Gardening Limitation #6: Knowledge

While perusing many beautiful garden blogs & articles, I began to contemplate what would be required to transform my garden into one of these amazing showcases.  And this led, naturally, to my determining what obstacles stood between me and my vision.

This was followed by the creation of my Eight Gardening Limitations which I hope to share with everyone over several widespread postings.  They will be listed backwards from the one having the least impact on my personal gardening plans to the one having the greatest (8 = least limiting, 1= most limiting).

Previously posted:
Gardening Limitation #8: Environment
Gardening Limitation #7: Proximity

Gardening Limitation #6: Knowledge

So much to know, so little time, such a small brain.

What is that plant?  Will it grow here?  What about there?  Apparently, most of the plants I bought prefer to grow in the neighbor's yard.  Except for dandelions - those are all mine.

Is there a difference between dappled sun and dappled shade?  Part sun and part shade?  Those seem somewhat synonymous to me.  I think I can at least tell the difference between full sun and full shade - but not too sure about all those gradients in between.

Soil preparation?  The weeds are thriving so it must be really good, right?

And what is it with seeds.  The first year, I tried casting them to the winds.  On the second year, I raked 'em into the dirt.  I poked holes in the ground the third year.  Finally, last year, I roughed 'em up first.  And now you're telling me that all this time I was supposed to be planting them in a different season?

What is that strange fuzzy growth on my plant?  At first I thought it was kinda cool - then the leaves turned yellow and fell off.  Now I'm thinking less of it.  Especially now that it's also on that other plant over there...and over there too.

Have you seen all those tiny bugs hiding on the underside of my leaves?  Some are green, some white, some have pretty colors.  Good guys?  Bad guys?  I nudged one with my finger and now there are blisters on it (on my finger, not the bug).  Then again, it might have come from that triple-leafed ivy that I pulled up yesterday.  Itches too.

And what is this garden design element I keep hearing about?  Sounds somehow mysterious and mystical.  I think I may have recognized it in other people's gardens - did it have something to do with the gnomes?  Not sure if it has a place in my garden.

It can be a bit intimidating at times.

Ok - it can be incredibly, vastly intimidating pretty much all the damn time.  Every time I read another gardener's blog or tour another person's garden, I recognize how much I don't know.  That wide chasm of ignorance can appear so impossible to span that many a gardener simply throws in the trowel.

One must enter the garden with the insight that not everyone knows everything.  And that in your effort to create, you will be progressing through a learning process.  Very few sit down for the first time and paint a masterpiece.  Gardening is a series of visions, followed by attempts, then by re-evaluation - repeated over and over again.  On a living canvas that is influenced not only by the gardener, but by nature itself.

Gardening requires making mistakes.  The gardener must acknowledge & appreciate what has worked for them, recognize & progress through what has not.  Every planting is an experiment - a chance to try something new.  An opportunity to learn.

I recently overheard an employee at a nursery informing a customer new to gardening not to worry about losing a few plants: "If you're not killing some plants, then you're not growing as a gardener."  That actually made me feel a little better (though I also thought it was a good philosophy for a nursery to preach if it wanted to stay in business).

Fortunately, knowledge can be obtained.  Certainly being able to pull the needed information immediately from one's mind makes things much easier.  But it is but a small hindrance as one can gather the needed information if one invests the time and effort.  And one must be willing to recognize that even with all the data gathered and applied, gardening is still primarily advanced through trial and error.

A lack of knowledge may limit how quickly your garden achieves your vision, but it can only stop one from moving towards that goal if the gardener gives up.

(Next up: Gardening Limitation #5: Artistry)

Gardening Limitation #7: Proximity

While perusing many beautiful garden blogs & articles, I began to contemplate what would be required to transform my garden into one of these amazing showcases.  And this led, naturally, to my determining what obstacles stood between me and my vision.

This was followed by the creation of my Eight Gardening Limitations which I hope to share with everyone over several widespread postings.  They will be listed backwards from the one having the least impact on my personal gardening plans to the one having the greatest (8 = least limiting, 1= most limiting).

Previously posted:
Gardening Limitation #8: Environment

Gardening Limitation #7: Proximity

I define proximity as "a nearness to resources".  Though the internet, email and mail-order (not to mention television and radio) have helped to bring resources & information directly into our homes (and gardens), pictures and text are simply not the same as the real thing.  Being able to reach out and touch the plant, to actually view the shrub growing in your zone, to have discussions, face to face, with experienced gardeners from your area - these are some of the most valuable gardening resources available.

Local plant nurseries typically provide higher quality plants for less cost than most other means and are a great resource for purchasing native and adapted plants specific for your area.

Family Member: "Look dear, I found just the plant we need. See how big & full it looks in the online catalog?"
Gardener: "Yes, looks quite nice."
Family Member: "Hmmm, it appears they only sell it in 4 inch containers."
Gardener: "What!? That's not what the picture shows. It'll take years to get even close to what the picture shows."
Family Member: "Well, its just $12. And then there's the shipping from way up north, let's see, that adds another $10. No tax though, that's nice. So it'll only cost $22"
Gardener: "(Incoherent choking sounds)"

Even better, the really good nurseries are also founts of gardening knowledge.  They provide additional insights into raising the plant in your specific locale.  Perhaps a particular plant is usually listed as sun-loving, but your local nursery will advise you to provide some afternoon shade as your sun is pretty intense.  Or maybe they'll point out that this species can be rather invasive in your garden due to your mild winters - and then guide you to an appropriate substitute.  Often, even the plant information provided on the individual sale signs will have a regional flavor missing in big box nursery shops or on the generic pot labels from distant growers.

