Any gardener that brags about uncommon successes in the garden might be taken for a lunatic. That being said, I don't think we brag near enough and reserve them solely for fellow gardeners or a spouse. The topic, the subject of the matter, is most likely lost if the recipient is not a gardener, very likely they don't even understand what plant your bragging about, or for that matter, that it is a plant.

This realization came to me recently when I watched my snowdrop or Galanthus 'Potter's Prelude' successfully flower from Christmas to mid-January, at which point it was buried under ten inches of snow (where it's still flowering, I'm sure). Last winter and the winter before, the flowers froze, zip and nada to brag about.

In reflection I'm sure that any gardener could recall a particularly brilliant event or season when everything came together and no catastrophic weather event ruined it. Only once in many, many years do I remember when the old fashioned star magnolia came in to flower between the predictable frost cycles, managing to produce flawless flowers, untouched by frost. I suspect this may only happen once in fifteen or twenty years, a poor percentage and one worth bragging about. Do you mention it to the cashier at the grocery store, the mailman when he drops off a box? Oh and by the way, I have a lovely floral stem on my amaryllis with six flowers!

The frustration of keeping this all bottled up is not healthy. Maybe a horticultural bragging hotline is the answer. Better yet, take your pride to your local garden center; let it be known that you were remarkably successful with whatever it is you are. Take it to the plant doctor on site, the person that deals with unhealthy plants and frustrated gardeners. Brag to them, they need it.

Even successful seed starting or keeping a clump of bearded iris weed free is worth a brag. Every time I pull up a poke weed or dandelion from within a flower border with its entire root intact, I take a photograph with my smartphone. My intention has always been to post these pictures on Instagram and get two hundred likes and many comments on how seemingly impossible that is. In the comments I would mention that the best time to achieve this is right after a heavy rain or even while it is raining. I would readily share this so others can send me bragging messages (with photographs), just to show how well it worked.

Surprisingly or not surprisingly, there are only 41 posts with the hashtag gardenbragging on Instagram. Mostly showing vegetables and vegetable gardens, maybe this is our best way to collectively take pride in our accomplishments. Show us some perfectly pulled weeds, some brilliant plant combinations, or your orchid in flower and boast about it! #gardenbragging