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If you've stuck with it this long, you are certainly ready to learn more. This doesn't mean taking classes, or learning botanical names, but simply doing a bit of research on your own to answer the questions you inevitably have lingering. How do I transplant something? What's fertilizer? What is wrong with this fern? Nature often leads to questions.
The first place to go for additional information is other gardeners. Yes, other people sometimes have good advice. Start with friends and family who have grown things. Maybe your sister has grown tomatoes, or your father has a way with roses. Maybe your co-worker has
a spider plant. If so, these people can help you. Walk around your neighborhood and strike up conversations with other gardeners. Say something like "Wow, your garden is gorgeous." That will usually get them talking.
Ah, but you are ashamed of your skills and find it hard to ask, right? Try the old "I have a friend who is interested in plants..." trick. It works for dating questions, so it is bound to work for plant questions.
Still too shy? Maybe you should stick with the internet. There are many great gardening resources (and many not-so-great ones). You've already found Gardener's Path, so why not take a look at the forums section. You can write questions, and helpful elves will come in the night and, with luck, answer your questions. You can also use a search engine, such as google.com, and type in some keywords that will help locate information. Try specific terms ("daisy") rather than broad terms ("flowers") if you want to find answers to your questions. I like to get a couple of opinions, too, while surfing the web just to make sure other folks are in agreement.
Your town probably has a library. Libraries let you take books home for a little while, for free! Take advantage of this by going to your library and asking the person at the desk where you can find information about gardening. Most librarians take pride in knowing their collections, and will provide you with information about what you are looking for quickly, at no charge. Ask to take the materials home (you will need a library card), and study away.
Garden centers are a last resort. Not because they aren't useful (many have professional staff people that really know and love plants), but because they have the potential to overwhelm beginners. If you aren't careful you may end up buying a Japanese Maple when all you really wanted was some advice on watering basil. Black Thumb Tip: leave your money at home and casually walk around the garden center with a small notebook. Look at the base of the plants. They all have tags. Look at those tags, and when you find the plant you have a question about, study the tag. Take notes. You may get a clue to your mystery. You can also ask the staff questions. If they suggest buying something, though, tell them you are on your way to a long meeting and will stop back later to pick up whatever it is they suggest. You can decide at home if you really need the $300 garden statue or the $5 bag of topsoil. Your goal for this trip is information.
The great thing about learning more about plants is that your knowledge, pardon the pun, grows. If you learn how to cultivate one good bean plant, you'll probably have success with most of your beans. So relax, ask questions, look for books or magazines, and search the web.
Lesson 8: Bugs and Diseases
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More on this topic:
Index
They're Alive
Water!
Dirt!
Light!
Experiment
Rescues
Learning More
Bugs and Diseases
It Really Wasn't Your Fault
Plants Are Good For You
Four Year Basil and Other Oddities
Now You Garden
Enjoy our new hobby: digital photography!
Autumn Color
August Sun
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