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Expert Gardening Advice - Relax
By admin | August 27, 2007
Karan Davis Cutler, a former magazine editor, is the author of “Burpee/The Complete Vegetable and Herb Gardener” and “Flowering Vines: Beautiful Climbers,” among other books. Her articles have appeared in Horticulture, Organic Gardening and other publications. She lives and gardens on 13 acres in northern Vermont.
Q How do gardens, and flower gardens in particular, enrich our lives?
A In all the traditional ways, of course, their visual beauty, their colors and shapes, their fragrances, and more. But I admit to loving gardening more than gardens. I like the digging and planting and weeding and dividing, the garden chores. Growing things is always interesting and challenging.
Q The plant basics section is really straightforward and empowering. What’s the No. 1 thing you’d like to communicate to someone just getting into gardening?
A Every beginner should know that failures in the garden are not necessarily the fault of the gardener. To sanitize the bumper sticker, THINGS HAPPEN. Relax and don’t blame yourself.
Q What is it about gardening that intimidates first-timers? Do they collect too many photos of picture-perfect spaces?
A Seeing picture-perfect gardens is helpful because you can steal ideas, which is perfectly acceptable in horticulture. And seeing others’ gardens is energizing. Just remember that most picture-perfect gardens weren’t dug yesterday, and nearly always are maintained by a bevy of professionals.
For the Full Article from the San Jose Mercury News
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