The Saga of a Hindered But Hopeful Gardener – Post 1
June 16th, 2010
This is my garden.
I know…
It’s pitiful.
I filled it with plants and seeds for the first time four years ago and this is the current state it is in.
Most of the things I planted have died.
This is one of my most favorite flowering vines.
It’s a Morning Glory with deep blue gorgeous flowers.
But as you can see… it’s not really blooming.
In fact…
It’s barely alive.
It’s supposed to be one of the easiest plants in the world to grow and it’s supposed to take over entire walls and banks.
That is not what is happening here with mine.
I’m just special I guess… eSPECIALly deficient at gardening!
Here’s my planter area on the other side of my walkway leading to my front door.
I’ve planted this area several times as well with plants and seeds.
All that remains this Spring are two sad little sprouts of what are supposed to be knee high Sweet Pea plants.
Pathetic.
And this… this is my prize winning Boganvilla.
Are you beginning to agree that I have a very serious problem?
Really… it’s pretty serious.
Seriously pathetic.
My Mom and my two Aunts are professional gardeners.
They have their own outdoor mulch piles, potting sheds, pruning tools, beautiful gardens, and one of them has even been a contributor in a gardening book and answers phones occasionally for a gardening crisis hotline. Yep. That actually exists.
Yep… I know… I should have called a long time ago.
All that has really taken off are these wild flowers I planted in a last ditch attempt to grow something… anything.
And to be honest I can’t really tell which ones I should be pulling out because they’re weeds, and which ones I should be proud of.
But…
I’m not giving up!
I’m going to learn how to grow something in the ground that I can be proud of if it takes me the rest of my life!
Papa has prepared this awesome garden spot out in the backyard.
He tried to plant it with vegetables two summers ago and everything died before it produced.
This gives me hope.
Hope that maybe it’s not just me.
Hope that maybe there’s a problem with the soil.
So the kids and I are making this our project.
We’re going to try and grow a garden. In this new spot. With new seeds and new hope.
We’re going to test the soil, feed the soil, keep a calendar of when we should weed and feed and water and we’re going to give it everything we’ve got to try and grow something we can be proud of.
So if you’re a novice gardener let this be an encouragement to you… surely you can’t do worse than I have. Join us and grow something of your own right along with us.
And if you’re a professional gardener… I can use all the tips, tricks, advice, and encouragement I can get! Help me out! Leave a comment with some of your expertise!
I’ll keep you posted on our progress…what we’re planting, how we’re planting it, and what happens to it, all Summer long in my Saga of a Hindered but Hopeful Gardener.
Stay Tuned!
(This post linked to Kindergardens)
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I'm a Southern California Mother of three and Wife to a Software Engineer. I've got my hands full like a typical MOM, but the BLESSINGS are worth the CHAOS! I love to LAUGH, I'm committed to being HONEST, I'm trying to IMPROVE, and I hate doing LAUNDRY!!!!!!!!!!
You too?! Well then... Kick off your shoes and make yourself at home!
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Supposedly…you can send a sample of your soil to UCSD and they will tell you what your soil is rich in and what it is deficient in, becuause different plants need different things. Again this is just Supposedly.
I think I have about 4 extra brown thumbs here…my gardening efforts don’t go very well either. Which is why I have turned my efforts to herbs! Herbs love me! And I love herbs…they seem to make it no matter what I do. Especially mint.
Test the soil…I’m sure that it’s defficient in a few things…and perhaps it will solve all of the gardening problems. God be with you in your gardening efforts.
I’d first like to say I’m very sorry your gardening story isn’t going well yet, but secondly I’d like to say you wrote it so funny! I hope that your new attempt brings your lots and lots of fun and produce or flowers.
I’m so impressed at your determination to grow something! You should at least have an advantage living in S.California.
As a master gardener my advice for beginner is always the same…
Start small
Grow what you family will eat
Plant what grows easily in your gardening zone
A couple of other tips, mulch is great and compost rocks!
Glad you are giving this gardening adventure a try! Kim
I’m definitely thinking it is the soil and NOT you. Maybe your mom will bring over some of her excellent compost. Keep trying. :>) My sister in law used to have a brown thumb, kept at it, and now she has a good eye for things.
You go girl! We are rooting for you! Radishes will sprout quickly and are easy, usually snap peas are too, then the kids will get to see something grow fast and it will keep their interest.
Good Luck!
Hooray for a determined spirit! Hope your experiment works this time!
The garden site by the house needs anything you could give it. I think it is a nice corner, but the soil is poor. You might try a bag of compost or any good bloom and grow mix, not just soil mix. The brick site probably has earwigs, etc. living by the nice blocks. Check at night with a flashlight to see if you have visitors. Try Neem as an organic preventative, most bugs don’t like it and it won’t hurt anyone. Visit me and take a look or ask questions anytime. Keep trying, something will work for you. I agree with the master gardener. Start small, have some success before going on. Tomatoes and peppers should do well there. I am jealous of your sad bougenvilla(sp?) Sara
Yes you can grow pumpkins in a smaller area, but only one or two. They get that big! If you don’t have seed yet, think about the small pumpkins instead. You can eat them, they are not as big and glorious, but you also don’t waste your whole crop with one jack-o-lantern. They are also a great size for children and for me and my CSA bags. Watermelons also like the room, but you can plant Yellow Doll or Sugar Baby and have smaller melons sooner. With both of these(watermelons and pumpkins) be prepared to do a walk through almost everyday and throw their reaching”arms” back into the middle so they don’t leave you any room to walk around. I like to see the ground also because we have snakes…Earwigs are responsible for small plants disappearing. They are definitely bad. I use Neem for preventing, Pyganic when I can’t win, and sticky tape around the bottoms for first assaults when I plant them out. There is some info back in March blog probably. I love questions, and I hope you have more success. The wildflowers are beautiful, so be proud!