Patience!

My pretty little flowers have been attacked.  I believe it was powdery mildew, but I don't know.  There was some white stuff on the leaves early on, and now they look like this:

This also represents what has happened to all of my fitness via gardening plans.  And the deck?  Delayed.  These poor flowers look like I feel, fighting hard to bloom, but being overtaken by a choking powdery mildew.  I have powdery mildew.

Meanwhile, that rosebush I cut to nothing is doing well:

Earlier this Summer, I cut this bush down to nothing.  It had been left to its own devices too long and it needed to be done.  Now, although it isn't blooming, it is healthy and strong.  Next year, I expect there will be beautiful roses, if I can figure out how to prune it properly.

Is there a lesson in this for me?  Maybe it is that there are no shortcuts.  When I bought my pretty purple and orange flowers I got a dose of instant gratification.  Instant beauty.  I didn't have to work for that.  I bought plants that were already blooming and just put them in a pot, but the pleasure those flowers brought me didn't last.  Now I feel sad and helpless when I look at them.

And my rosebush?  It needed some ruthless pruning before it could return to a healthier state.  Pruning is scary.  What do I cut?  How much?  What if I cut too much?  What if it never comes back?

I am that rosebush.  I need pruning, but I have everything I need to return to a healthier state once that's done. 

There are no shortcuts.  Ya gotta do the work, and it takes time.  Patience, young padawan!  First, though, you might want to see if there is something hindering your growth that needs to be cut out.