I Am a Serial Killer (of Plants and Flowers): I've Always Had a Black Thumb, and I Think I'm Done Fighting It

About a month ago I noticed my neighbor eyeing the unplanted shrubs that lay on the side of my house, given to me by my mother who had run out of room in her front yard for them. The next day at work she came up to me and confessed that she planted one, and asked if I wanted her to plant the rest of them. I stammered out a thank you and assured her that I would plant them, and sheepishly confessed that I had forgotten about the shrubs but would get them in the ground that night.

"I hope it wasn't too bold of me," she explained. "I just hate to see things die!"

All I could do was cringe, which I worked into a smile.

I bought my house from people who used to run a greenhouse, with lettuce and tomatoes in the front, and pineapples and star fruit in the back, along with a magnolia blossom. Within a few months the produce was long deceased, but the fruit was still holding strong. Two years later, the pineapples are long gone, but the star fruit and magnolias occasionally bloom.

The front of my house was so barren and lifeless that my mother remarked that the house "looked abandoned". I knew I had to find a way to beautify my house and add some life to it, but I also knew I was low maintenance at best with gardening. I asked a few green thumbers for advice and after a lot of dirty work, planted some annuals to add some much needed color to my home. I also added edging and fresh mulch. For about two weeks, my house looked lovely.

Most of the plants are now dying.

I don't neglect on purpose, and I don't hold a vengence against pretty plants and flowers. It's quite simply laziness combined with a healthy dose of apathy. When I get home, I want to relax, watch tv, read a book, snack. I want to slip out of my uncomfortable work clothes and throw on boxers and a shirt.

I don't want to get on my knees and weed, or fill up a watercan numerous times and pour it onto a plant. Sometimes I'll pull into my driveway and notice the withering greenery and promise myself that I'll tend to the ailing flowers and plants, but I'm sure to forget after feeding my cat and preparing dinner.

The truth is, I know I'm a black thumb. I know I should care more about the plants that adorn the outside of my house, that they make it look more appealing and pleasant. I know plants and flowers have endless benefits and that gardening itself is great exercise. I also know that I can't force an interest in something I have no interest in, and that I'll never be Martha Stewart.

What I need to remember is that it's just easier to maintain the plants I already have than simply replace them, and it's financially sensible as well. For every flower I remember to water, it's one less that I have to find a replacement for, and one less I have to replant. Self-discipline has never been my strong suit, but if I can find a way to maintain both a nice garden and my sanity, I'll have a nicer looking home, and much happier neighbors.