THere is a wonderful t-shirt that I keep seeing online. In bold it proudly proclaims, “Introverted but ready to discuss plants.” Judging by the number of fearful gardening questions I get, I feel like I’m already wearing one. What surprises me about most of these questions, however, is that they come from people who, whether they know it or not, care not so much about their gardens as they care about the opinions of others.
Perhaps the most common question is, “Is that a weed or a flower?” It happens so often that I have a standard answer that always provokes a confused response: “Do you like it? If so, it’s not a weed. ”It seems that many gardeners, especially beginners, have an innate fear of the hobby, especially when it comes to the“ rules ”of horticulture. The reality, however, is that many of these rules have nothing to do with the actual health of plants or the success of your act, but are merely quirky, cultural beliefs that date largely back to the Victorian era. The only difference between a “weed” and a “wildflower” is your cultural perception. When my Malaysian relatives come to the UK, they can’t get over the fact that Mimosa pudica is sold here as an exotic houseplant while at home it’s a roadside weed. They are also amazed at the curious beauty of the thistles and ask where to buy the seeds. Take a daisy out of a lawn and grow it for more blooms and larger blooms and it’s suddenly being renamed as a brilliant bedding plant in our minds, despite them being much harder to grow (and far less magical in my opinion) than spontaneously dusting on one Race.
Pea peas: Often a bad choice in terms of taste. Photo: Rex May / Alamy
There are a lot of “How Do I Make My Tree Grow Straight?” Followed by pictures of the most beautiful, characterful, windswept specimens that would have taken a bonsai master years of pruning and wiring to create. Honestly, if you wanted to buy a tree like this for an exhibition garden in Chelsea, you couldn’t. So enjoy the wonder nature created for you. This perceived need to adapt to regulated shapes and rows is at the top of the deeply rooted idea that everything was better in the past than it is today. For example: “Where can I find pea peas?” an automatically disbelieving look follows when I explain that peas are wonderfully dried for making pots, but a really bad choice for our modern love of eating them fresh, sweet and green. There are also some concerns about the exact angle and position when pruning roses, although there is evidence that if you just give up the old school rules and go around those every fall, you can get the same (if not better) results Cut back half. There seems to be a fear that a member of the old guard will stand over your shoulder waiting to judge you as soon as you go outside. But it just doesn’t have to be that way.
The ironic thing is that the Victorians were fascinating gardeners who came up with all sorts of horticultural wonders precisely because they were incredibly adventurous. However, you are unlikely to live a Victorian life when it comes to food, work, travel, family, or love. So why should you feel constrained by rigid rules that are outdated or no longer relevant to gardening? Not being dogmatic means you are free to experiment and come up with exciting new ideas. Sometimes these experiments will not be successful, but this is how we learn. If you’re not worried about getting it “right,” you will likely do a lot better gardening – and will have more fun doing it, too.
Follow James on Twitter @Botanygeek
