Failures Lead to Successes!

Have you ever noticed how we humans tend to focus on the things we have done wrong, rather than all of the things we’ve done right? Well, we gardeners are no exception. We often fixate on our “failures” rather than learning from them, which ultimately leads to success in our gardens.

As a garden writer, I often hear from readers who are afraid to grow a garden, or a specific plant, because they “failed” at it when they tried before.

Well, I’m here to tell you that I’ve had plenty of failures over the years where things didn’t go as planned — but they have all been learning experiences for me. Sometimes I’m just stubborn enough to where I keep trying to grow a certain crop until I get it right. And other times, I realize that it might be a lot easier to patronize one of our local farmers’ markets and buy that crop from them!

One of my very best tools for success is my garden journal. Every year, I jot down notes to myself about something new I want to try the next year, a different technique that might make a difference, new varieties I want to grow, and — sometimes — varieties that I don’t intend to grow again.

I find that I’ll remember things much more easily if I write them down, rather than rely on my memory. My brain is just too cluttered with far too many things to be able to do the latter!

Garden journals don’t have to be fancy. A simple notebook, or a binder filled with paper and pocket dividers to hold articles or information, will do the job. And it is never too late to start a journal, by the way.

Also, no matter where you live, I can guarantee you have a lot of resources around you that will help you on your journey to grow a beautiful, productive garden. This includes your gardening neighbors, your local Master Gardener program, and various classes and garden programs on a wide variety of topics that are put on each year.

If you’re unsure how to contact your local Master Gardener program within the U.S. and Canada, use this link to find them. These programs often put on classes and workshops for free or for a nominal charge. If you live in Eastern Washington or North Idaho, be sure to keep an eye on my Events calendar. I try to list all of the events coming up — which can be a bit daunting at times, I have to admit.

And, of course, please rely on me to help you in your gardening journey. My website is filled with gardening tips and guides. My YouTube channel contains over 200 of my how-to gardening videos and there will be plenty more to come this year. From February to October each year, I write garden columns for the Sunday edition of The Spokesman-Review newspaper, so that’s another good resource. Finally, remember that if you have a question, I’m just an email away: Susan@susansinthegarden.com. I am really diligent about responding quickly.

Let’s form a team so you can grow your most successful garden ever!