" I like your way of gardening! Not much hassle but great rewards."
"I love your common-sense approach to gardening."
"---that’s why I’m a reader here – no “overwhelm” just practical advice – that works."
"I’ve been gardening for over 30 years but have learned so much from your posts. I appreciate your thoroughness and orderliness. Thanks so much."
"Gardening is so much easier and productive since I've met you, Theresa. I really mean that--you have helped me so much! I used to break my back fighting weeds, poor soil, etc. Not any more!"
"---you are providing others with invaluable help. --- Tending My Garden is a fantastic resource – and (the feedback) is the proof. I feel so thankful to have found it."
"I’ve just come across your website and found so much information on onion growing it’s amazing! --"
" I came across your site searching for why my cucumber plants were wilting mid-afternoon and whether I should water them. I have not stopped reading your posts since then. ---- very addictive -----will be my go-to site for my gardening needs."
"I'm so glad I found your website!! The info is exactly what I've been looking for! ----- more than just the typical stuff you find posted everywhere. While landscape design is my profession Vegetable gardening is a passion. I can't wait to read more of the past posts!!"
"These days, I am no longer googling for my gardening needs. I am TMGing."
"One of the things that sets you apart is that you know the difference between tried and true advice as opposed to the stuff we read in those 'generic' learn-to-garden books. I have stopped worrying about so many things since I began reading TMG."
"The way you communicate with your readers is just marvelous! You provide such a wealth of gardening information! I am so glad to have found your blog, I`m learning so many new things here!"
"--- your blog was instrumental in getting me past the 'paralysis of over-analysis' phase of my balcony garden...I was intimidated and lacked the knowledge I needed to get started. Your 'can-do' style inspired me to get started and see my summer-fall season as an experimental phase of 'research and development'..."
"---This is the most in depth, informative blog on gardening I’ve seen."
"-----This is what folks need to hear and it is exactly what is missing at the book stores as well. ----With all of the books, videos, encyclopedias, and google searches I could get my hands on, THIS SITE is my #1 source and a benchmark to which all other sources are compared and measured."
"You have changed my whole gardening life! "
"I love gardening and would never stop my subscription (to TMG). I'm learning more from you than I have in years of trying it by myself."
" I am just so encouraged by all that I am reading from you. I can’t make myself leave your site!"
"My garden has doubled in productivity since I started reading here."
"I wanted to let you know that from your guidance, I have discovered that 'less is more.' I was planting the old fashioned way--rows with lots of weeds to take care of--. Then I learned your secret of mulching heavily with straw and/or leaves. What an amazing difference. The soil is always ready for a seed or two in an empty spot and weeding is minimal. Last year we harvested twice as much produce in half the space."
"Theresa, I’ve been gardening for about 40 years, and in the last 10 or so have tried my hand at gardening organically. I bought the books, read the websites, took the magazines, etc., but have been largely overwhelmed and discouraged. I happened upon TMG and have been reading for around 3 months. Now I know I can really do this!!! Thank you so very much for being so realistic and practical. And also for being so open, willing, and giving. You are a blessing!"
"I have learned so much, actually far more from you than from any gardening magazine I have ever subscribed to."
"--- I'm in the process of switching from chemical-based gardening to organic gardening and your website has helped me tremendously. There's so much info on organic gardening – some of it very conflicting. You present stuff in an easy to understand, logical way."
"Every time I hear something “out there” about gardening, I think…….wait that sounds too complicated, Theresa keeps it simple…….do what she does. Lol. You have kept me from jumping on the crazy train! "
"I discovered your blog just last week while searching the web for information on raised bed gardening. I was actually pricing rough-cut lumber from a local saw mill, and looking for design ideas for wooden boxes when I stumbled upon your post "Contained Raised Beds? NO WAY!" I have not left your blog since!
I am so impressed with the information I have found here, as well as how much you put into it. I appreciate how you respond so thoughtfully to your readers' questions and comments. And of course I LOVE your "common sense" approach."
