The solanum (potato bush) is blooming. It does this rarely. I tend to think of it as just another long-limbed plant that needs to be cut back when sticking out into the pathway at the corner of our house. But I appreciated the deep purple of these flowers this past weekend. Shasta daisies are another flower to appear recently. They grow in a glazed ceramic flowerpot among a cluster of 13 pots. The side of this container is a favorite place for snails to cling. Since I've been more diligent about snail-hunting at least once a week, the daisies are finally having a good bloom season without getting chewed up. The bright white and yellow of these attracted a hummingbird (unfortunately tricky to catch on camera) while I was out tending to all the plants.

I've been thinking lately about balance. What's too little, or too much?

I've got over 60 plants in containers around the yard (and about 10 inside the house). Some suffer neglect, as I concentrate on whatever's new, or in bloom, or in prominent view at the front of the yard. Am I over-committed, and should try to be content with fewer plants, or do I just need to be more attentive, and re-prioritize my gardening efforts?

Perhaps the solanum and Shasta daisies would truly thrive if I devoted effort to establishing them with an optimum balance of fertilization/sun/water/soil. Likewise, I'm often aware of new projects I could undertake, all over the yard: building trellises for vertical planting. Re-seeding the lawn. Re-potting rootbound plants...

At times I'm sitting on a patio chair with a book and a beverage, admiring the flowers in my lovely garden, but inevitably I notice what needs weeding, trimming, watering, fixing. Usually I conclude that it's okay to let some things wait, and that relaxing in this pretty space is part of what ornamental gardening's all about.

Similarly, I want to focus on sustainable, organic, low-cost gardening without getting fanatical about it. What's too little investment, or too much?

For instance, I've bought simple gardening gloves and a plastic dragonfly ornament at the Dollar Store. Low-cost, good. Plastics, and non-locally produced, not as good. But I'm okay with this.

I'm quite conservative with water use, but would dislike going as far as to replace the grass of our little lawn with drought-resistant groundcover or paving.

In efforts towards a more organic way of life, I'll “grow my own” with some produce (such as mustard greens and radishes), but will stick with buying others (onions!) that are trickier to cultivate.

I stopped buying non-organic fertilizers, or disease and pest repellents, a few years ago. I like to use homemade aphid sprays, and gathered seaweed or compost from our bin to enrich soil. But these can only do so much, and the best organic formulas can be a bit pricey. I figure it's worth it now and then.

I guess we all strive to find our individual balance, and what we care enough about to focus on, and devote time, energy and funds towards.

For me, the rewards outweigh the investment and all the special considerations I take: by far.

I mean, just the other day, I was filling a vase with purple and white daisies (grown from seed, organically-fertilized), and the hummingbird that had been hovering nearby landed on them. How cool is that?