Please raise your right hand and repeat after me.
I state your name, am a gardener.
I pledge and promise that:
I will not panic if one week off work in May is not enough time to complete all the projects I want to have to do in the garden. (It isn’t.)
I will faithfully weed in my garden so that at no time this summer will I have more weeds than flowers.
I will promptly plant any new plants within a few days of falling in love with them at the garden center, promising them a wonderful garden to grow in, and bringing them home.
I will not buy a plant unless I know where I’m going to plant, no matter how pretty, special, low-priced, it is.
I will water all my containers when needed, even if that is twice a day, and remember to feed those plants regularly and make sure someone else will water them if I am gone.
I will mulch.
I will remain calm when the Japanese beetles emerge as adults and begin devouring my garden. I will not resort to sprays or traps, but will use safe methods to at least control them.
I will harvest everything from my vegetable gardens and give extras away to family, friends, and food banks.
I will not whine, complain, cry or carry on (too much) if I don’t get rain exactly when I think my garden needs it, or if it falls on the weekends, or otherwise interferes with my gardening activities.
I will not whine, complain, cry, or carry on (too much) if it gets too hot this summer.
I will prune as necessary to preserve the natural shape of a plant and never shape it into a nice round ball unless it is a boxwood.
I will deadhead rampant self sowers promptly so they do not take over my garden.
I will share my knowledge of gardening with others, along with passalong plants.
I will attempt to spend at least one tenth of my time in the garden just sitting in it and enjoy it.
Thank you. Please sign the registry below to signify your acceptance of this pledge.
Consider the registry signed. I will do my best to do my duty.
I had to scratch out the section on planting immediately~I will buy plants as they become available here~The garden centers insist on bringing plants in only during the spring and summer months. But, we are past planting time and I'll hold them till the fall! gail
Duly signed and notarized. Maybe an exclusion cause on the whining part, though.
Signed but don't hold me to it. Especially the no whining part. It's already gone up to 96 here and rain is a distant memory.
Signed. 🙂
I have issues with the prompt planting and no whining about the heat promises. I've already whined about the heat & it's not even the middle of May. Otherwise, I'm on board.
Signed 😀
So are we really allowed to sign if we can't make those promises? I'd like to THINK I could follow the pledge but the 4th over 100 day in a row and I know I will be complaining.
I take the 5th.
Very noble goals! I agree to do my best.
Janice
Signed but pleading the fifth on those voracious japanese beetles!
I'd like to take the pledge but doubt I can pass up buying pretty plants that I have no idea where I'm going to put them – after all isn't that part of having a "cottage garden"? – and West Texans are always talking about the weather. Staying on tops of weeds is a big goal this year though.
Do I really have to be nice to those japanese beetles? I can promise to try to be nice….
The spirit is willing, the wish to oblige is there. I can't help but to agree with your pledge but fear it will follow the way of New Years resolutions. Espcially the part about buying plants. I always want to rescue plants without homes late in the season.
May I take a copy of your pledge to read to my garden club tomorrow?
I think I can do most everything except the no whining. It makes me feel better to whine. They have just done a study about how cursing makes one feel better. I think they would find the same thing about whining. I will try.
Signed, sealed, delivered! Like this part…I will attempt to spend at least one tenth of my time in the garden just sitting in it and enjoying it.
Might sign it after a few too many cocktails, but otherwise, yeah, right…….
Alright but I had to scratch out a few more…espcially the weeding and mulching in a timely fashion…I will try though
In addition, I promise not to tell my husband that the bunnies must be bathing in hot water based on the evidence they are considerably shrunk today
I'll sign if I have to, but only if I can take exception to the No whining about the lack of rain. I do this every summer, and it's tradition here!