Better Luck Next Year


You may have wondered why “Today in My Garden,” a regular feature on The Crotchety Old Man, has not appeared here on My Glass House. The explanation is simple. I’ve given up. Here’s why.

1) The heat. Warm weather arrived earlier than usual this year. We had highs into the 90s starting in May that have continued more or less every day since. Lately the highs have been in the upper 90s and on a few days, over 100.

2) The drought. Like the heat wasn’t bad enough, we’ve had very little rain this summer. In fact, we’re down more than seven inches for this time of year. Hand-watering and sprinklers only help so much.

3) High water bills. Here in Athens, we pay for our water twice–coming and going. In the past, we’ve been able to send in a form with our payment explaining that some portion of our usage was for outside watering. Since that water by-passed the sewer system, a credit would appear on the next bill. They stopped issuing the credit this year. I quit watering back in June to avoid any additional $200 water bills.

4) Bike rides. The only time to work in the garden is early in the morning. That’s also the only time a bike ride is feasible. With my high school reunion coming up this fall, losing weight has become more of a priority for me than a pretty garden.

5) Weeds from hell. We’ve got weeds here that would grow in hell. I’m sure of it. Big sections of the garden are completely overrun with several indestructible varieties.

6) My crazy neighbor. One of my neighbors seems to think I work my ass off in the garden entirely for her benefit. She routinely helps herself to bouquets of flowers and any herbs she needs without asking. This year, she also picked all the rose hips from my rugosas without asking.  A lack of proof and my strong belief in Karma prevent me from confronting her.

I’m happy to report that for once, deer and rabbits have not been a problem. Early in the season, when I still cared about the garden, I sprayed Deer-Off on vulnerable plants. Even without reapplying, the plants I sprayed have not been touched. If you’re having issues with deer, I highly recommend this product!

Fortunately, nearly everything in my garden will come back bigger and better next year. Eventually the temperature will drop, rain will fall again, and my interest in gardening will be renewed. Who knows, maybe my whacky neighbor will move, too. Then I’ll once again enjoy spending time in the garden, here at…

My Glass House


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