"This is only my 3rd or 4th season (of gardening). (Because of TMG) I am literally years ahead of my time in terms of being an accomplished gardener! "
"Your wonderful blog and the manner in which you handle explaining things in incremental steps is just amazing. I am on a steering committee for a local community garden effort and your blog will be my recommendation to anyone who gets involved."
"I just found your site ---- when I was checking for what to do with onions. I have never seen so much useful information in one place. --- What a wonderful site! I learned more in just a few minutes than I have ever gotten elsewhere. Thank you!!!"
"Finding your site thanks to Diane’s flowers has helped continue my education but in a very easy manner. I’ve found that your experience has confirmed that heritage gardening does not have to be exhaustive but more fun. I find your thinking about gardening assured me that my “maybe I’ll just let nature do the work” is ok and now I'm learning why."
"Just read your post on Garden diversity- as always excellent, thorough and you have this ability to give all the information one might need in a nutshell - keeping the reader engaged all through."
"I wish I had found your blog years ago. It would have saved me lots of money spent on gardening books & magazines."
"Even tho I am on the other side of the world and the seasons are reversed, your insight, knowledge and experience are so valuable to me as a starting out organic gardener."
"I directly credit the MAJOR increase in productivity in my garden to you. ----(it) is amazing compared to how my garden used to operate."
"I have learned invaluable lessons and methods from you, have found you to be very well researched, very well thought out, and very methodical. And so easy to learn from."
"--- you infuse encouragement and heart into your website and I greatly receive these gifts."
" I read each post you write as though I am a sponge; sucking up every last word you write, and holding onto it tightly. ... your philosophy on gardening is inspiring. I feel light years ahead of some of my friends who have been gardening for much longer than I, and it is all thanks to you and your easy to read, vital information."
"I just read your post on using straw once sprayed with 2-4D. Then I read a few more snippets ... I think I'm in love...just to find an organic gardener blogging in such a practical way.
It is a fact that we live in a world with more than a few undesirable chemicals infiltrating the world we live in, but we have to understand what will decompose, what is persistent, and how to proceed. ... reading your commonsense words just made my day. "
"I can’t imagine not having TMG for reference and inspiration. It’s one of the few sites I go back to every year for specifics --- I hope everyone who reads here, in particular newer readers, understand just what gold is buried in (TMG's) archives. There’s nowhere else to read some of the things I’ve learned here on TMG, and I’m in NO way overstating."
" I think there are more people than you know who would love to garden with your ideas – they just don't know it's possible."
"Your postings ALWAYS shed light in a slightly different way ---. It's like taking a walk around the garden with a favorite friend who can be relied on to share the truth."
(I want) " to tell you how much I enjoy your blog, your style of writing, the clarity of the information you provide and the very obvious expertise you have achieved.
Reading your blog and the information about your book has given me hope that I can try again (to garden), this time with much greater success and a lot less work."
"Your information has always been the best out there. The style of your writing is informative but also interesting, honest and humorous at times. You always make me smile and want to get back out there and try something new."
"Last fall I found TMG and purchased your book. I took to heart your wisdom and applied it to my garden. I added lots of leaves and organic matter. After I planted my garden and applied lots of mulch I have done nothing but harvest. My garden is not perfect but my family is eating, tomatoes, potatoes, squash, okra, cucumbers and swiss chard. That is a complete 180 (degrees) from the previous 2 years. Real soil works, mulch works! If you are a new reader to TMG …unplug from Big Food and the chemical marketing matrix!"
"I have finished your book and am so excited to get to work on preparing my vegetable garden --- Your book is full of such great information and takes so much of the "mystery" of gardening out of the equation."
"What I’ve learned here has proven to be a major life changing part of our lives over the past 5 years."
I love to dig in the dirt and plant flowers and vegetables so I consider myself a Gardener. Of course there are different levels of experience and education but I don’t think that defines a gardener-it’s the love.
