On of the things I enjoy most about gardening is the long cycles of
activity. In a single year, seed begins stratification in fall, takes
chances in the seed bed, gets pricked out and goes through the cycle of
the growing season before taking its chances again out of doors in
winter. Only the following year (perhaps) does it reveal the
characteristics of the plant; some seedlings may take several years,
like "late developing" children. And some of the cycles are far
longer... (I suppose its the same reason I buy wine to lay down, there's
a great satisfaction to shepherding a bottle from the vineyard to the
table during 10 or more years.)

Well, 18 years ago I planted a little pole-stage tulip tree, a stick a
few feet tall. Today it's a fine young tree of perhaps 25 feet. Every
year I scan it, and this year for the first time, a beautiful orange
yellow flower near the top. Really only visible with opera glasses, and
only one, but hopefully the dam has now burst. Worth the wait, and very
satisfying to see.

-E