On day eight -- a dozen short of the predicted germination date -- my second pot of Denver daisies hit the dirt.

As detailed in this report, the sole Denver daisy to emerge from my last attempt mysteriously disappeared into dust while I was out of town. This time, the culprit was clear: a squirrel that knocked the pot off the deck. Could be that the squirrel was just saving me some future heart-ache, though. According to my highly scientific survey (i.e., I talked with someone at the gardening store around the corner from my office), I'm not the only one having trouble with the Denver daisy, a special Rudbeckia plant designated to honor the 150th anniversary of Denver this year.

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But then, from the first announcement that gold had been found near the confluence of the Platte and Cherry Creek -- exactly 150 years ago this month -- it took several attempts for the new town to take root, too. -- Patricia Calhoun

• Calhoun: Wake-Up Call