Greetings to all members of the Society for the Preservation and Propagation of Old-Time Gardening Wisdom, Lore, and Superstition (SPPOTGWLS or “the Society”)
I, your self appointed President, have been asked to pass along the following announcement to all members, past, present, and future…
Are you a gardener who doesn’t need to read the instructions on the seed packet to know how to plant your seeds? Maybe you are a “perennial whisperer” who can tell just by looking how best to divide a perennial? Or maybe you have better sense than to call into a garden talk show on the radio and ask why your burning bush isn’t as bright a red as your neighbor’s and is there a chemical you can spray on it to make it a better color of red? (I can’t make up stuff like that. I really heard that on a radio call in show.)
If you are a seed sowing, perennial dividing, don’t-expect-to-solve-your-issues-with-chemicals kind of gardener, then I’m looking for you.
Yes, you.
Don’t try to hide the garden dirt ground into your hands or those Felco pruners. Don’t deny that you are a pretty darn good gardener, maybe even a bit of an eccentric gardener. You know your way up and down the garden path. Really, you are nodding your head now, knowing I’ve just described you. Good…
You are about to be recruited for a new gardening initiative… the “Garden PATH”.
As in “Pass Along The Horticulture” … PATH
Remember when you didn’t know your way around the garden? Remember when you had to watch for signs, look stuff up in books or online, or wait for someone to give you directions? Remember when you had a thousand questions about plants and gardening? (You still might have a thousand questions, but I’d guess you’ve already answered a thousand questions and are on your second set of a thousand questions about gardening).
What was that garden path like that you followed to get where you are today as a gardener? I’m guessing that there is a good chance that someone helped you along the way by teaching you, sharing their gardening secrets with you, or just encouraging you.
However you got to be a pretty good gardener, it’s time to share that knowledge with others! You need to lead others down the garden PATH now in a “plant it forward” fashion.
You need to “pass along the horticulture”.
Yes, you do. You know you do. You know you should. Get going. Just do it now. Help another gardener down the garden PATH – pass along the horticulture.
As your president, I endorse this message and this initiative.
Humbly submitted by:
Carol
Current President, SPPOTGWLS
May Dreams Gardens
Isn't it all about sharing.
I feel I'm a pretty good gardener with regards to what's growing at my home. Not a master gardener but just one who learns from trial and error, do try to share this with friends and through my blog. Still lots to learn,so I keep reading and little by little pick up tips and tricks from other garden bloggers.
Garden bloggers rule !
Yes Madam President I second the motion of passing along all bits of knowledge gathered along the path to the garden of Greenbow. Part of the fun of gardening is passing along that knowledge and knowing it is growing in anothers garden.
Sometimes it's harder to STOP a successful gardener from passing on tips and information. One little question like, "What's that pretty flower?" can turn into a 20 minute diatribe of gardening information. LOL
I vote Aye. Because I know I have benefited from the passing along of the horticulture from many other sources for a long (amount not to be disclosed) time. And yes, I do still have a second set of 1,000 questions — for others to answer, but I am happy to share in the spirit of gardening cooperation!
I'm in Carol! I owe much of what I know about gardening to my parents, and have been helped along the way by more gardeners than I can count.
One of the more rewarding aspects of gardening for me, is passing along what I've learned, and more than a few plants, to wanna-be, newbie and less-experienced gardens.
Gardening is a life-long learning adventure, helping keep even the more experienced among us humble, and grateful for the generous spirit of sharing that characterizes most of the gardeners I know.
I'm with Marie – sometimes it's hard to stop passing along the horticulture, even when it wasn't solicited. (Help, I'm talking & I can't shut up!) I do agree with this initiative, as I just want everyone to have beautiful surroundings that make them happy.
I stumbled on your blog looking for info on the Burning bush. Loved what I read… it was an old post so I refreshed so I could see the current.
I don't know if I qualify yet, Carol, as I still look at the seed packets for directions, have a thousand questions, and still research lots of gardening-related concerns. But I have tried to pass on a little knowledge to anyone interested, such as my daughter-in-law: "water those containers I planted for you even if it rains once a week!"
But you definitely deserve the title of Madam President here, Carol; you and so many other bloggers have been leading me slowly down the "Path," and I thank all of you for that!
I think that PATH is an integral component of garden blogging. We share our experiences on our blogs and before we know it we have scores of new friends, gardeners new and longtime, who pass along their stories and often plants and seeds.
Well, Madam President, it if wasn't for "knowledgable" gardeners along the way, I would still be planting things upside down. Alsways loved pretty things, but as an apartment dwelling family there wasn't much gardening going on. Joined a local hort society and that was it – advice everywhere, cutting every week, shared ideas. Thanks to all you expert gardeners, I know "green side up".
I've already been doing that for awhile. People know to ask me garden related questions, just like they ask my husband computer questions. Sometimes I know the answer, sometimes I can tell them where to find out. I also give lots of plants away.
It is all about sharing…a group of wonderful women, including my mom and mother-in-law took me under their wings and showed me the way down the garden path. They shared knowledge and plants and I've done my best to follow in their footsteps.
Another post that makes me smile. Thank you.
Madame President, can I get an amen? Amen! Yes, I think all bloggers are trying to do just that. About that burning bush, I have this lilac . . . just kidding. A sweet and tender post about passing it on.~~Dee
PATH is part of why I blog, and why I write about gardens in general. I get to visit other gardeners, learn their tips and techniques, use them and pass them along. Passing along encouragement is also vital. I don't know where I would be without early encouragement.
PATH sounds like the kind of thing I want to be involved in. Thanks for another good post.