Sowing the Seeds....

Whenever I walk past a perfectly manicured garden, I am amazed at its owner’s penchant to make that patch in front of the house resemble a five star hotel courtyard.  Or is it a primate desire to blend with the crowd and therefore hanker for a garden the same as others? I wonder….

When I moved home, the uniformly manicured green hedge glowered at me daring me to meddle with it. The Buffalo grass laid lawn with its overtired blades, under the shade of the two coconut trees, refused to grow or die.  When I hacked off the hedge, I consoled myself thinking that the plants would understand my need to retain my individuality. I threw out the lawn hoping that my neighbors wouldn’t think that I’d gone nuts.  Today, when I sit on my patio and watch the wild garden that’s grown, my pangs of guilt subside. My garden is different.

Gardens fascinate me. Gardens with a certain character mesmerize me. So, whenever I come across a garden highlighting a single plant or when I walk into a garden filled with more artifacts than plants, my fingers itch and my tongue is forcibly held back from giving unsolicited advice. But, now here I am, all geared to shoot forth my pearls of wisdom or are they seeds to sow in the minds of humanity?!!

Seed One

Define the character your garden should have. Should it reflect your personality? Should it make a statement? Do you want it to be wild? Do you want it to house only exotica? Do you want it to possess the maximum varieties possible? Do you want to use the garden?

Seed Two

Every garden needs you to dirty your hands. It does not care whether it is small or big; whether it has only pots or plants planted in earth. It defies you to ignore it by refusing to look good.

Seed Three

A well nourished garden reflects a well equipped garden kit and TLC of a concerned owner. The kit should have a pruner, a pair of scissors, a rake and a shovel.

Seed Four

Prevention is better than cure. Are you giving your garden its regular supplement of nutrients like manure and neem care? Are you taking care of its repotting needs? Or are you turning a blind eye hoping that it’ll look like a natural death so that you can bury it and go find a new plant?

Seed Five

Education has always helped. Read and learn from others as much as you can about the type of care you need to give to each plant species. Plants are highly individualistic. They do not appreciate being clumped.

I hope my well meaning words have not hurt the delicate sentiments of your loved plants. So, until next time, happy gardening!