No grows

I am fortunate to live within walking distance of a beautiful park where I walk frequently. The groundskeepers have put in several flowerbed “islands” throughout the park with some stunning displays this year. One that caught my eye and set me thinking is a display of ‘Tangerine Gem’ marigold and ‘White Star’ zinnia border surrounding cleome and ‘Purple Majesty’ millet. The cleome are an object of envy, being a plant that I seem to be unable to grow.

While walking by this bed yesterday I began to dwell on plants that I have a problem with. Cleome, certainly, should not be so difficult but I have met with failure each time I try. Moonflowers are another seemingly impossible plant. This year has been the most successful of any, though the plants did not bloom (calling this a success should give some idea of performance in previous years). But my pathetic nasturtiums cause the most anguish. Each time I walk by the planter and see them I feel acute embarrassment, as if some hidden character flaw has been revealed for the entire world to see. I do not know one gardener who cannot grow beautiful nasturtiums. They are a hit in children’s gardens for their ease.

So...what gives? Each spring I start out with cockeyed optimism, convinced that this is the year, o yes. But so far it has not been the year. It seems to me that there are two divergent lessons here. One is that persistence will eventually be rewarded. The other is that a graceful submission to one’s shortcomings is a mark of gardening maturity.

It really is a matter of spin, I suppose. Persistence is stubborness, graceful submission is defeatism. Most gardeners I know fall in the stubborn, er, persistent camp and, happily, hope will spring eternal when the seed catalogs arrive. I see nasturtiums in my future.