperature rises above 90.

This year is no exception.

Yesterday, I planted six cherry tomato plants. I already had planted a regular tomato plant and a bell pepper plant, and one of my pepper plants from last year is coming back [!]. The cherry tomatoes, well, they look a little sad already. I had them outside in their little pots, waiting until I had time to put them into bigger pots. They were up on a ledge to protect them from whatever it is that sometimes digs up my plants, but I forgot about the wind. When I went outside yesterday, I saw that they had all fallen off the ledge and looked miserable. Going into action right away, I quickly repotted them and watered them well, but today they still don't look so hot.

Bother.

Maybe I need to play them some Pink Martini.


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In Other Gardening News

The peppermint plant is definitely dead. The rosemary, however, was managing to hang on--though just barely. Encouraged, I bought a bell pepper plant last weekend, which we named Douglas (although he is not a runner bean plant). It made it through the week indoors, and on Sunday I did the right thing by the plants and repotted them, used both mulch and compost, and placed them outside, where they could have plentiful sunshine.

This evening, I peeked outside to see if both plants were still alive. Y'all, something pulled out the rosemary. My little rosemary plant! It's been yanked out of its pot!

I'm worried for Douglas.



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