Children's Garden -Part 1: Appreciating Diversity

On the eve of a new school year, also finding the summer coming to an end, I find parallels between the flowering plants and my students. This is nothing ground breaking, just thoughts that help me make sense of the difficult profession of teaching. 
This morning I spent time cutting off the spent blooms of my phlox. They make my garden glorious with their large blooms, but when they are done they are an eye sore.  I could just trim the tops and hope that they come back to flower again, but I'd rather they were gone. Some show signs of blight, no doubt because of overcrowding, and need to be pulled out.  Now, not only does my garden look better, but other plants now have room to grow and bloom.

The phlox do tend to take over the beds, and they are tall!  But I always wait until they have flowered before I let them go.  I like the way they flower late, like the finale of a firework show. They have been growing, preparing to bloom all year. How can I deny them their moment in the show?
Fortunately not every flower blooms in August.  That would lead to a very boring garden. Each flower has its time, and blooming pattern. It is something to learn and anticipate, and celebrate when they come into their own.
A classroom of children will have early and late bloomers, those that stand out more than others; shy and hiding beneath their leaves, or climbers aiming to reach the sky.  This diversity shows itself not only in character and learning style, but in social economic background as well.  The native wildflowers grow strong and thick, while the sensitive English lavender or tropical canna require much more care.
What each child needs and when is the secret to teaching.  Most often they will bloom where and when they are most comfortable, I am can try a few different situations until I get it right.  Success and failure are both part of the equation.

Many want to fill their yard with annuals.  They flower continuously throughout summer and will bring you lots admiration from others.  There is little work involved (mainly money) and you will seem like an expert gardener.  Children are not annuals.  You cannot buy their learning and a classroom full of all the latest technology will not necessarily bring them success. They don't become pot-worthy over night. They will take time, go through an awkward stage and simply refuse to bloom until they are ready. And children are messy.  They are forever getting themselves where they shouldn't be and growing the wrong way.  They need constant monitoring while they are in our care.
I grew a morning glory from seed last April and moved its location three times before it really took off.  Once started, it grew 4-5 inches a day and I had to provide it with support with stakes and wire. 

It was grown up as far as it can go on the feeder pole. Each day I helped it wind its way round and watered it.  Now what? There is not much else I can do.  Now it will have to decide on its own.  And it still hasn't flowered.
The hostas are a gardeners staple. They are well behaved, will thrive even when ignored, and make the garden look healthy and well kept. There are students that I know I can count on to make me look good. They aim to please and make little fuss.  They are easy to forget until... they decide to send out an unexpectedly long flower stem.  It is their way of saying, "Remember me?"   To the humble hasta:

Bravo! Well done, you good and faithful companion.  The flighty butterflies may pass you by, but the hummingbirds will visit your tall flowers on their way south for the winter. In your honor I created a separate garden in the shade where your type of beauty will be appreciated, and will not be crowded out of view by the other ground cover. But I left you in my other flower beds too, because 

they wouldn't be the same without you.