Best Gardening Advice you ever received

Like you all, I have received a ton of good recommendations, here and elswhere, but I have a few that guide me almost daily. Here are mine, what are yours?

1) You must have the best soil you can afford. It is the foundation of successful gardening. Amend, amend, amend if your soil is less than perfect.

2) Three is the magic number. No matter how established or big a plant you get, it seems like it takes 3 years for it to look like it belongs in your garden. It takes 3 yrs for vines, I'm thinking clematis, to look spectacular. It takes about 3 years for hummer/butterflies/bees to "discover" that your garden is a friendly habitat. Fill in the blank with any situation, it takes 3 years!

3) When taking pics, also take a pic of the tag, before or after the actual plant, for easy reference.

This message was edited Apr 20, 2009 1:38 PM

Amen ! to #1 Nery. In the famous words of Dr. Don (remember him ? ) "Don't feed your plants...feed your SOIL "

This is a good one, too: "Planter Mix" is NOT potting soil.

where is dr Don, haven't seen him in a while.

1. I don't remember who said this, but it was from someone on Dave's .. it concerned the best time to plant things in the ground. It's safe to plant things in the ground when you can walk barefoot in your yard without your feet getting terribly cold and hurting.

2. Label, label, label, especially if you are starting seeds or cuttings. You think you'll remember what everything is, but you won't.

3. Be adventurous. The nice thing about gardening is that plants are not set in concrete. If they aren't happy or your not happy where they are, they can be moved.

X

Love the picture and caption

In a book on Midwest Gardening -- the author said that when composting you don't have to work it into the soil, just pile it on top of the soil around your plants and the worms will do the work. Well here I had been working that stuff in all these years, and now find out that's not necessary! that was a real time saver, and I've found it to true even with heavy clay soils.

Don't be afraid to move or get rid of a plant that doesn't fit its environment or is not thriving. Find someone else who might like it, or compost it (if it's not diseased) so it will give back to the soil.

"Dig the hole first" Pirl 2009

"Plant green side up, brown side down" -- Hortensia, 2006.

LOL

just because a tag says hardy to 20* dosnt mean the plant will look good after its been out in 20 * . my jade taught me that .

There are no rules.

curl your garden hose in a figure eight pattern and you'll never have hose fights........

Until you kill it threee times, you're not really a gardener......that has kept me going for quite awhile, though maybe not the plants.

venu: ROFLMAO !!! So true !

Slept with windows open AHHHHH

venu, except with memory loss, sometimes it can go higher than 3X!

The best advice I ever received was to literally stop and smell the roses...or whatever happens to be in bloom.

I know a lot of gardeners who are like me--they look at their gardens and see another weed to pull, or a plant that needs to be divided or moved, or something to deadhead, or any other number of garden chores. But I learned something valuable one day when my mom stopped by and was checking out my gardens.

"Your garden looks wonderful," she said.

"Thanks," I replied. "But I can see a couple dandelions rearing their ugly heads from here. And I really need to thin out the rudbeckia. I wish I had more groundcover here in the front; I don't like these holes..."

She stopped me and said, "Do you ever take the time to just look at it and enjoy it?"

It hit me then that I really don't. My garden perfectionism gets the best of me. So now I make a point to go out and just enjoy. I don't pull any weeds, I don't contemplate what needs moving or deadheading or cutting back. I relax and take it all in for a while.

Moms can be so wise! I finally gave up too the perfection too, ain't ever going to look quite perfect. I used to be intimidated if anyone wanted to come see the gardens, now I enjoy anyone coming by that really just likes plants for plants sake and a true gardener knows a garden is never finished or perfect anyways.

Sue, I think part of the joy of a garden is exactly what you said--it's never finished or perfect. It's always a work in progress. That's what makes it so amazing. :)

Calif-sue you certainly dont have anything to apologize about. Your gardens are beautiful.
Just remember no knowh what image or plan you had in mind when you started. You mustnt judge yourself too harshly, your results are great.

Like the old saying concerning children: "Be patient with me, God isn't finished with me yet," that's how we should be with our gardens. I have rocking chairs on the front porch and a glider swing on the patio that are there for me to just sit and enjoy the gardens. IMHO, that's the best advice ever :-} I've never had any of my friends or relatives complain about weeds or flowers that aren't deadheaded.

Jack, my DH, gave me the best advise when he told me to ignore the stupid "gardeners" around here who insist a plant can't be grown (like clematis) or who tell me I can't possibly eradicate a weed (like aegopodium) or who look at our gardens only to find what they don't like. I call them "Wart Finders".

Stake the dahlias as you plant them was and always will be a gem of a tip.

Zuzu's statement about watering a rose that doesn't look happy is another great tip.

JD and his delphinium advice about staking, tying, feeding, slug bait is a treasure.

Pleasing myself in the garden is enough of a job. Trying for what others may consider to be perfection in their eyes would be an impossible task and I wouldn't attempt it.

"Wart Finders" Excellente name pirl! Describes them to a 't'

Negative people are a dragg.

I'm always tempted to put a grasshopper down their back. oops did I say that out loud? (snicker)

Maybe they already have one somewhere else.

Tee hee good one ge1836. More like a burr ^_^

where the sun dont shine

How I'd love to do such a thing!

Wart finders??................. now that's hilarious!! Cuckoo

I've really enjoyed all these pearls of wisdom. . . I think "take time to smell the flowers" is probably the most important advice. . .
This was good, too:

"Plant beans July4 ",my grandfather
"Hippp-Hooooray its the first of May, outdoor loving starts today" anamoose
Jo Ann

I took everyones advise and joined the caladium co-op and am thrilled with the result.
I had been burned by bulbs form HD and other nurseries so was a bit skeptical.
My reserved attitude has turned to WOW
The bulbs are huge and there is a generous count in many of the 10 count bags. The five pound assorted bag is at least 100 bulbs none smaller than a walnut.

most bulbs look like this

It's always great to receive packages from Bill at Caladiums 4 less. He's always generous with his count and his caladiums are beautiful.

Hmmmmm, I got my box today, but have not opened it yet. I will asume I am in for a pleasant surprise!

What are you waiting for? OPEN IT !!! lol

I'll definatly do this again next year if its offered

Advice my father gave me once for edibles is to grow what tastes better from your garden, or what's expensive in the store. So, for example, I grow strawberries and tomatoes, because you can't buy good tasting ones in a grocery store. And I grow beets and raspberries, because they are so darn expensive in the grocery store. But I gave up on peppers, because I don't notice a big difference in taste in my home grown ones, and I'd wait all summer for one or two peppers from each plant. Carrots? Well, I do grow them because my daughter loves to eat them raw, but that's another thing you can buy easily in the store. Save the space for what's really worth it!