Not All Plantings Will Be Picture Perfect

by KYW's Phran Novelli

"That isn't how it looked in the book…." My friend Chris had sought out and bought a special Echinacea that was supposed to have pure white petals. But not so much once we saw it blooming in her garden, looking rather dingy.

When this happens, you think, "The person who grew the one in the book must be a better gardener than I am. They're smarter about soil…I probably planted it wrong, or didn't water it enough." It's easy to blame yourself, but it's just as likely that the pretty picture they took was the best one of all the plants they grew – and they surely snipped off all the brown bits before the shutter snapped. And it was probably 'Photoshopped' to brighten the whites.

I'm just saying, the way things look in the book or brochure isn't always the way it's going to grow. So lower your expectations a bit, and be ready with a shovel when things don't turn out the way the picture promised. And don't be so hard on yourself – blame the author, or the trick photographer, or whoever sold you the plant - I'm sure it's not your fault.

(Photo by Phran Novelli)