Friday, April 8, 2016

Learning Experiences

Every single year I have gardening projects that flop.  Some years are worse than others.  I think it's because I always want to try new things.  And with new things, there always seems to be a steep learning curve.

I wanted to grow brandywine tomatoes this year after reading the memoir $64 Tomato (which is fabulous).  I started seeds indoors, but they never came up.  I have a horrible track record with starting seeds indoors.  They never seem to do that well.

My brother and his wife gave me an oyster mushroom growing kit for Christmas.  I followed the instructions, but for whatever reason the mushrooms never came (although the bag blew up and looked completely creepy). 

It's okay to have failure.  I learn along the way.  And I have plenty of other things to plant and grow that I know will likely be successful.

ETA:  my brandywine seeds did end up coming up.  The mushrooms?  Not so much... 

Readers, have you had any failures lately?

19 comments:

PioneerPreppy said...

I usually have rotten luck with sprouting peppers myself. Or the cats like to eat my other sprouts :(

Vicki said...

My Grands gave me a mushroom growing kit for Christmas. Followed the instructions to the letter. The mushroom sprouted, grew to about the width of a pencil and promptly dried up and died. No idea why. I keep trying, though. Am getting ready to plant some herbs in pots for a window sill garden. Even if an experiment fails, it is still fun to try.

Vera said...

I never regard anything as a failure, just a very steep learning curve!

Out on the prairie said...

glad your seed finally came up, a real winner. I have both pink and red Brandywine, my brothers favorite always.

Tina Fariss Barbour said...

You're willing to try new things and you're enjoying the journey, and that's the most important thing. It's such a fascinating process to see seeds turn into plants, plants turn into something that we can pick or cut and eat. I have tried to grow many things that didn't work, but as you say, it's a learning process. I know now that I tend to plant things too close together. I need to better gauge what 6 inches is. :-)

Lynn said...

yup constantly, this year we bought 2 little kitchen table size greenhouses, a neighbour has the same, we planted the same seeds, the same day in the same dirt and hers are all sprouting not one of mine so I can relate. Good luck maybe this is THE plant success'year for you...

Sally said...

Well, as my daughter told a lady when she was about five: "Mrs Koger, if you don't try, you'll never know!" :)

Busy Bee Suz said...

Gardening is a matter of learning what we can do and what we can't. ;) I never give up though....and it seems that you don't either. This year my failure is not protecting my tomato plants from the birds!!! I think they've had more tomatoes than I have.

Michelle said...

You sound like me. I am always trying different things.

21 Wits said...

I sure know it seems sometimes it's just trial and error and when something grows, woohoo! It's a mystery to me far too many times!

Anonymous said...

I read that book, too!
My seed starting luck has been sketchy, too. Good for you to get the tomatoes to grow!

Tweedles -- that's me said...

Yes,,, we are still waiting for grass seeds to come up!
love
tweedles

mail4rosey said...

Yep, live and learn, and the failures make the successes that much sweeter. :)

Debby@Just Breathe said...

We have a little lemon tree for two years now and nothing. It gets buds but I guess they are not getting pollinated. I use a lemon each day and would really like our lemon tree to get some!!! Glad your Brandywine seeds are coming up.

Montanagirl said...

Hmmmm....I've never tried growing mushrooms, nor anything else either. LOL. We're not gardeners.

Lin said...

All. The. Time. The garden has a way of "grounding" you...no pun intended.

Linda said...

My garden last year was pretty much a failure.

Jenn Jilks said...

I've given up on veggies. Too many bugs and too much frustration!
I buy plants, the groundhog rips them out. Or the raccoons. I don't know!
Thankfully we have many organic farms near!
Good luck with this!

Unknown said...

Yes, but where to begin? ;)