Did anyone ever make fun of you for gardening?

[Shimus]

As I was growing up, most kids were into Football or some sport type. I would be outside jamming to my MP3 player trying out different combinations and weeding my garden. Most times some of the kids would come by and trash my floral arrangements or pull up my garden to be douchebags.

I stopped caring after awhile, though. It was going to happen.

So what I did was plant a garden in plain sight with trash/junk plants for them to trash and moved my personal work out back, where I'd be able to see them if they came to trash it (as my computer room window faced outside toward our shed.)

So, did anyone ever make fun of you for being a green thumb?

 

[marlingardener]

Not until I moved to Texas. I grew up in a farming community and everyone had a green thumb of some sort. In upstate NY, gardening was a brief but pleasant activity between snowstorms.
Now that I'm in Texas I encounter "That's a lot of work" and "You can get that at the grocery". I still grow lots of stuff and enjoy it immensely and let those who make fun of my gardens go hungry!

 

[deepestblues]

Douchebags huh? That's rough. I grew up in the Bronx so gardening was not exactly a popular thing. Things would disappear though (quite often) and I'd freak out a little. I've always been a little out there so I guess most people just shook their heads, had pity and all that other good stuff bullies do. Years later I'm still gardening only now it's on a bigger scale. Different locations, always adapting to whatever life throws at me. But, no... to answer your question. Damn douchebags

 

[claudine]

No, this has never happened to me. People sometimes smile when I talk about my miniature roses and my love for them, but that's all. No one has ever made fun of me.

 

[Rosyrain]

I am not sure that anyone has ever made fun of my gardening before. Where I live, there is a huge movement for people to be self sustainable and it is encouraged to grow your own food. If anyone makes fun of you for growing your own fruits and veggies then they are ignorant and you get to reap the benefits. Perhaps when I was younger someone may have made fun of me for killing a plant or something, but I can't remember.

 

[headfullofbees]

Yes, but it was good-natured.

 

[CanadianLori]

Not after they tried my pepper jelly made from the hot peppers I grow!

 

[MrsJones]

Yes. Mostly my family though because they knew from past experience everything I tried to grow died.. But when we bought our house I was determined that I was going to grow flowers. It's coming along and this forum has been a lot of help.

 

[Shimus]

Not after they tried my pepper jelly made from the hot peppers I grow!

This one made me smile. I just imagined you with a knowing-but-evil grin while doing it too! Haha

 

[CanadianLori]

This one made me smile. I just imagined you with a knowing-but-evil grin while doing it too! Haha

I tell people it's hot and they act like their macho taste buds won't feel the heat...then red faces and perspiration, hee hee hee with horns!!!

 

[gata montes]

Only when happens to me - when people find me still gardening and its starting to get dark - and I ask them to hold the torch

 

[DrCase]

I'm just glad I don't live on a corner

 

[Shimus]

I'm just glad I don't live on a corner

I did. I only recently moved to a place where I have more space and I'm away from the main hustle an bustle of the town. Those unfortunate instances were indeed, on a corner.

 

[Twinsmommy31]

My husband did at first. He didn't think I was going to really want to get into gardening. Once he realized how serious I was he helped me get it going.

 

[tomsrosebud]

There have been a few people make fun. But, it doesn't last very long when I ask them where their food comes from and they can't tell me or they say "the store". Its sad how alot of people don't know where their food comes from and they don't care.

 

[R.R.]

Last month it was lightly raining. My compost tea was ready, so I decided to grab the watering can and give my plants the tea anyway. My neighbor saw what looked like a crazy lady watering while it's raining. She probably made fun of me, but who cares?

 

[Karenna]

Actually, it has been the opposite. People keep on asking me the names of my plants. Many of them want to start a garden, so they ask me about the first few steps, such as preparing the soil and purchasing their first plants. They also ask about problems that have occurred in their gardens and what they should do to solve them.

 

[IcyBC]

No! When I was a kid, my aunt had me care for our vegetables path as they were part of our food supplies. Though I don't know much about it, I just know the vegetables needed water, weeding, and picking. It was a joy and still is a joy for me today.

 

[Shimus]

Another bad story is I saw some 'people' (kids, really, who didn't realize understand how hard it was) and they ripped an elderly lady's garden out.

I helped her save what we could and I taught her some easier methods (she was using slightly outdated ones) and we formed a bond until she passed on. She was just a lonely woman. I guess I was more sensitive then other men around my age. Whatever. Ignorant kids anyways.

 

[headfullofbees]

Another bad story is I saw some 'people' (kids, really, who didn't realize understand how hard it was) and they ripped an elderly lady's garden out.

I helped her save what we could and I taught her some easier methods (she was using slightly outdated ones) and we formed a bond until she passed on. She was just a lonely woman. I guess I was more sensitive then other men around my age. Whatever. Ignorant kids anyways.

Good on you.
I've always enjoyed the company of elderly people since I was a kid.
I think it stems from the fantastic relationship I had with my grandfather, who had been injured in WWI. Never spoke about, but was a really good man.
After that, I always thought, "Respect him/her, because you just don't know what their story might be." and I've found that to be a very rewarding philosophy.