Landscaping Debacle #19

Early in the season, before I had a chance to
maim or kill anything.

You know when you first learn to water-ski and you have to figure out the tension on the rope?  You know:  if you pull the rope too hard you'll end up being dragged face-down in the water; but if you don't pull hard enough your feet will end up being pulled out from under you.  That's exactly how I am with plants.  It's like this:  I start by over-zealously doting on my newly potted charges until they end up drowning in my love and attention.  So I back off a bit, only to find I'm not giving the TLC they require and they start looking parched and lifeless.  So I step up my efforts and end up smothering them again.  This goes on ad nauseum through the season.  By the time a new season rolls around, I usually can't wait to get my failed flora carcasses to the curb.  And it's really disappointing because I get so excited about changing out my seasonal pots at the beginning of each new season that I imagine Better Homes & Gardens stopping by and begging for a feature photo spread, marveling at what a welcome and inviting outdoor space I've created.  Disappointingly, they've never come a knockin'.

I LOVE this plant!

And then I discovered lantana.  Lantana is a virtually indestructible plant - it loves full sun, it tolerates drought-like conditions - and it just seems to bloom bigger and harder in the worst conditions, as if to say to Mother Nature, "Bring it."  I think it's classified as an annual; however, I've had folks tell me that if your winters aren't too harsh and you mulch lantana really well through the dormant season, it'll perform like a perennial and come back year after year.  I had such great success with the low, spreading variety with the bright, yellow blooms in my front beds last year that I went nuts with it this year.  I planted it everywhere - in my front beds, in my window boxes, in pots all around the front and back patios.  I didn't care about the lack of imagination; I was thrilled that everything would bloom brightly right on into the fall.

Prepare to be...disappointed.

But I failed.  Again.  I made a few rookie mistakes:  In mid-July, on probably the hottest day on record, I decided to move the lantana from my front beds to the north side of my house because they were getting too tall.  I dug a new flowerbed, mixed up a great dirt cocktail of peat moss, garden soil, and sand, and put those puppies in the ground.  Problem is, they sat waiting on their new home in full sun, withering in the heat.  I babied them for weeks, and they looked like they were on the mend, but I'm thinking the big problem is that they're not getting enough sun.  Of course, if I'd stopped to think about it, putting them on the north side of the house if they require full sun wasn't a brilliant move.  If I want to save them, I really should move them to the south side when it cools off a bit, but digging that bed was really hard work and I'm not sure I want to tackle that again.  I screwed up one of the window boxes, too.  I missed a day or two of watering a few weeks ago and now the lantana has up and died.  Even thought lantanas are drought resistant, window boxes don't hold water at all, so regular watering for anything planted above ground is paramount.

Last fall, right after I set out the pumpkins
and mums.  That pretty gardenia on the
right?  Killed it.

But I can redeem myself!  It's mid-September, which means it's time to start thinking of landscaping for fall!  I know I'll kill a mum or two and probably drown some pansies, but I'm not gonna let that slow me down.  There's just too many good things that come with fussing over the landscaping:  it improves your home's and your community's property values; it inspires your neighbors to follow suit and look after their own property; it's a really effective way to freshen up your home's exterior without spending a fortune; any mishaps can be great learning experiences that over time make you a master gardener (okay, that might be a stretch); and it's excellent exercise.  Remember when I said improvements focused near the entry are usually money well spent?  Something as simple as an easy-to-care-for potted plant just outside the front door couldn't be a cheaper or more effective way to freshen up your front patio a bit, especially in my neighborhood, where these houses can start to run together after a block or two.  That little something extra really makes a difference.  Heck, even just getting out and weeding your flowerbeds can be a really therapeutic exercise that gives your house a nice little lift (and I know your neighbors will be appreciative).

In the mean time, if you're looking for me, I'll be spending my Saturdays at the Memphis Farmers' Market, fawning over decorative pumpkins and gourds, yellow and orange mums, and bright purple pansies.  Bring it!