The window box experiment

I know you have been patiently yet fervently waiting for a mini-garden update. (Right?)

Earlier in the season, I planted three herbs (basil, mint, and dill) in pots outside. I also was drawn in by the prospect of tending to real flowers and bought some impatiens for my window boxes.

There was a near calamity for the impatiens, but I think we are in the clear. I will tell you more.

Each window box is mostly covered by a deck, one moreso than the other - so basically, one is in partial shade and one is in nearly total shade. Impatiens seem to be one of the few plants that can handle this lack of sun.  I got the two window boxes all set up and was loving the pink and purple flowers in both boxes. I even posted a little picture here a couple of weeks ago of a new flower growing. Success?

But then the fully shaded box started to look a little more haggard. And then even more haggard. And then all of the flowers disappeared, and the plants started to get even more frail.

See?  So sad!

I was perilously close to throwing in the towel and accept a 50 percent success rate in this summer's window box experiment. I told my mom about the dilemma, and she didn't think I should give up yet. "What if I switched the boxes' locations periodically?" I asked, and she said she didn't see why that wouldn't work.

So I switched them, still skeptical. I watched the poor previously vibrant window box start to wilt a little bit in the shade and got nervous that I would lose both of them.

But lo and behold, the other day, I saw something wonderful. Wait for it...

Look on the right side of the photo...it's a flower! There is hope for this window box after all!

Okay, okay, I'm aware that this is the most basic (some might say most feeble) steps of gardening progress, and I have so much respect for my friends and family members who cultivate beautiful, expansive gardens and somehow manage to have all of the plants survive and look gorgeous.  But when you're just starting out and floundering, sometimes you just need a nudge from someone to keep trying just a little longer.

P.S. Happy Father's Day to my dear dad, who has taught me so much in life. I hope he enjoyed the extra inning of baseball capped off with a Twins win this afternoon!