Why save a dead plant!
We all do it… we try to keep our garden plants alive spending money on remedies and chemicals to fix the soil/leaves/pests/diseases/etc. We also spend valuable time worrying over the sick plants, tending to them and pouring TLC on them. But what tends to happen to the plants?
Truth be told, all plants will die at some point in time… just like us humans.
Annuals have a short lifespan only lasting a few months. So why do gardeners try to keep them alive beyond their expected lifespan? Is it futile or just a gardener’s passion in overdrive?
Trees can live for many decades, some even centuries, so why do people, conservationalists and councils protect and care for old trees at death’s door? Some could argue it is worth it, others would argue not. Is it a habitat for wildlife or a risk waiting to happen? These questions we should also try to answer.
There comes a point when gardener’s need to accept it’s time to remove the petunias and plant something new. There comes a time when the cost of spraying a plant to keep the bugs off it, exceeds the price of buying an alternative plant that does not need the expensive chemical sprays. There comes a time when the gardener realises that the plants they have need a lot more care than what they can provide. Let’s call this the ’Gardener’s Revelation’.
All too often we hear on talk-back radio of gardeners trying to extend the life of their plants. Honourable as this is may be, it may however be best to rip the specimen out of the ground and replace the specimen with a plant that not only suits the climate and situation in the garden, but also provides the features that the gardener desires (fruit, colour, scent, etc.).
This ‘Revelation’ may necessitate people re-assessing what and how they garden. Most plants will outlive the current property owners but many plants will naturally die and will need replacement over that period.
A good plan to go forward is to embrace nature and the circle of life. Celebrate the seasons and changes that plant naturally undergo, and the opportunity that we as gardeners have to mix, match and change the garden palette.
There is no benefit in crying over spilt milk (that is, a dying 4.50 potted annual). Cheer up and pop into the local garden centre and buy a replacement 
