The worst thing about gardening for me...

I often don't know the names of the plants, and sometimes I feel a bit stupid about it! Does anyone else have this?

 

Same problem here, but why feel stupid?

More you garden , the more you learn

 

That is why I'm here. Lots of peeps with lots of knowledge and all willing to help.

 

Hi Sheepy.

I haven't a clue what any of the plants in my garden are called and I don't think I could ever remember. My knowledge of them is limited to what they looked like the year before so I have a reasonable idea about how quickly they've grown, if they're new why I put them where I did (eg; they like shade or match other plants in the same area), and what they look like if they flower. (eg; the ones in the corner have pretty pink flowers come July)

What I do have is a big envelope with all the tags thingies that came with them.

My advice would be to enjoy them for what they are, not what they're called.

Ant.

 

i thought it was just me!

i'll post some pics of my garden later tonight, if anyone recognises anything - shout up!

 

Sheepy I nearly posted a pic of a blade of grass to be identified. Thankfully I was stopped before I embarrassed myself....

 

Don't worry, I have the same problem. I have a particular small shrub I have been trying to put a name to for over two years. It's not in flower yet, but when it is I will post some pics and hope someone will identify it. You never know Sheepy you might recognise it!

 

Same here, even when I try to progam the name into my brain the second i come across it again i have forgotton.

Not knowing is better than being told hundreds of times and still not knowing!

 

Yep, am terrible with plant names myself, especially the latin ones- those have usually gone by the time i've finished reading the sentence! :D

 

There are some plant names I can never get into my head no matter how many times I am told. It's the variety names I don't know, so I give them names of my own, usually connected to where they were from. Consequently, I have dahlias called Country Market,(my favourite), other flowers called Joyce, Bob, Cecily, and Gorgeous and that does make me look stupid at times.

 

Excellent! I am not alone there then. Almost all my plants are called by what they look like or where they come from, I have a willow tree that my daughter calls "the faerie tree", so off I am calling it by that to everyone. I have a "mushroom's" fern that is so called because mushrooms grow under. I call peonies marshmallows after the sweet-thats what they look like-the list could go on.

 

I put phrases in my mind to remember plant names as in word association.

Like..Laburnum....I think of Labradors on fire. Forget-me -nots. I just look at them and think 'Ive forgotten':rolleyes:

 

It's even worse when you have had a plant for yonks, and you know the name off by heart,then someone asks you, what plant is that, and you cannot remember!

I think it is what is called, "brain dead."

Cherrio !!!!

 

I used to work with a woman who called all plants by their Latin name but in a very bad accent!!! It was so funny cause no one knew what plant she was talking about.

Some I remember, some I don't but I think the more you garden and gain knowledge and experience more names will stick.

LOL tweaky, I am impressed how you remember them...

 

Like you Ivory, I have no problem with Latin names but I can sometimes mix them up with Tropical fish and reptiles names as they can be similar and confusing.
I can undrestsand folk not being comfortable with Latin but you can usually get by with common names.
The RHS Encyclopaedia is great (I have the new edition) but you need a crane to lift it.:D