An Examination of My Successes and Failures

I'll limit the list to this summer. I could write several volumes on the successes and failures of my 29 1/2 years in this world. However, I tend to believe I'm at least six months shy of an age that even warrants a memoir.

These are the successes and failures I achieved, primarily through gardening, this past summer -- with pictures. I had thought to list them like with like, successes with successes and failures with failures, but seeing all the failures lined up like that was too depressing. So, here goes. In no order of importance.

Success: Growing Lettuce

I was really good at this. At least until it got really hot and I went out of town for a weekend and came back to kind of dry and shriveled up lettuce plants. I heard this happens, though, and next year I plan on doing two rounds of lettuce -- one in spring and one around midsummer.

Doesn't that look delicious?

Truth be told, I'm so good at growing lettuce, I refuse to eat salad now. That stuff in the bag just tastes nasty and I want nothing to do with it.

When I started the garden, everyone told me how much better homegrown vegetables taste. I believed there would be some merit to this, but didn't necessarily understand that its truth is absolute. This lettuce was the first thing ready to harvest (doesn't that sound gardenery?) and my first bite was scrumptious. I'll probably never have a salad during winter months again.

Success: Nurturing Lilacs

I have to admit something. I talk to my plants. More than that, I listen for them to answer back. For example, when my friend D gave me this lilac, I asked it where it wanted to live and it said "right over there between the fence and the house." So, I planted it there. It flourished this summer, and I can't wait to see how it does next year.


Failure: Nurturing Lilacs

At the same time, the other two lilacs D gave me said, "we want to live between the fence and the house too!" And I said, "no! I want you to live along Mrs. Wilson's fence." So, I planted them there, where they spent the summer deeply unhappy and slowly fading away.

I didn't take a picture. It was too sad.

I'm really hoping they are still alive in the spring, at which time I will move them so they are planted where they always wanted to be -- between the fence and the house. Then, I will spend the spring, summer and fall apologizing for not listening to them in the first place.

Success: Crocheting a Present for New Baby Next Door

While I intended to have this done in time for my neighbor's baby shower but didn't give it to her until after the baby was born, I still consider this a success. After all, I think it's totally adorable.

It's a giraffe, though I don't really think I need to point that out. However, after several people at work laughed at it and asked what it was, I guess it's worth mentioning. My neighbor said it was her tiny son's first handmade gift, so that made me feel good.

Crocheting is a lovely pastime, and I really enjoy doing it while I watch TV. It also serves as a reminder that Mommy is right, I can do anything I put my mind to. I decided about a year ago I wanted to crochet, so I got a book from the library and I've made several of these little amigurumi animals and two scarves. I'm working on an afghan, as well, but once I started making animals everything else was forgotten for awhile.

Failure: Nurturing Ferns

This one is tough for me to admit because at the beginning of the summer, I thought I would be the best fern grower in Manistee County and that, before long, my yard would be full of their leafy loveliness. However, this is pretty much as big as any of them got:

 

Then they shriveled up and died.

Imagine my dismay every time I looked around. There were huge ferns growing wild all over the forest untended by anyone but Mother Nature. All the while, mine just died. To give them credit, they kept trying to come back, and then they would die again.

I also had an iris and some phlox planted in the same area, and neither of those did very well either, so I'm going to move them next spring when they start to come up and hope it was something about that location.

Success: Container Planting

I never planted containers before this year, but I really think they turned out quite pretty.

I loved this one. I was pretty good at maintaining these, too. Though it was really hot and dry this summer, and occasionally they would get a little wilty, I always nursed them back to health.

I also discovered a love of zinnias, which I will forever more plant in abundance. They are such happy, hearty flowers and have such vibrant colors. They did well in both my containers and my beds, and they were purchased later in the season when everything was on sale. Even the ones that looked a little rough ended up thriving.

I also love the green and white plants that are with the zinnias in this planter. I planted some that were pink and green, which also looked nice. These were extremely hearty and I'm going to look for them from now on too.


Success: Outdoor Living Spaces

I can't really take credit for this one:

Mommy, Uncle Keith and Uncle Pat came up for a week and one of our activities was to cut down the mulberry tree in my yard. Bittersweet though it was to say goodbye to the beautiful tree, it was so nice to not have to worry about the mess of the mulberries and the stains the dogs were leaving all over the house after traipsing through the purple mush that was my backyard.

This bench was made from the trunk of the tree, and all the credit goes to The Uncles. They also used other pieces from the trunk to make planter stands for my patio and the effect was totally charming.

This became my favorite spot and every morning I took my coffee and book out and sat on the bench.

Failure: Maintaining Outdoor Living Spaces

While the one pictured above remained blissful all summer, my patio was often a mess and the lovely birdbath and feeder set up I wrote about in June was no longer visible behind the pile of brush from the mulberry tree.

See, the idea was I would drag the brush out to the street because the city provides a chipping service. But I never did and it continues to sit there as a constant reminder of my laziness and ineptitude.

One of my favorite Mommyisms is "tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life," and just as I can start becoming who I want to be tomorrow, I can also be the gardener and yard guru I want to be next spring. So, number one on my list of things to do come warmth is drag the brush out to the road.

I'd take a picture, but it really is embarrassing.

Failure: This Blog

What I began with such gumption and surety of success was quickly discarded by the wayside for other more important pursuits like marathon sessions of watching "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel."

I've spent a lot of time beating myself up for not being what I want to be ... but there's a reason this blog is called SEEKING Practical Perfection. I'm on a quest, and though I continuously set expectations for myself -- lofty, unattainable expectations -- I need to stop criticizing myself for not achieving them. Instead, as every quest involves a journey, I need to set forth on my path to practical perfection, and see where it takes me.