Most of the time, I despise cliches, well, because they’re cliches. Boring. However, the old adage “Rome wasn’t built in a day” applies to gardening and as I was thinking about this post, it kept coming to mind. I also wondered if you, my lovely readers, would have the patience for not one, but two posts, that give you zero gardening information beyond a “you can do it” pep talk and now a “things you should know” warning. Sorry about that. Think of these two introductory posts as the “Prologue” chapter in a suspenseful novel, like Gone Girl, for instance. You’d be lost if you hadn’t read it before starting the story. With that, read on my aspiring gardeners. 😉
First, maybe I should establish my gardening credibility a bit; you know, beyond this post appearing on the Internet. The truth is, I don’t really have any real garden credentials at all, except my self-education. However, to indulge in another adage: “the proof is in the pudding.” Here a few photos from some of my gardens this year–few plants are currently blooming–and a few from years past.
Now that we’ve (maybe!) established my gardening credibility, here are some things you should know, before you break ground. I’ve found that gardening requires and/or builds these qualities in you, the gardener:
Tenacity: Gardening is not for the faint of heart. To a certain extent, you have to want it; the upside is that, once you’ve started, there’s a reeeeeaaaaalllly good chance you’ll be addicted. That said, it’s not for the weak-hearted. I live in Lake Superior red clay and it is the WORST growing medium one could imagine. Every garden I plant is a raised bed (more on that later!) because red clay grows nothing but grass and weeds.
Patience: This is NOT one of my strong suits, I’ll just say. However, plants, trees, and shrubs take time to establish themselves. This makes gardening both agonizing–like when your dog digs up your new Asiatic lily–and incredibly rewarding–like seeing the first blooms of love-in-a-mist or another breathtaking bloom. Take the long view, or you’ll get really, really frustrated.
Faith: It takes some faith to put a seed in the ground; faith that the seed (probably brown and ugly) will produce something beautiful. I’ll admit that I was dubious about the whole process at first, even asking Thad if he thought it would work. His response: laughter and a resounding yes! As you’ll soon see, it does work.
Vision: Like any artistic pursuit, you have to see it, but not all at once. More than likely that vision will change with the change in seasons. Embrace it and follow your instincts.
Now that we’ve covered the intangibles (and they shouldn’t be be underestimated), time to cover the tangibles. You’ll need the following:
Muscles: Yours or someone else’s are pretty much a must. Here are mine:
Cute, no? :). To garden on something of a budget requires that your muscles or those of your man/neighbor boy or girl are utilized. The good news: according to MyFitnessPal, gardening burns about 250 calories per hour. You’ll see why, I promise.
Money: I know I’ve been emphasizing the affordability aspect in this series, and there are definitely ways you can minimize cost. However, you’ll need to spend some money–how much depends on what you want and where you live–to get started. Once you’ve established a space, most costs are maintenance costs. To give you an idea: I usually spend about $150-$250 per year on plants, seeds, shrubs, etc. Some of you might be aghast at that amount and some of you may be wondering how that’s even possible. All I can say is that a lot of it depends on your location and what you want.
Space: You need a place to garden. Some people create amazing container gardeners or rooftop gardens. Though incredibly cool in their own right, I’m focusing here on a cottage garden. With that in mind, you’ll need a bit, but not a ton, of space.
Ready for the nitty-gritty? Me too! Up next: choosing a site and site preparation. For the whole shebang, find the other entries here: Entry # 1, Entry # 3, Entry # 4, Entry # 5, and Entry # 6.
Dream in color and fragrance, gardening friends,
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