The Pumpkin Grower’s Roses
by Lola E. Peters
Two friends are walking down a residential street. One is a visitor from out of town whose prize-winning pumpkins are known throughout the land. As they pass a yard filled with beautiful flowers, the pumpkin grower stops in awe.
“Those are beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like them where I’m from. What are they?”
“Roses,” responds their companion.
“Oh, I’d love to have some. Let’s knock on the front door and see if they’ll let us have a few.”
They knock on the door and the agreeable homeowner, grateful for their praise, cuts an array of roses for them.
The next day, the pumpkin grower leaves for home and takes some of the roses for the journey. A month later, they call their companion.
“Something must have been wrong with those roses,” they say.
“Why?” asks the companion.
“I sprinkled them all over my pumpkin patch, but they just wilted and died.”
Trying not to laugh, the companion said, “You can’t just sprinkle them in your pumpkin patch. They’re not like pumpkins. They don’t have seeds.”
“Well, then, how do you grow them?” asked the pumpkin expert.
“You have to plant them. They have a root ball.”
“Oh. What’s a root ball, and how do I get one?” asked the pumpkin expert.
“I’ll ask the people at the house where we got the roses,” responded the companion. “I’ll email you the information.”
The next day the companion emailed the pumpkin expert a link to a website full of options for finding just the right root balls to grow different types of roses.
A few months later the companion called the pumpkin expert. “How’re your roses doing?” they queried.
“Well, I dug them up and threw them away,” replied the pumpkin expert.
“Why,” asked the companion in surprise, “what went wrong?”
“I don’t know! They just didn't work out. I planted them in the same soil as my prize-winning pumpkins. I watered them the same way. Used the same kind of fertilizer. I think roses just don’t have the ability to flourish in this part of the world.”
“Oh, my friend,” sighed the companion. “Roses can’t be treated like pumpkins. If you want roses, or anything other than pumpkins, to grow in your yard, you need to understand what makes them grow. You need to make sure the ground is properly cleared and prepared for them; rocks removed, and pH levels corrected. They need to be exposed to the proper measures of sunlight and shade. Their unique watering needs must be met.”
“That’s a lot of work,” said the pumpkin grower. “It might mean giving up some of the land my pumpkins now occupy.”
“Yes,” responded the companion. “It requires a changed mindset, dedication, vigilance, and a new way of working. You must decide how important it is to you and make the appropriate choices. If you want the beauty of roses, you must make changes and do the hard work."
“Those are beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like them where I’m from. What are they?”
“Roses,” responds their companion.
“Oh, I’d love to have some. Let’s knock on the front door and see if they’ll let us have a few.”
They knock on the door and the agreeable homeowner, grateful for their praise, cuts an array of roses for them.
The next day, the pumpkin grower leaves for home and takes some of the roses for the journey. A month later, they call their companion.
“Something must have been wrong with those roses,” they say.
“Why?” asks the companion.
“I sprinkled them all over my pumpkin patch, but they just wilted and died.”
Trying not to laugh, the companion said, “You can’t just sprinkle them in your pumpkin patch. They’re not like pumpkins. They don’t have seeds.”
“Well, then, how do you grow them?” asked the pumpkin expert.
“You have to plant them. They have a root ball.”
“Oh. What’s a root ball, and how do I get one?” asked the pumpkin expert.
“I’ll ask the people at the house where we got the roses,” responded the companion. “I’ll email you the information.”
The next day the companion emailed the pumpkin expert a link to a website full of options for finding just the right root balls to grow different types of roses.
A few months later the companion called the pumpkin expert. “How’re your roses doing?” they queried.
“Well, I dug them up and threw them away,” replied the pumpkin expert.
“Why,” asked the companion in surprise, “what went wrong?”
“I don’t know! They just didn't work out. I planted them in the same soil as my prize-winning pumpkins. I watered them the same way. Used the same kind of fertilizer. I think roses just don’t have the ability to flourish in this part of the world.”
“Oh, my friend,” sighed the companion. “Roses can’t be treated like pumpkins. If you want roses, or anything other than pumpkins, to grow in your yard, you need to understand what makes them grow. You need to make sure the ground is properly cleared and prepared for them; rocks removed, and pH levels corrected. They need to be exposed to the proper measures of sunlight and shade. Their unique watering needs must be met.”
“That’s a lot of work,” said the pumpkin grower. “It might mean giving up some of the land my pumpkins now occupy.”
“Yes,” responded the companion. “It requires a changed mindset, dedication, vigilance, and a new way of working. You must decide how important it is to you and make the appropriate choices. If you want the beauty of roses, you must make changes and do the hard work."