Five Questions Answered About Spinstercore Gardening

After introducing the concept of Spinstercore Gardening a few weeks ago, I received a few questions from those who want to garden this way.

First, if you missed the introduction to Spinstercore Gardening in that previous blog post, and have no idea what it is, here’s a quick definition.

Briefly, if you combine cottagecore with grandmacore, add in a bit of the attitude of one of the most famous spinsters, Miss Jane Marple, and hire others to do the heavy lifting in your garden, you are participating in the latest gardening craze, spinstercore gardening.

Now, here are five questions commonly asked about spinstercore gardening, with answers.

Do you have to be a spinster to practice spinstercore gardening?

After some discussion, we have decided that you absolutely do not have to be single to be a spinstercore gardener. Anyone who decides it’s time to hire someone to do the heavy lifting in their garden, leaving time and energy for more genteel gardening, can become a spinstercore gardener.

Is cottagecore required?

Yes. Spinstercore gardening doesn’t work well with gardens that are overly fussy or where shrubs are pruned to precise dimensions! If you are truly a spinstercore gardener, you should want a garden that is a little blurry around the edges, filled with a mix of flowers and vegetables. In other words, a cottage style or cottagecore garden. You will also naturally tend to garden with an organic approach and consider violets in your lawn as something to be celebrated and not as a reason to reach for a toxic chemical. If you do decide to control a few dandelions, you choose an organic approach.

Is grandmacore required?

Again, yes. With that time and energy you saved by adoptiong spinstercore gardening, you’ll want to honor your grandparents and other generations by trying your hand at a few crafts, including cooking from scratch with all those delicious vegetables that you should be growing in your garden. Other suitable grandmacore crafts include reading, needlework, knitting and woodworking. Choose those that interest you the most.

Do you actually need to hire help to do the heavy lifting in your garden, or is the intent to do so enough?

Hiring someone to do those tasks that are more easily done by a strong crew is at the core of spinstercore gardening! But if this all new to you and you intend to hire someone, but haven’t gotten around to doing so, you are still most welcome to be in the Spinstercore Gardening Club. We are sure that once you hear about how transformative it can be to let someone else do the back-breaking work of the garden, you’ll soon hire someone whose cost fits within your gardening budget.

Do you need a mystery to solve to be a spinstercore gardener?

No. Even though Miss Jane Marple, our role model, was a bit of a detective who, through observation and the occasional conversation with an unsuspecting suspect, solved more than one mystery, you don’t need to be working on solving an actual mystery to practice spinstercore gardening. But you should always remain curious and ready to use the time you’ve saved by hiring out help to try a few new hobbies and activities that allow you to observe and learn.

And a sixth bonus question and answer.

If you practice spinstercore gardening, can you personally use power tools?

Of course you can use power tools, as long as those power tools are small, lightweight, and easily managed by you. This includes edgers, blowers, and smaller mowers. You should not, however, use chain saws, front-end loaders, or any equipment that requires you to put on a back pack. Nor should you do any spraying of pesticides that requires you to put on protective clothing, which you should do with any pesticide. (See above about an organic approach.) You should be able to go from the garden to the kitchen without having to put on a completely new outfit.

I hope these questions and answers have helped you better understand spinstercore gardening, and why it may be the exact gardening style you were looking for. If it is, welcome to the Spinstercore Gardening Club! We are pleased to have you as a member.

This post is garden-fairy approved.