“I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done.” Lucille Ball said this in an interview during the peak of her fame in the 1950s. More than half a century later, the quote came to mind as I was walking around my property, thinking about my garden regrets.
I regret not amending my soil as well as I should.
I regret not having a landscape plan before putting plants in the ground.
I regret not having more conifers.
As we move into late fall and early winter, that last one is hitting especially hard. Why, oh why, didn’t I plant more conifers? I can make a laundry list of excuses: conifers are expensive; conifers grow slowly; conifers don’t flower. But really, there’s no good reason. Since I garden in New England, where much of the landscape dies back after the first frost, I should have more conifers so there is something to look at in November, December, January, and February. These evergreens are truly backbone plants, and when you select and plant colorful options like those recommended by Darren Heimbecker in “Go Beyond Basic Green with Colorful Conifers” (pp. 64 to 71), they sparkle like precious gemstones year-round. If a conifer shines as brightly as ‘Pusch’ Norway spruce, who cares if it doesn’t bloom? Its bright red cones are better than any blossom a lowly perennial can produce.
I imagine I was in a similar boat to many of you when I first started my garden, with big aspirations but a limited budget. If I could go to the nursery and purchase a dozen fast-filling perennials for the price of one conifer, I was going for volume over substance. Now I regret that choice.
Over the years I’ve slowly added more conifers to my beds and borders. The change has been gradual but incredibly rewarding, especially as I look outside right now and the dwarf blue noble fir along my front steps is the only thing glowing amid the brown, decaying foliage surrounding it. If I had planted more conifers 12 years ago, I don’t think I would regret it today (although I might have regretted the lower balance in my bank account that week). So, moving forward, I’ll follow Ms. Ball’s advice. I’ll take the trip, eat the cake, and buy the shoes.
And plant the conifers.
Danielle Sherry, executive editor
Issue #220 of Fine Gardening will publish online on October 15th, 2024