How Does Your Garden Grow?

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “ROY G. BIV.”

The photo challenge this week was to post a photo that contains all the colors of the rainbow. Here’s my own ironic contribution.

Of course, a rainbow actually includes all possible colors of visible light, but traditionally they are divided into seven colors (just because seven is a mystical number), and named Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet (Roy G. Biv). So the challenge is to post a photo containing all the colors, or a collage with one photo representing each color. That’s the option I chose.

Why is this image so ironic? I am a terrible gardener. None of these plants are actually mine. There are no live plants in my house, because they would be doomed moments after I bring them home. The landscaping outside is all hardy perennials that survive being ignored: I don’t spray, I don’t lift or replant or even deadhead flowers. I pay someone once a year to come weed the beds, put down mulch, and prune. The rest of the time, they’re on their own.

It used to bother me that I’m so bad at this. Other people talk about how much satisfaction they get from gardening, and their beautiful gardens show it. Why can’t I do that? But I’ve come to accept that it’s just not my gift. I have helped to raise two healthy, happy kids. I help make music that brings joy to others. I can create and deliver awesome college courses. I can post things on this blog. And, if I keep to my plan (I will! I will!), I will create an entire novel that people want to read.

So, from a cheerful flower image to something more important we all should remember. Don’t worry about what you can’t do. Focus on what you can do, and do that. To quote Edward Everett Hale: I am only one, but I am one. I can’t do everything, but I can do something.