In Which I Admit Defeat... For Now

I can grow some things. I can even grow some things from seed. Here are two very healthy spaghetti squash plants. This is the Hasta la Pasta variety, and I admit to buying it mostly for the name.

I'm going to have to find someone who wants a Hasta la Pasta, and probably some other squash varieties as well.

However, the seedlings that I faithfully started inside in March never took off.

Seriously, that's a picture of a seedling that I planted THREE MONTHS AGO. It's as if they're all stuck in some bizarre stasis. I think it's a good possibility that there's some sort of temporal wormhole in my backyard. Shouldn't they have either grown or died by now?

I gave up, and on Sunday I purchased pepper and tomato plants.

It saddened me because I had been babying these seedlings for three months, and I had pored over the Burpee catalogue and picked the specific varieties I wanted. I was committed to these particular varieties, and I couldn't get those plants at the nursery. Now I'll have to wait a whole year (at least) to see if the Fourth of July tomato really is ready on July 4 and if the Red October variety really does last for sixteen weeks off the vine.*

I'm trying to console myself with the fact that I'll try again next year, probably with a grow light. Also, I did buy a tomato plant called Mr. Stripey, and that eases the heartache a bit.

This morning there were nine ducks in my backyard. I admit to worrying about the health of my plants. Send positive energy their way.

*Of course I don't really believe them. July 4th? Sixteen weeks? That's crazytalk. Still, I have to wait another year to prove them wrong.