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Gardener, Know Thyself

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::repost::


Question:

Which do you prefer, honesty or hype?

Think carefully and answer truthfully, now. Because nine times out of ten…maybe ten out of ten we are going to say “honesty”. We are going to say that, but we will gravitate towards books and videos that tell us we can have it all, our way, with no work, and constant bloom. And even if we are experienced … and our heads tell us “no”, our eyes tell us yes, because we saw the pictures. And pictures don’t lie. Even pictures with impossibly perfect flowers, from different bloomtimes, all crowded together in one little garden space. For us, in our waking dreams which purveyors produce, it can BE.

I hate to break it to you, but you are choosing hype.

Or how about this? Easy, organic, and green, simple, and immediate. Hint, those words don’t go together.

Organic soils are built over time, they are adjusted, and they need attention. All soils need attention over time. They need to be kept fertile and in good tilth.

It is worth it, but it is not simple, and certainly not immediate. We want to say we are green, but with the easy steps of just spraying on this, or adding in that.

We want no bugs, but be ecologically sound. Insects are a part of being ecologically sound.

Just saying.

So the next time you read something or buy into an idea that is just “too good to be true”, it is;  remember that this reality check should apply to the garden, too. Everyone is marketing for your attention, but good things, truly good things, are worth the time they take to create.

I don’t mean to say there is no such thing as easy, because we all have to start somewhere, and small, simple, and easy are the place to start…just use your common sense when adding together the promise and the facts.

And if it makes you feel any better, I confess that I still fall for the hype every once in awhile. some of which I make for myself every year, about this time.

🙂

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Comments

  1. Oh yes, the hype of beautiful and easy seldom go hand in hand. I’ve been wooed into the romantic notion that by simply purchasing the packets of lush seeds I too will have the a container overflowing with beauty. I learned the hard way, but I still struggle with the marketing skills of garden catalogs, nurseries, and centers.

  3. I can always appreciate someone calling it like it is.

    “Know Thyself” is a good axiom for life, no matter who you are or what you are doing.

    Honesty is just a little hard for some people to take, honestly. 🙂 Yet it really beats hype any day. Those who buy into hype will always find reality to be something different…

    That being said, there are no real shortcuts to doing things the right way.

  4. I appreciate that you all added your own words of wisdom here.
    Teresa-
    I love catalogs, and maybe for th every reason I gripe about them- they are just beautiful, but I also want something more than a pipe dream for my hard work in the garden.

    Rob-
    Few are as patient as the gardener… especially when planting a tree,eh?

    Joseph-
    I always feel more comfortable saying and hearing the truth. Even when it stings a little.

    “No real shortcuts” sums it up nicely.

  6. I think as a gardener I am in a different space than I was 30 years ago when I began this all-consuming hobby. I tried many plants that looked so good in the catalogs and online. Most failed. Some survived. Happy about that.

    Now I still want that special plant, like a big tropical this summer. In January I prepare my folder of Garden Goals for the year. Each year brings different experiences that stem from the goals. fun. I love it.