Gardens.

[Durgan]

Some posts I read with amusement. A person with no experience suddenly wants to produce food in a garden. If it were only that simple.

I have a daughter in Japan with two under ten children. She took a small course and thought she was a gardener. They have a roof top suitable for growing a few plants. Then I got an email describing her woes. Here. I got soil, light and water and the seeds whatever they were grew and after about a month all died. After having a good laugh, I told her a two week course does not make a gardener.

Husbandry is is a long tedious process, if one expects some reasonable production. And if one expects quantity it means considerable physical work. A bit a greenery is not a garden. The edible food produced is the real garden. After one of two seasons most rush to the fast food places for their sustenance. Such is the realities of life. Going back to nature is not for the faint hearted.

 

[Plantdoctor]

People need encouragement, not ridicule, your think having a good laugh is encouragment?

We all started somewhere, we all made mistakes, we learnt from those mistakes,gardening is all about what works for you, not everyone wants to grow produce, some just want a lawn for the children to play on ,a few flowers ,a few easy to grow veg.

You gain experience only by trying.

 

[Verdun]

I help people with learning difficulties via garden advice, propagation, planting etc.
Of course encouragement is essential and people must not be afraid to try things.

However like most everything the more you put into something the more you get out of it...........indeed, good husbandry can be a long tedious process as Durgan says.
That extra preparation.......hard work, knowledge of plants, soil, conditions etc..... will pay dividends in the long run. Knowing what plants we can grow in our gardens, what they need to thrive is important too. Growing our own food for example is so rewarding and we will learn year on year how to grow it well.

 

[Tetters]

I`m a qualified old person, and have often found (as Durgan mentions) that some youngsters think they know it all. It can be amusing to stand back and watch as they bumble about making mistakes. That is the time to have a quiet smirk, and be all ready to give the advice and help to continue. They, - or rather WE all learn from making our own mistakes - sometimes it`s the best way
As an afterthought...I have never found gardening (or husbandry) tedious though - hard work maybe

 

[Dawn]

No, a 2-week course does not make a Gardener. All it takes is a pair of hands, the patience to learn from your mistakes, and Google......so much google.

 

[headfullofbees]

Durgan is correct, a two week course does not make a gardener, but Durgan is an excellent gardener, someone who knows how to get the best out of their garden.
As such, I view as Durgan's responsibility to help folks trying to get started, with as much knowledge and expertise as is possible.
Frankly, I see through Durgan's socially imperfect posts, and see that help is what the purpose of so many posts is.

My only advice to Durgan would be to lighten up a little and let folks on here like and value you more personally, as it's the best way to get your valuable advice across.
On the other hand, I would suggest to other members to look through Durgan's dry style and see the value of the posts.

 

[Tetters]

People need encouragement, not ridicule, your think having a good laugh is encouragment?

Have to say - I did not read Durgan's post this way at all. Youngsters often think they know it all. Us oldies have to whip `em into shape don`t we Durgie

 

[Durgan]

Analogy- it is difficult to discuss a power boat if all a person is familiar with is a kayak.

I seldom offer advice only what I have found to be feasible, and seldom give an opinion unless I have documented and tested over some time often years. Usually substantiated with appropriate pictures. I even post my failures if appropriate.

There is a big difference in gardening in the cold North as opposed to the warm South of NA. The British Isles seem to have mixture of both, cold and warm, and often have distinctly different approaches.