Morning Glories: Thanks, beckygardener, 0 by Pillita

Pillita wrote:
Once upon a time there was a gardening maid who met and married the prince of her dreams. She moved to his humble castle off in the forest and expected to transform the landscape into a bright blooming paradise. Little did she realize that instead of the kindly Mother Nature she’d known in her previous life who had provided lovely black soil and gentle rains, the prince’s domain was ruled by a wicked stepmother and a bevy of equally wicked children called Drought, Sand, Sun, and Heat.

What was the gardening maid to do? She struggled to make her plants grow, amending and watering endlessly whilst battling perspiration and bugs beyond her worst imagining, but the plants just sat in the ground and put forth few blooms. The despair that sent her forth searching the Internet for comfort and hope for her poor wilted greenery eventually led her to a marvelous place called Dave’s Garden where knowledge and good wishes abounded.

The maid solemnly took these cherished ideas to heart and made many improvements to her sandy patches of ground. She began to trade her own leaves and twigs in exchange for others, but still arose each morning yearning for dazzling flowers of intense color and beautiful form. Then, one day, almost miraculously, a kindly fairy godmother stepped forward and offered her some magic seeds.

No ordinary seeds are these warned the fairy godmother. They have certain requirements and, if met, will reward you with immense size and beauty. The maid thanked her (but not nearly enough) and made her preparations. The wicked stepsisters tried their best to thwart the efforts of the tiny seedlings, but the plants indeed had some magic in them and grew and BLOOMED!

Thanks again, beckygardener, and a hundred more thank you’s for the delight we find in our yard each morning.

(No offense intended to stepmothers or stepsisters anywhere, but what we have here is indeed wicked.)