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Summary: For those of you in the process of becoming a gardener, here are a few things that will provide you with at least some of the knowledge required. Should all your efforts fail and you are forced to come to the conclusion that gardening is not your forte, fret not; at the very least you will be able to contribute to the conversation next time the topic comes up!
Our
gardening column is published every Tuesday on OttawaStart.
Read previous columns here.
As is the case with most things in life, gardening is a process of trial
and error – or to quote the title of British TV-gardener Alan
Titchmarsh’s book - a process of “Trowel and Error”.
There is no such thing as waking up one day realizing you’re a
“green expert”. Instead, you – literally – dig
through piles of soil and learn as you go. Gardening is like any other
hobby or profession; it consists of 90% dedication, perspiration, eagerness
to learn, love of what you are doing, and 10% talent. No need to fret
though; even without the 10% talent, you could end up being a very successful
gardener, as long as you enjoy it.
For those of you in the process of becoming a gardener, here are a
few things that will provide you with at least some of the knowledge
required. Should all your efforts fail and you are forced to come to
the conclusion that gardening is not your forte, fret not; at the very
least you will be able to contribute to the conversation next time the
topic comes up!
Let’s start with some good dirt – no pun intended! Here
are some widespread garden misconceptions that have been around for
a long time. If you ever catch a neighbour or relative spreading these
fabrications, stay away from their advice; obviously, their knowledge
of gardening is minimal to non-existant. When confronted with this type
of advice, the best thing to do is mutter something about “having
to dust the grass” and gracefully exit the scene of the conversation.
Misconception #1: “Pesticides only kill pests."
Wrong. Pesticides work wherever they are applied and will kill more
than just pests. Insecticides will not only kill detrimental insects
but also the beneficial ones (the ones you want to have around in your
garden). The same also goes for slug baits and rodent baits, which could
kill pets. Herbicides (weed-killers) are not very picky either and unless
you take the necessary precautions when applying them, you will end
up killing your weeds as well as the perennials that surround them.
Misconception #2: “I have brought you some plants from
my garden”
Extreme caution is required! You have found yourself in a hazardous
situation that requires swift, yet polite action on your part. The misconception
here is this: on the whole, people do not give away price-winning rosebushes.
Instead, what you end up with are plants that either seed themselves
all over the place or spread like crazy. Either way, the plants in question
have clearly become a nuisance to their owners who are now more than
willing to give them away. The best way out of this situation is to
accept the plants and toss them in the garbage can as soon as the plant-donor
has left the premises. Next time you see him or her, tell them the plants
did not survive (and wait for it: they will bring you more of the same
plants - which proves my theory!).
Misconception #3: “Watering on a hot day”
Whenever you see one of your neighbours water their lawn around noon
on a hot day, make a mental note to yourself never ever to ask that
person for gardening advice. Most of the water they think they are using
for the lawn evaporates before it does anything and basically, what
they are doing is wasting water. There is nothing wrong with watering
your lawn or your plants on a hot day – on the contrary –
but noon is not exactly the appropriate time to do it (and that’s
an understatement). Early in the morning is preferable but - since for
most people that is also a very busy time of day - watering in the evening
is perfectly acceptable too. The difference between morning and evening
is that plant will dry during the day, whereas they stay wet overnight
and thereby run the risk of catching fungal infections.
Stay clear from the above misconceptions and half the battle is won! To make your lives even easier, here is my personal “Top 5 of Easy to Grow Plants That Will Never Become A Nuisance”:
When visiting your local nursery or garden centre, watch out for these traps:
To be continued next week…
Until then, happy gardening!
René Trim
Do you have a gardening question for René?
Send it to us, and he'll try to answer it in his next column.
Click here to send us an e-mail...
About René
René Trim was educated and trained in The Netherlands, before moving
to Canada in 2000. After studying the differences in climate and season
faced by Ontario gardeners he established Trim Garden Design and Rescue
in May 2002. A gardener since the 1980’s, he has a wealth of knowledge
and experience, a vast library of reference materials from which to
draw answers to various garden situations as well as an enthusiastic
and professional staff.
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