Garden Rule Number One: Garden With a Purpose
- Do you garden for vegetables?
- Do you garden for aesthetics?
- Do you garden because you like digging in the dirt?
- Do you garden because you like to design?
- Do you garden because you want to save money by growing your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs?
- Do you garden because it relaxes you from a hectic day at work?
- Do you garden because you love it?
Pick one, two, or all of these, it doesn't matter which ones so long as the last one is always included.
Garden Rule Number Two: Stick to it!
Stick with your garden, don't give up too quickly no matter what anyone says. A garden doesn't have to be perfect for them, just for you and your family.
Garden Rule Number Three: Try Something New Every Year
The only way you learn to do new things is to try new things! I know that sounds incredibly profound but really branch out and try something - it doesn't have to be successful. In many ways we learn more from failure than we do success.
Garden Rule Number Four: Make Your Garden Your Own
Your garden is your garden. If you have the time, the will, the energy, and the experience you can turn it into perfection. If not there is nothing wrong with it as long as it's good for you! Find your garden's purpose then just grow it! I work hard trying to make my gardens look nice, even the vegetable garden, but that doesn't mean it always does. Most of the time the garden starts of fantastic, then it gets hot, the tomatoes take off and somewhere along the way the garden turns into a jungle. But you know, my main purpose in the vegetable garden is to add more wholesome, organically grown food that lowers our gardening budget.
And that's exactly what my garden does.
My purpose is writing this isn't to counterpoint anything anyone else has said but merely to support gardeners and gardening for any purpose, any reason, and any goal that anyone may have. It doesn't have to be perfect in the eyes of every beholder. The perfect garden is the one you make, the one you enjoy, and the one you maintain to the best of your ability. Growing a garden takes effort but it's only work if you don't enjoy it!
If you're curious about the debate go visit Mr. Brownthumb at Garden Bloggers to get filled in.