Apparently not.
For my first ever home-grown crop i planted banana peppers, jalapeno peppers and yellow bell peppers. I had heard, Lord knows where, that pepper plants prove to be stronger than others and successful in nearly every environment. Well that can't be right, but you get the idea-- "A fool can grow a pepper."
This fool has produced three pretty, but fairly weak looking pepper plants. i keep talking to them, watering them...and yes cheating with the Miracle Grow... The plants keep growing, seemingly smiling, though meekly, back at me. And last week a banana pepper appeared! A glorious, baby banana!
i cannot begin to describe my excitement. Everyone i came across knew about my pepper. i began dreaming about how we would use the fruit when it was ready to harvest. If the plant produced nothing else, i would be satisfied with my one perfect pepper.
The next day i bought the 2010 Oxford American, Southern Food Edition, and found this statement in an article written by Warwick Sabin:
"It used to be that keeping a few free-range chickens, tending some grain-fed hogs, and raising a small vegetable garden was how people simply survived. Now these are often vanity projects for young hipsters and retired hedge-fund executives who have discovered the forgotten pleasures of 'heirloom' tomatoes and artisanal sausage. Incredibly, we've reached a point in our society where things that humans have done for thousands of years-- grow a vegetable, smoke or cure a piece of meat--now provide the grounds for smug satisfaction."
A valid, heart wrenching point. "However," i thought, "this is just the first step. Soon i will be growing vegetables with the best of them. If not for survival, at less shocking checkout at Publix." My smugness was still allowable.
i skipped out the next morning to sing to the little pepper, "Oh what a beautiful morning. Oh what a beautiful day. i've got a beau....." It was lying in the soil. By the looks of the crime, a sneaky snail ripped the fruit off the plant, had a tiny snack bite, then left it there to rot in shame.
Failure.
This fool can't grow a pepper.
But i'll keep watering and keep singing and keep hoping that something else will grow.
And i'm happy to take suggestions....
