Earlier this spring I participated in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon.  This annual event has become quite an experience for the thousands of runners who participate each year.  I have done so eight of the last nine years.  There are many parallels between long distance running and gardening.  In each activity a very important aspect is in the preparation.  With gardening this means preparing the seedbed, making sure soil pH is in proper range, providing conditions to facilitate good drainage, and eliminating competition from weeds.  Another aspect found in both running and gardening is patience and discipline.  Before we harvest any of our edible garden crops or before we enjoy the blooms, foliage or other characteristics of our ornamental flowers, trees and shrubs we must be disciplined to provide ongoing care in the form of watering, fertilization and pest management.  All of this requires time and in many instances it is several weeks if not months from the time we install plants until we can enjoy the best of what they have to offer.  For trees it may take several years of nurturing before we are able to fully enjoy their shade or various other aspects.  With all of the preparation and attention there are still no guarantees things will go as planned.  In the case of my running, I felt more prepared to run the marathon this year than in any previous year, however the weather conditions on race day prevented me from reaching my goals.  Similarly there may be events such as freezes at inopportune times, damage from wind or ice storms, excessive heat, or sudden pest outbreaks that cause significant damage or loss of parts of our landscape or garden.  When these gardening setbacks inevitably occur we should appreciate the positive aspects of our gardens while making efforts to minimize the chances of any significant failures in the future.  There are so many resources available today to help the beginner as well as the seasoned gardener.  Whether it’s making the proper selection of plant material suitable for our area, knowing the cultural preferences of the plants in our gardens, or knowing how to prevent a small pest attack from becoming a major outbreak, the knowledge necessary for success ensures a challenging endeavor for those who love to garden.