Why the Reluctant Gardener?

Why the Reluctant Gardener?

So, why the Reluctant Gardener?  you may ask.  Well, there are a number of reasons, really, although none of them may sound particularly convincing or reasonable?.

I love flowers and shrubs and trees.  In fact, I love nature!  I appreciate a beautifully laid-out and neat garden as much as the next gal.  The thing is, I know nothing about them.  And, I mean, NOTHING!  In fact, I’m so clueless about gardening that I could probably count, on my one hand, the names of plants that I know and that number dwindles even further if you’re wanting me to point them out.  Yes, I’m that clueless.  Oh, and I have no imagination when it comes to visualising with a blank canvas.

But, this is the year of the challenge, right?  The year I will push myself to do the things that I’ve always wanted to do but never had the time for like grow my own vegetables and ‘landscape’ my newly-acquired back-garden.  The good news is that I want to do this by relying on the information I glean off the internet.  I could make use of landscapers and other such professional people but there are two drawbacks to this:  1)  I want to have the satisfaction of creating this by and for myself, earn a sense of achievement and b)  I often have to cancel and/or reschedule appointments if I’m suddenly struck down by a relapse.  This can be quite stressful for me but it’s also not fair on people who are trying to earn a living if someone cancels on them last minute.

So, by doing this myself, I will not only eliminate the stress of timescales and appointments but I will also be gaining the experience and knowledge to make this both a satisfying and enduring project.  It would also be a very fulfilling experience if I could connect with people online who have a wealth of information to impart and who are passionate about gardening.  There is nothing more infectious than when you are in the company of someone who is totally passionate about something…it does rub off.  The expectation is that this information will help me to rise to the challenge of growing my own vegetables, create a calm and beautiful outdoor space that is both functional and colourful and keep me on track and motivated.

My first task will be to map the desired layout of the back garden.  I have started sourcing layouts:  I like using Pinterest and Google for inspiration and I’ve already come up with a few ideas.  EXCITING!!  I will share those in the next post as I will definitely need help with what plants to put where and seek answers to questions I don’t even know to ask yet ???