Every area has it’s indigenous garden themes, whether they be fabulous, frightening, or faux pas. Surely I’m not the only gardener to lament, “If only we had more ______.” You fill in the blank.
For us in the far, far, far north, I would fill in that blank with (take your choice): style, gardens, gardeners, summer, hardy specimen trees, or heat. You have to say the sentence with a really wistful voice and then add a sigh at the end. Try it, it’s fun. (I thought of a dozen more alternatives, but have exercised uncharacteristic restraint here.)
And the alternative is even more fun to ponder, or outrageous, depending on your temperament or eyesight. Tell me you’re not filling in the next sentence for your city as you read it. “If only we had fewer ______.” I would submit for your review: blue tarps (above picture), junk vehicles (wow, the above fits OK for this, too), yellow- flowering Potentillas, large, gluttonous, plant-eating ungulates, weeds, or turf grass (see above picture). Yes, those are all things found in some gardens here. Residents, and those who have visited my state, can back me up on this. I love Alaska, but every place has its warts, no?
So what does your area need more of? Less of? Please share!
Hi Christine:
ReplyDeleteWhat I'd like a little more of here is a moderate climate so I'd be able to stretch my hardiness zone to include more Zone 6 & 7s. What I'd like to see less of Burlapped Wrapped plants - a crime against nature. Afterall, why plant an evergreen, if your plans are to wrap it in the ugliest fabric known on earth?
Barbarapc
Godiva. More godiva. Rivers of Godiva. Especially on Mondays.
ReplyDeleteLess 'national flowers' = escaped plastic shopping bags. More appreciation for indigenous/native plants and the wildlife it supports. Not - a snake, the horror!
ReplyDeleteLess whitefly and more time!
ReplyDeleteWell, after more Godiva, yes!!!!, more bulbs of all types. Early, late, mid, fall, ALL!
ReplyDeleteFrances
Less grass!! Oh these PEI locals love their vast green lawns, bloody acres of it per house. Do you know how many hours it takes to mow a lawn that big per week?!?! Definitely would love to see more trees, shrubs, flowers. My mini-rant for the day, Marguerite
ReplyDeleteOK, I'll bite. Blue tarps, we need fewer blue tarps. You did a blue tarp blog last year, I think. Well we only have 1 blue tap, but we have a lot of brown tarps, and a green one and a silver one. Great pics and post. jim
ReplyDeleteDear Christine, Well I can't complain about the PA weather on an Alaskan garden blog. So I wish we had less littering around here ... what is wrong with people? I wish there was more farmland, like it used to be. Actually, that wish is voiced by my husband all the time. He lived in this house all his life and he laments that all the farms around us have been sold to developers. Good post. Pam x
ReplyDeleteMore rain!!!! But, I'm getting greedy - it's raining right now and it's so blissful that I want more, more, more!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my site Christine!
I'd like fewer summer bedding plants and more perennials (or left as perennials) on traffic roundabouts. It always strikes me as a waste of workers' time putting them all out - and very sad when they are dug back up at the end of the season.
ReplyDeleteEsther
A wish for more daylight in Nov/Dec and fewer drivers with road rage makes for craving dark chocolate Godiva ... love the tarp of the week, Christine!
ReplyDeleteMore tarps! On frosty nights, before I'm ready to give up on gardening, I cover my vegetable garden with an orange tarp. I wish I had more of them so I could cover it all.
ReplyDeleteHi Christine,
ReplyDeleteI wish I had more money. There is no end to stuff I want--plants and otherwise. It's quite pathetic.
I wish I had less... um... I can't think of anything. No wait. I wish I had fewer pounds but we won't discuss this any further, thank you.
LESS APHIDS! (Please!) Love the pic of the blue tarps, makes me smile after your post about them. We don't seem to have many blue tarps down here in AZ though, maybe we need more of those?....:)
ReplyDeleteReading over the comments I would say more room (for plants), more money (for plants) and more time (to garden). Having a ten week old baby I would also like more sleep!
ReplyDeleteIn Sydney I would also generally like more rain, but right now we have had so much I'm hoping for a little more sun.
I would say less heat:) I'm ready for the cooler temps!
ReplyDeleteNeed less: traffic, pollution.
ReplyDeleteNeed more: time in a day, good restaurants nearby, peace on earth, sublime spirit filling joy......................
Garden & Be Well, XO Tara