The first plant I killed in Arizona wasn’t neglected. It wasn’t forgotten. It wasn’t even unhealthy when I bought it. I loved that plant. I watered it. I talked to it. I admired it every morning with my coffee. Three days later it looked like someone had left it in an air fryer. That’s when I realized everything I knew about gardening in Ohio wasn’t necessarily going to help me survive gardening in the desert. Arizona has been a humbling experience for both me and my plants.