I always find when I meet someone who also gardens that there is an instant connection and it is easy to carry on a conversation. Generally it goes like this:

Them: Are you a master gardener?
Me: You could say that.
3rd person: She has a degree in horticulture!
Me: But I did attend the master gardener classes with a couple of people who thought it would help if I went along as an interpreter.
Them: What kind of gardening do you do?
Me: (thinking… there are kinds of gardening? I have to pick? But I don’t limit myself!) Oh, I do vegetables, flowers, you name it.
3rd person: She also has a lot of tools, ask her about her truck.
Them: What about your truck?
Me: I have a truck so I can haul stuff I need for gardening, like mulch, without trashing up my car.
Them: Where do you get your mulch?
Me: Generally, I go to Indiana Mulch. It is about 12 minutes from my house.
Me: What kind of gardening do you do?
Them: Mostly flowers (or mostly vegetables or whatever)

And so it goes, an instant rapport.

Today at work, two people asked me about lilacs and what type to get. Another co-worker said they needed to find someone to spray their apple trees. I advised him not to spray if he just wants a few apples and isn’t planning to set up a road side stand in the fall, at least for this 1st year that he owns the house that came with apple trees. Next year, if he is just not happy with the apples, he can spray. He then said he needed someone to top his soft maples. I told him to find someone who would trim them instead. I just hate to see trees that have been toppped. Some else ask me about planting pear trees. I told them to get a named variety like “Cleveland”. Someone else asked about red maples, and so it went.

‘Tis spring, so I expect to get a lot more questions at work about gardening. I don’t mind, I can talk about gardening anytime. And, if I don’t know an answer, I am more than happy to do some research, and learn a little more or remember soemthing I’ve forgotten!