Thursday, August 21, 2008

Murphy's Law for Gardeners

Over the last year I have had a few encounters with Murphy's law. Here are just a few.
1. No matter how much stuff you put in the compost pile, there will never be enough compost.
2. Spring weather will be warm and sunny and then temperature will drop into the 40's the week you put out your tomato seedlings
3. As soon as you make the perfect, nice, fluffy garden plot, the dog will decide it is a perfect doggie bed.
4. It will rain on the days you take off work to get the garden started in the spring.
5. Your puppy will think your veggie garden is a perfect place to jump up and down.
6. Your cat will believe the garden is a litter box and butterflies are toys.
7. The minute you set up your new rain barrel, the rain will stop.
8. Your non-gardening spouse will give erroneous gardening advice to the neighbors
9. You will try to grow a plant that has died on you year after year because 'This will be the year." Then you will be surprised when it dies yet again.
10. You will have a surprise encounter with a slug, toad, or some other critter that makes you run and scream.
Do y'all have any Murphy's law observations?
Here is a flower bed I had to fix after the clients dog decided to use it for a bed. I really like the little black fence.
This is a pretty bed, but all the roses are sick because of yo-yo rain and drought.
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18 comments:

  1. A blogging friend told me today that one of her cats got inside with a live frog in its mouth yesterday, I think. Jumped up on her lap and she thought it was a snake and nearly had a heart attack. Likely shortened her life somewhat! Said she caught it and took it back out. What on earth do you do about cats making your garden litter boxes? I really want to know, as I'd love to raise veggies. But don't want to put my hands down in poop without seeing it! And knowing me, I probably wouldn't see it!
    Brenda

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  2. Brenda, one of our cats brought a dove into the kitchen a few years ago. She let it go and it started flying around and dropping all it's feathers.

    Rough mulch. Cats don't like rough mulch.

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  3. I loved your Murphy's Law post! It goes right along with my theory that I am NOT in charge. Tanner brought me a newborn baby bunny this Spring...right into the kitchen in his mouth. Looked guilty as heck! Then there was the snake that slithered across my toes in the garden that I posted about. With me it's mostly that I keep testing what the deer will and won't eat, and if I paid a lot for it or really like it, you can be sure they will either eat it or just dig it up an leave it to die on the driveway!

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  4. Hi diana, I have not had issues with snakes nor deer. Thank goodness, just toads and slugs.

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  5. My dog stomped my sister-in-law's strawberries...and I'm starting to really love green tomatoes. Go with the flow, I always say!

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  6. I've had alot of these "laws" happen to me too. My big one right now is Spaz (my terrier) getting excited when chasing squirrels has a tendency to jump on or run over plants. Some bounce back and some don't. :( That's the breaks when you garden with pets. The cat isn't a major issue. He likes to under things and occasionally smooshes things but they seem to recover. Great post Deb!

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  7. These are so true. Number 8 made me laugh outloud! I once saw a poster of all of Murphy's Laws. These would make a great poster/sign for gardeners!

    Here's one more: I'll decide in the morning that I had better go out and water only to have it rain that afternoon.

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  8. As soon as you spend all day watering the garden, the heavens open up and send you a downpour. Great post!

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  9. LOL..so true, so true! I am of the belief that just when you become stupid enough to believe you are in control, the universe just reaches out and smacks you in the back of the head!
    Gardening brings so many life lessons patience and humbleness the two biggies. You've made me laugh..great post.

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  10. Hi momo fali, You hit it. We all have to go with the flow.

    Thanks pg, sorry about the puppy.

    That's right cynthia, the rain rarely cooperates.

    Tina, we all feel the rain pain.

    Hi rhonda, I just wish we didn't have to learn these lessons over and over. I guess if we didn't we would lose the patients and humbleness.

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  11. A plant you mentally say to yourself you're going to get rid of because it's not doing very well, will make a miraculous recovery.

    Hmm - I'm sure there's more. I'll get back to you!

    Great post Deb

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  12. It starts to rain the day you put the hammock out.
    and
    When planting - if you leave the correct planting distance the plants dont grow and you have big gaps for years.
    If you plant closely (because the plants wont grow for years) they take off and smother each other in a season.
    Love your list of Murphy's Law for Gardeners.
    Regards
    Karen
    An Artist's Garden

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  13. Hey Debbi, Great to hear from you again! I've been blogging and leaveing recently, not sticking around to surf as much and leave comments. Loved your Murphy's Law for gardeners. Yikes.

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  14. My god Debbie you made me laugh ! AND how TRUE is all of it I ask you .. meaning TOO TRUE to all of us .. I do that thing with the plant that doesn't quite make it ... yet you try every year to create a miracle out of it ?
    Now add "Cut down a beautiful buddleia to transplant into a "much better space" for it" .. and start to SWEAT BULLETS wondering if it will make it through the winter and come to life in late Spring ? .. just add your own plant in said space for what I did ? haha
    Great post girl ! .. where is that cookbook draft ??
    Joy ^..^

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  15. Hi vp, good one.

    Karen, excellent observations.

    Thanks Givinya de Elba. Thanks for stopping by.

    Hi joy, good luck with the transplant. For now the cookbook will have to be the recipes tab on my sidebar. Lord knows I can't even get the laundry done for lack of time.

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  16. Hi Deb - I've added to your list over at my place today. It was too long to tell the story here...

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  17. Thanks vp, I found it before I read this comment. I love the name Jo King, hahahaha.

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  18. Glad you liked it - it still makes me laugh, especially the Garden Monkey's comment. As for the linky love, it's my pleasure :)

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