I do not understand what happened in this planter this year.



I planted the strawberries (from small pots) and marigolds (from seeds) about June 1. See the flower? This is the first marigold to bloom all summer! You can't tell very well from the photo, but the blooming marigold is 18 inches tall. The one hanging over the side in the rear is two and a half feet long. Both have thick stems but, until now, no flowers. Have you ever seen marigolds like these? I haven't. I expected compact little plants that would bloom all summer.

As for the strawberries, they never bloomed all summer (forget berries).

The planter and the soil in it came from legendary gardener Rose Busch. This summer I fertilized the plants with Miracle Gro several times. I have a planter just like it, planted and fertilized the same way, on the other side of the taller planter, and the strawberries and marigolds in it have are just as tall/flowerless/fruitless.

I don't understand. I obviously have a lot to learn.