I thought it was just me. I felt that I was cursed. Every plant that I have ever tried to grow has died. They didn't die after years of thriving. In fact, they didn't even have a week of thriving. They have all died within three weeks, but maybe I'm not a terrible plant parent, but I'm choosing to grow plants that are just above my difficulty level.

Brecks, a mail-order gardening company, recently published a list of plants by the level of difficulty. According to their research, the most difficult plants to grow and maintain are orchids, elephant ears, dahlias, and ferns. Maybe I should have gone with something a little less complicated, like an aloe plant, which they say is the easiest plant.

We are fortunate to live in Idaho, where growing plants is relatively easy compared to other states. Brecks put a difficulty level from 1-10 on different flowers to determine which states had the most straightforward and most challenging growing flowers. The easiest flower to grow in Nevada is an iris, but the difficulty level is 4.67. Idaho's easiest flower is also an iris, but the difficulty level here is a 1.

Even if, like me, growing and maintaining plants seems to be an arduous task, it's nice to be so close to wildflowers and great plants that grow naturally near the Boise River. We have done a great job of maintaining nature as we grow in population. That is just one more reason that so many people are attracted to our area.

LOOK: Stunning vintage photos capture the beauty of America's national parks

Today these parks are located throughout the country in 25 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The land encompassing them was either purchased or donated, though much of it had been inhabited by native people for thousands of years before the founding of the United States. These areas are protected and revered as educational resources about the natural world, and as spaces for exploration.

Keep scrolling for 50 vintage photos that show the beauty of America's national parks.

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