“My garden is an honest place. Every tree and every vine are incapable of concealment, and tell after two or three months exactly what sort of treatment they have had.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Journals (Published 1909-1913)
Now isn’t that just so true! Case in point is these two pots of herbs I have growing on my deck. The one on the left is French tarragon. The one on the right is oregano which happens to be in flower right now.
Both of these herbs should have been taken out of their pots and at least given fresh potting soil at the beginning of spring. But their neglectful caretaker kept putting it off. (She blames it on the rainy spring for keeping her from them.) Now they are showing their mistreatment.
They both have yellow leaves that are screaming out for some plant food not to mention their growth is pitiful. The occasional drinks of worm and compost tea are just not cutting it anymore. They need fresh soil and maybe even bigger pots to sink their roots into.
I placed these sad little pots on my potting table in attempts to encourage me to do something with them. I intend to do just that once I can steal a few more minutes in the day. The tarragon probably could stand to be divided and the oregano most definitely needs a bigger pot. It’s the least I can give these faithful little herbs that have been with me for years now.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Shame, shame on you.
I’ve done similar “mistreatment”, sometimes life just gets in the way of what we know we need to do in the garden.
Terrible isn’t it. Life and the weather have gotten in the way a lot this year! Not to mention the night critter that seems to love to wreck havoc on all our hard work! -Cindy
I hope the plant police doesn’t come to get you!
-Cindy
I better hide them if they do! The poor things, they look so sad right now.
I have treated my container plants just as badly. They all need medical attention.
Hello Brambleberries,
I found your site through “Soliloquy” and am glad I did. Also (a case of schadenfreude) I’m glad to see I’m not the only one posting about pathetic-looking plants. You might be able to help them out with a little foliar feed (early morning or twilight is best), which gets in there quicker. But of course you’re right about the rest of it, and I have more than one plant that needs the same kind of care.
I’m glad you found my site too!
I love to foliar feed my plants and I was thinking those poor little potted herbs might like some so the next time I pull out the sprayer that I use just for foliar feeding I will have to remember to give them a spray! -Cindy