Do you think people understand...

...what it is to be a gardener?

As those of us that own a garden know, there are several qualities that people need. Patience, for one. That perfect new lawn for example, is not something that can be achieved overnight. Or that some of the bigger jobs such as cutting a couple of hundred metres of hedging in not done in a few minutes.

Sometimes, it seems to me that non- or "wannabes" dont understand the time and effort needed. What do you others think?

 

I think they soon learn! Then, once they understand the time and effort, they either develop an interest or, abandon gardening altogether!

In my experience though, it has to be said that gardeners tend to be the loveliest people I've met.

 

I quickly learned that I am happiest while working in the garden. I can't sit still and enjoy it for long without the need to do a quick this and that but suddenly realise that it's turned into an all day job again.
The neighbours think I'm mad as they say "but you never seem to stop". Ha ha.

 

So do I, but they never seem to be able to understand....

Agreed!

My neighbours know I'm mad...

 

The longer i'm gardening, the less time I have to be naughty

 

Well, let's be honest ... you have to have someone to make a comparison with; how else would you know all the others were lovely?

 

3 years in i'm only getting the grasp of cutting back, the latin, deadheading in the right place etc etc but I love it ad being corrected so I can learn.
Text my aunt to say I've ripped up the lawn for more flowers, she called me mad too..but I think that is the magic of it, there's always something to be done.

I've actually spurred some people on in my street (around my age/bit older) have bunged summer bedding (and kalanchoes) in, left them to it, a week later they have sparse looking half dead/wilted plants.. and they even ask me what they done wrong and why they didn't come back this year

 

My wife doesn't 'get' gardening , I say I'm just popping outside for half an hour to 'tidy up' (code for I've got loads to do ) and 2 hours later I get shouted back in (or words that suggest that )

 

Judging by the amount of new people that take over allotments on the site I'm at it's true, most people dont have a clue what they are taking on.
All that started new this year appear to have given up and abandoning their plots.

They seem to think you can pull out a few weeds, plant seeds, and come back in two months to harvest them.

 

Hey Linz. I have the same. Selected plants and positioned them for neighbour to the right last year and building planters for left hand neighbours soon as I'm all of a sudden the expert. Ha ha! Glad to assist though even with my limited knowledge.

 

That's another thing I like to do too, sharing (limited) knowledge and learning about the different ways people do things. And if there's "nothing" to do in your own garden, you can always pop next door and help out with her rose bush/weeds.. which I done last Fri