Well folks this is my farewell letter to you so let me try to go out leaving you with some gardening thoughts that might come in handy in the future.

Q. I’m scared I’ll mess up my yard by doing something wrong, should I be afraid?

A. I have had this call countless times over the last four years. Many of us dream of having that perfect landscape and spend countless hours preparing for it. However, when it comes down to time to execute the plan; the fear of failure makes us stop in our tracks. You must be willing to try different things, and you must be willing to accept the fact that sometimes you will make mistakes when planning. That’s gardening!

The good thing is, anything that goes down in the ground can come right back out and be replaced. I understand it is a major investment sometimes, and you only get one chance to do it right so proper planning is a must.

A common thing that I see done improperly is not in the selection of plants, but the placement. A good landscaper can take a bad selection of plants and arrange them to make it somewhat appealing to the eye. Likewise a bad layout or action plan can take a beautiful array of plant selections and make it look horrible.

But the truth is don’t be scared to make mistakes in your landscape, it happens everywhere and it gives us all a chance to learn from our mistakes and make things better. The same goes for our everyday walk in life.

Q. Is it safe to take things from one garden and transplant them in another?

A. Absolutely! I have received this call in the past and it refers to the risk of spreading disease or problems by removing and replanting plants. First of all, I doubt you would be moving a plant if it had a diseased or a troubled appearance. Secondly, just make sure it is something you want growing around your home. Avoid invasive plants like tallow trees and kudzu, but who would want that anyway.

The Adams County Master Gardeners are the best in the world at plant sharing. Every time they meet some of the ladies bring loads of clippings and limbs from their homes to share with everyone else. This is another thing that makes gardening so special. Like I have learned from many community groups, like the Master Gardeners, everything is better when other can share in the joy with others. Whenever you have the chance to share something that is special with others, everyone wins and enjoys what you created. This builds unity and a greater appreciation for the simple things, like the branch of a shrub.

There is a lot we can learn from being on our knees in the garden. However, sometimes the sun is so bright we look away and miss the blessing, and opportunities to share, right in front of our faces.

Once again, I have enjoyed bring you this column during the past four years. I can still be reached at the Adams County Extension Service Office at 601-445-8201 where I will be glad to answer any questions you may have.

David Carter is director of the Adams County Extension Service. He can be reached at 601-445-8201.

Editor’s note: The Democrat will no longer publish David Carter’s column because he is seeking public office in the upcoming elections. It is the newspaper’s policy not to publish guest columns from candidates during election season.