Green Fingers Or Black Thumbs?

 Here in the UK we refer to good gardeners as having 'green fingers' - in the US they talk about 'green thumbs' - and non-gardeners having 'black thumbs'

I've always felt I had black thumbs, cress-on-a-flannel being the high spot of my horticultural achievements. Then I was given orchids as gifts, and under Jenny's expert tutelage, I've managed to keep them alive for 5 years, and they are still thriving and blooming. Liz discovered a gift for houseplants during lockdown, and I thought maybe now I am retired I can work on this.

A brief progress report. 

• Diligent checking of the bushes at the front - we seem to be on top of the rosemary beetle infestation. Only three on Friday - and the rosemary bush is looking healthier, putting forth some fresh leaves [unlike the cuttings I took - which have all died]
• The bay plant is flourishing, as is the fig, the rhubarb and the three tomato plants [50p each from a table outside a neighbour's house]
• The set of six radish plants purchased with enthusiasm from B&Q have produced leaves, gone to seed, and there is no sign of any fat red radishes. ["Once you've mastered cress, it is easy to grow radishes", said a lady in Ferndown before we left]
• The five M&S Little Gardener Kits, which I have had unopened since last summer [too busy running Grandma's Nursery for Rosie] were planted and tended as per instructions.

The cress has grown. Nothing else

• The 'living lettuce' and 'living basil' have survived remarkably well, and we are watering them and picking leaves as and when.

These are my new lavender plants. Bob insured his car with Saga recently - and there was a very good offer for a tray of lavender plants. He thought I might like to plant some more -  this was before the beetle invasion. He was glad he'd ordered them - and I was anticipating a lovely gift

They arrived a few days ago - and apart from two, the remaining twenty two were brown and crispy when he opened the parcel. 

Bob contacted them and sent photos. The response was "Oh sorry, we will send you some more. They should arrive by the end of July" This seems an excessively long time to me.

I am not counting these as my failure- they arrived dead!

There are small fruits on the apple and pear trees, and I have done what my FIL taught me, where three grow in a cluster, remove the weakest fruit. I have hope for these.

I am still nearer the wrong end of the chart, but I am working on it. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was Monty Don's Garden.