My local library recently purchased a book published in 1904, written by a woman about the garden at her summer home in my town.
Gardening is completely new to her, and she freely admits the mistakes she makes as well as delights in the successes.
I loved the following which I think is a lesson we all must learn over and over again. At least this is my experience.
I have found it advisable, in buying plants from a florist, to buy from one whose nursery is either near by, or, at least, located where the conditions are similar to the climate. For they are more likely to fulfil the promises of the catalogue if they are raised in the same kind of climate as the one in which they will be expected to grow.
I have had gardens for a long time, and I still get wooed by a plant in a catalogue which grows perfectly the first year, or sometimes even the second, but then gives up the ghost!
I just read about this gardener/author from England. Her name was Marion Cran (1875-1942). She inherited 3 acres in Surry, England and knew nothing about gardening. Her first book was "THe Garden of Ignorance". SHe also wrote "THe Garden of Experience". I love how you know exactly what her gardening life was like by reading those titles! That is what it is like in growing things, one learns!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the suggestions! Will look into them.
DeleteThat's good advice about buying locally. Also, I like Kay's comment and suggestion about those books and will be looking for those as well!
ReplyDeleteThe joy of blogging for me is the comments!
DeleteThere are some wonderful local nurseries/garden centers nearby, and I’ve had the most success in my garden with those locally grown plants. I find it’s true with seeds, too! I’m really hankering for Spring to arrive. It’s been a long winter!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. We don't really have any local nurseries. There is one a few towns away.
DeleteAfter both my father and husband being in the garden center/nursery business for decades I know this to be true. But I have to admit that every plant I've ordered from White Flower Farm so far away from us has thrived. Never been disappointed in them! I love old gardening books! Sometimes I regret having given my daughter-in-law my collection of vintage garden books when we downsized but they are in good hands. I still have my whole collection of Beverley Nichols' garden books and reread them over and over. Ever read him?
ReplyDeleteI thought the "buy local" message was going to be for easy returns! I also like White Flower Farm but now that I think about it the white rose bush I bought from them did not thrive. SometimesI think I did not dig deep enough.
ReplyDeleteI think they will replace things that don't make it - but maybe that's in just the first year.
DeleteI am a long time gardener and agree, we do best when we match our new plants to our climate. Sometimes I ignore this, I love gardenias and they do not survive here, but I buy them anyway. My current gardenia is alive after three years so that is to the good.
ReplyDeleteIt is always worth giving it a try!
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