Starting Small: Confessions of a Serial Flower Killer!

I bet you didn't know that I am guilty of being a killer? Sadly, it is true. Without much effort, I can destroy anything that I plant, some within a matter of days.

Like there are the times that I have left the pansies in their original containers, just long enough until I could "get to them." And then weeks later when I could finally "get to them" they are shriveled up, dried up and burnt up... all before they even had a chance!

Or there are the times I have planted petunias in my beautiful (and expensive I might add) planters only to tire of watering them. I actually convinced myself that flowers don't need to drink water but once a week, even in 100 degree heat. You can only imagine what their shriveled up carcasses looked like after not getting a drink for a week?

And then there were the times that I did everything right...I watered them, I fed them miracle grow, I picked the dead flowers off...but still they perished!

So after several years of going on a "flower" killing spree, I gave up. I hung up my hat. I closed up shop. I put up my pots and I didn't give it another thought. The beautiful, Tuscany-looking pots that I had spent a gazillion dollars on at Garden Ridge were now resigned to a life in the abyss of our garage!


Can you see them? They are under the yellow extension cord, behind the weight bench and next to the tool shelves? I had convinced myself that all I could do with flowers was kill them. I was a flower murderer with no chance of rehabilitation.

Until one day it hit me...why was I trying to be an expert on all things flowers? Why was I striving to create a gardener's paradise in my back yard when I had no prior experience? Seems like quite a lofty goal for someone who just started liking the idea of having flowers around.

It finally occurred to me that I had it all backwards. If I wanted to be the best flower grower in my neighborhood and if I wanted to be the envy of all of my flower loving friends...I had to change my strategy.

I wasn't born knowing how to run, I had to first learn to walk. I wasn't born knowing how to plan a $1million dollar charity event, I had to first learn to plan family vacations and 80's themed birthday parties. And not even Rome was built in a day!
BTW, Did you know that it is widely believed that it took over 10 years for the Colosseum in Rome to be built? (and It seemed like a perfect time to share a picture from one of our vacations!)

If I was going to have a garden that even Martha Stewart was envious of, I was going to need to start small.

So I decided to start with just one pot.

And to increase my chances of success, I had my mom plant the flowers for me. She has a lot more experience and for some reason she actually likes doing it! Me on the other hand, I don't like getting my hands dirty, I just like the end result!

So we dusted the old pot off and moved it to the front porch. Even Syd got into the action!

(Notice Sydney's gloves, they are really winter gloves! How cute.)

And ya know what? My plan has worked...so far! It has been 2 months and my one pot, planted on my front porch where I am forced to walk by it every day ( so as to not forget to water it), is thriving and doing well. It may not be as full as I would like, but it is still alive! See for yourself...

I will let you know how I am doing come the middle of summer! But for now, I am trying to focus on being successful with the small things, one flower at a time!

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much...." Luke 16:10