A Gardener’s Learning Curve
Gardening is a skill. And as with any skill (including writing), there’s a learning curve.
The first vegetables I grew as an adult were tomatoes. And that was ALL I grew in that first year.
I needed the time to learn how to tend to the soil, how to water the tomato plants properly, how to stake them, how to attract pollinators, when to harvest their fruit and then their seeds, how to prepare the bed for the next year and so on.
I made mistakes. Some plants died. All plants grew…not terrifically. (sheepish grin) The harvest was…underwhelming.
I learned from those mistakes and the following year, the tomato growing went MUCH better.
So much better that I decided to grow green beans also.
And I made mistakes with those plants also.
I learned. I became a better gardener.
I added another type of vegetable to the garden. And the process repeated.
If this was your first year gardening and your harvest was underwhelming or completely nonexistent, know that is normal.
That is expected.
Your mistakes this year will make you a better gardener next year.
(smiles)
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Every Plant Is Different
Last year, I harvested seeds from the sole zinnia plant that survived to seed stage.
(There was NO cross-pollination.)
I started some of those seeds indoors in the same soil putting them under the same growlight. When they were large enough, I moved them to the same bed, caring for them the same way.
They received the same amount of sunlight and water and nutrients.
One plant didn’t survive. One has SIX flowers. One hasn’t flowered at all. Others have one to four flowers per plant.
The largest plant is as tall as my hips. The shortest surviving one barely reaches my ankles.
And their flowers are a variety of colors (each plant only has one color of blooms, however)!
Plants, like humans and other species, are all different. They grow in their own unique ways at their own unique times.
Yes, we can influence that growth. But we can only help so much.
We care for them and let them do their thing.
And we embrace their differences.
(smiles)
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