That’s it.
Why is this so important and what does it actually accomplish? It accomplishes a lot! Most of the gardening problems brought to me for resolution involve people not noticing the changes in their gardens until something has become a serious problem. Like us, plants show symptoms, which develop over time, and if not treated, get worse. And, like us, the treatment can be of most benefit if the problem is caught early enough or can be prevented. The problem is that people are in their gardens so infrequently that things are allowed to develop and get to the point where resolution becomes difficult.

I would make it a point to be out and about in your garden, taking just a few minutes after coming home from work or when you go out to get the morning newspaper on the weekend. Take a short stroll and just observe. This is when you can see how the plants are doing. Take a “macro” view of you landscape, seeing how all the plants look in general. You will see plants looking great, some transitioning from one stage of development to another, but looking normal with no problems seen. But this is also when you see the one plant that does not look right. It’s foliage color is dull when it should be bright. (I give the example of the parent who knows her child is coming down with a cold just by the little things they see in his appearance and behavior). Plants are not that different. If something does not look quite right, investigate. Now you take a “micro” view, check out the plant closely and be ready to see anything out-of-the-ordinary. That is when you might see the first signs of spider mite infestation. You take action quickly and eradicate the problem before it can develop and probably you have saved the life of the plant

This routine does not take long, but it should be regular, at least once or twice during the spring, summer and fall and maybe once or twice a month during the winter. This is how you stay in touch with your garden and you will be amazed at how your garden tells you what it needs.