When the Garden Flops
- Ashley Qurollo
- Jul 10
- 4 min read
July 10, 2025
Am I the only one who feels like my garden is a complete failure this year? I see pictures of thriving gardens online, and I scratch my head at my dead plants and half-filled raised beds.
Visions of beautiful, cottage-themed raised beds and lush borders filled my gardening vision this year. To accomplish this vision, I ordered harder-to-find seeds from Free Heirloom Seeds. I also shopped the clearance aisle at Lowes and filled an entire buggy with classic cottage flowers, all within a cool-color scheme. I was set for a gorgeous garden…or so I thought.
This year’s garden was quite sad. Many of the seeds did not come up. Probably half of the clearance aisle plants died. Even my front garden (which has always been a lush success) looks pitiful.
My gardening attempts failed so miserably that it became a running family joke, “Mommy’s not allowed to buy any more lavender plants!” (I killed 6 plants this season. For the life of me, I cannot grow lavender which hurts my heart) and “Mommy’s not allowed to buy more plants from the clearance aisle!”
My visions for my raised beds and front flower garden certainly did not blossom as expected, but I have a hunch that I’m not the only one feeling a bit defeated—botanically speaking. I’ve learned a few truths along the way that may encourage you!
There were several days that I felt pretty discouraged about my gardens, but through kind comments from hubby, some musings of my own, and the Lord’s reminders to be grateful, I have shifted my view of my garden this year. Here’s what I’m learning.
Enjoy what flourished
Tending towards Eeyore, I often see the undone and the imperfect instead of relishing the beautiful through the eyes of gratitude. Though my garden disappointed me in many ways this year, as I walk around my yard, I still see beauty and I still see many plants that, despite the cruel heat, are struggling to thrive and grow. While I may struggle to get the type of plants going that I treasure (cottage, wildflower, cool tones, etc.), the bright tropical flowers do tend to grow well in my yard.
Learn from my mistakes
-Does the soil need to be amended? I plan to get a soil kit and see what needs to change for healthy soil.
-Did I mulch sufficiently around flowers and plants? I didn’t mulch enough in my raised beds which resulted in dead plants (think cooking roots in a box above ground).
-Did I try to grow something that just doesn’t thrive in my climate?
-Did I plant something too late? If I don’t get something in the ground by about mid-May here, I’m almost too late.
-What flourished in my garden? Take note of those plants and try to propagate them.
Try again next year
-Focus on the plants that thrived in our yard.
I do this almost every year and I kick myself. I try to grow “cottage” type flowers in containers around my house, and that just simply doesn’t work in SC. “Hot house” tropical flowers are not my vibe, but honestly, those are the types of plants that survive in pots here in SC. I’m slowly embracing this fact, and hopefully next year I will remember to plant the right things. I tell myself, “The two Vs—focus on vincas and verbena next year for pots.”
Watch for unexpected blessings
-So often God sends us little gifts of encouragement in our gardens. These are usually quiet blessings that we must be still enough to notice and take delight in. One day, I walked by a jug filled with water and some spent butterfly bush blooms from my neighbor and noticed something glorious…roots! The clippings had rooted! My son helped me plant the clipping with the longest roots. Even if this clipping doesn’t take root, my kind neighbor has offered for me to try again which comforts my heart.
How is your garden growing, friends? I hope that you are encouraged to try again even if your dreams don’t quite come to pass. Don't quit. Just keep gardening...
-Ashley
Personal Disclosure
As the author of Ashley Qurollo Blog, all opinions are my own. Any possible applications are universal in nature, not directed at any one individual or people group. My sincere desire is to help others by sharing what I am learning. Nothing stated on this blog is ever intended to hurt others. Ashley Qurollo, owner of Ashley Qurollo Blog and Website, is not held liable in any way for any application of the ideas and thoughts stated here.
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What a lovely attitude to take!
We live in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan and had a very, very cold wet spring and this summer is very cool as well - nights are still in the 50s. A lot of my seeds are specifically for cold climates - tomato seeds from Siberia! - but even those are not thriving. The tomato plants, cukes and zucchini are growing so slowly. Maybe tomatoes in late August?
However, my cold-lovers - radishes, onions, kale. lettuces and ESPECIALLY cabbage - are thriving and I'm trying hard to be grateful for those. Grateful not to have to buy organic lettuce at the store and there's a lot of coleslaw in our future :)
Hi, Ashley! Hang in there! I don't usually get flowers to grow very well, either. Thankfully, the vegetables are coming along despite some rabbit guests. You are right. We should be grateful for what we do have and try again next year!! Thanks for your post!