Local gardening organizations & societies are another great means of sharing information on your area's growing conditions or on your own particular plant interests.  While it is common for these groups to have an online presence, it is not a substitute for being able to actually meet both people and plant alike.  Visiting home gardens, discussing plant varieties, investigating growing conditions and even sharing plants - all benefits to the gardener who can participate in these groups.

Nearby botanical gardens also provide another great resource.  Walking through these gardens allows one to actually see growing plants that are adapted to the local conditions and situations.  Species names and plant information are readily available - helping the gardener to discover both new plants and new ideas.

Much like Limitation #8 (Environment), short of moving, not much can be done to directly overcome the proximity limitation.  A blog I recently read mentioned a two hour drive into town - imagine the effort required to access resources for that garden (or even possibly the non-existence of such resources) - and the restrictions placed upon the gardener.  If one lives far from these resources, the best you can do is minimize their absence.

The internet, email and mail-order significantly help to alleviate the impact of an unfavorable proximity.  But nothing replaces that human to human contact, or even that human to plant contact.  No matter the online research I conduct, it doesn't substitute for actually being able to view the plant growing in similar conditions in my area or discussing it with a knowledgeable individual.

While not having these resources nearby will likely not prevent one from achieving their gardening goals, it makes the journey more arduous.

(Next up: Gardening Limitation #6: Knowledge)

Gardening Limitation #8: Environment

While perusing many beautiful garden blogs & articles, I began to contemplate what would be required to transform my garden into one of these amazing showcases.  And this led, naturally, to my determining what obstacles stood between me and my vision.

This was followed by the creation of my Eight Gardening Limitations which I hope to share with everyone over several postings.  They will be listed backwards from the one having the least impact on my personal gardening plans to the one having the greatest (8 = least limiting, 1= most limiting).

Gardening Limitation #8: Environment

 Every gardener feels their situation is unique and demanding:

Texas: "Sure, you northerners also have shade, but I have hot summer nights, high humidity & drought - at least your ferns and hostas get cool nights and regular rainfall."

Oregon: "Yeah, but we have slugs the size of chipmunks plus moles and voles and even chipmunks the size of slugs. Not to mention blizzards and six month long winters. And did I mention the slugs?"

But chances are good that if you visit any nearby wild area, you'll see that nature has no problem with the environment.  The issue is that our gardening desire often conflicts with our environment :

Customer: "All I want is an evergreen shrub, four foot tall & wide with variegated foliage, that is relatively drought tolerant, stands our heat and will grow in the shade."
Nursery: "Hey - we can do that!"
Customer: "And I want it to bloom from March through October"
Nursery: "Oh...well...hmmm..."

Though some native or adapted plants may find their way into the garden, others may not be particularly pleasing to us (Poison Ivy is actually quite nice looking, has vivid winter coloration and grows quite well in my environment, but I'm thinking I'll be removing it from my garden).  Maybe these plants lack that special something that makes them stand out - unique foliage or vibrant long-lasting blooms.  Or perhaps they are too well adapted, growing with wild abandon and taking over the garden space.  Though gardeners like natural & full, we also like tidy and structured.

And we also often tend to push the edges of what is appropriate for our environment.

Spring: "Hmmm. The plant data says it will do fine up to Gardening Zone 10. I'm in 8b - that's pretty close. I mean, really, when was the last time we got down to 20 degree around here?"
Winter: "Dear, the house is quite cold, so I turned up the heat. And look out the window! Is that snow? Isn't it wonderful? But why are your pretty succulents changing from green to black? And they appear to be...melting. Dear, are you crying?"

Of course, short of moving, we cannot make changes to the major aspects of our environment.  The garden plans will have to adapt to the seasonal temperatures & rainfall patterns.  One can, however, make small changes to the local micro-environment.  A gardener can install watering systems to augment limited rainfall, introduce mineral supplements to compensate for soil deficiencies, or even thin or remove trees to increase sunshine.

Obviously the environment places limitations (AKA "reality") on our gardening vision.  I won't be growing cacti in my deep shade areas, nor will I have much success raising moisture-loving plants in my dry, limestone-enriched soils.

And some may even argue that the environment does limit our garden from being spectacular.  But, I have seen pictures of incredible gardens in almost every imaginable environment.  There are blogs & magazines showing beautiful desert gardens, colorful pinewood shade gardens, luxurious tropical jungle gardens and breathtaking high mountain garden meadows.  So I know they can exist.

Though the environment may limit our plant selections, and we may have to adapt to it's demands, it actually plays only a very minor role in preventing a gardener from realizing their grand vision.  Thus it is the least of the eight limitations.

(Next up: Gardening Limitation #7: Proximity)