Without a doubt my most disappointing failure this year had to do with artichokes. My very first post was about my excitement of finally growing the globes. (Most Exciting Garden Experience-Artichokes!) Then, one actually did come back.
These tender sprouts had been under a cover of a basket with heavy layers of leaves on top. When I excitedly discovered that one plant had made it through the winter, I allowed it too much sun that killed the white sprouts. If there ever is a next time, I will know better. Then, none of the seeds that I had planted in March came up. So they were a total failure this year. The one globe I let develop seeds never produced any, even thought it was beautiful. (At least it was to me!) There’s always next year.
Another disappointment was the One Ball squash. These seeds, too, had trouble sprouting. After replanting a second time I had two come up. One died completely in the garden. The other had only four squash. They were tasty, but not worth the effort. The last plant has a few pea-size squash, but I doubt they will ever get big enough to eat since the plant looks quite sad.
The Basil Minimum fit in the small herb garden container. By continually pinching off the flower bud it is still usable this fall. I hope to take this container inside for the winter. But it does not have the beauty or taste of the purple ruffled basil. And the Cilantro Delfino didn’t last as long as the cilantro that comes up in my garden every year with far less trouble.
The last of this year’s failures I’ll mention is the garlic. It is better to plant garlic in the fall. Below are the tops that appeared in April. Then they disappeared. One by one they were gone. So I’ve already planted more this fall.
Failures have always been a part of my gardening experience. Sometimes what works one year doesn’t the next. One year I grew so many luffas that I gave many away, and am still using the ones I kept. Since then they have never done well. Pumpkins have also been unpredictable. Some years all I get are lush vines. It all make gardening even more interesting.