I MUST BE A GARDENER. I SPENT MY WHOLE LIFE SOLVING CHALLENGES AND NEVER HAD A HOBBY. A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO I FOUND HERITAGE VEGGIES AND THEY BECAME A HOBBY; THE FIRST ONE I EVER HAD. NOW I SPEND THE WINTER PLANNING AND THE SUMMER IN THE GARDEN. MY NEED FOR A CHALLENGE IS SATISFIED, MY TIME IS FILLED AND I’M ENJOYING LIFE FULL TIME. NOW I JUST HAVE TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL AS WELL.
RAY
I am a gardener. I grew up with a gardener (my mother)… her gardens were her greatest joy. My gardens are very different from my mother’s gardens… I, like so many, love the music of a cottage garden, and that is my primary floral garden. I also have shrubbery gardens and borders that blend trees with shrubbery and perennials. There is a vegetable garden in which food and floral enjoy company. Then there is what I call my Fifth Garden… 1100 square feet of deck, which today has many more pots with perennials than in the early years, but plenty of railing planters and other pots that require annual planting. I am a gardener. I am also a Realtor, so in recent years, as our gardens have evolved, I have found someone who can help me the the weeding, pruning, and mulching. I have no problem calling myself a gardener. It’s the adjective before the word with which I have a problem. I am gardener. Am I a good gardener? Not so much. I am a competent gardener. By the way… your husband will relate to this… I am also an artist (virginiamosaics.com). That was the hardest label ever to accept, but I have, My husband brought home a magnet for the fridge that I read every day… it says, “Never apologize for your art.” Gardeners are artists, their canvas is their environment.
Theresa
Whether or not I am a gardener depends on who is asking the question and why?, like many other things that get asked.
If she is planning the home and acre, it might change how she does it, both the house and the landscape. I know, it is your daughter’s home,(Kate’s daughter’s home) but your influence may make a difference, like where she puts the doors, maybe an entryway that has a place for muddy boots etc. and the layout of her yard. I know you (Theresa) don’t use water, but maybe even where water spigots are located.
In other words, I’d ask myself why she wants to know. If murders asked my wife, “Where’s your husband, I wouldn’t want her to say “He’s hiding under the bed.”
It’s exactly the same with many people who do things well, but don’t do it professionally (or get paid to do it). I think we often have the idea that if we don’t have recognition from some outside institution – we are not the real deal. I feel exactly the same about running. I do it almost every day, but because I have never won a race, and I’m not fast – I always hesitate to call myself, “a runner”. I’m glad that you have such a strong sense of who you are Theresa, that you unhesitatingly say yes. We are all better off because of it.
Yes. Though I am new to gardening, I have found that I love being out in it. I think about it. I am planning for it. I worry in the middle of the night when I hear it raining. I find myself frustrated when my household chores require my attention and all I want to do is be outside looking, watching and planning for the garden. Even in moments when I feel frustrated and want to give up, I go outside and see something new. I hope to one day encourage others to garden and to see that gardening is for all.
I am a gardener because I have built the intention to garden into my life. Life circumstances have effected the scale that I garden over recent years. However items such as scale, experience, and knowledge I’m not factoring in. The reason is because I believe that Grace covers these at any and all levels of learning. God has made nature such a wonderful teacher and so forgiving for both the beginner and the expert. There is no limit to learning and experiencing! Therefore, the very intention and heart to garden is why I am a gardener. Also, it is a basic work which is required by our bodies to survive. Seems we have the genetic capacity to garden simply via need. There’s not enough time to relish in the gift of gardening and the seasons get in the way! 🙂
I never tell people I am a gardener–I tell them that I love to garden. Most of my life I didn’t have the opportunity to actually garden, but most of those years I was nurturing plants in pots. Only in the past few years was I able to establish what I call a garden. I am a gardener because I get up in the morning to visit my garden. Even on workdays it is nothing to spend an hour out there before heading off to work, and then another 2 or 3 in the evening. Once the garden is going there isn’t really that much to do but I manage to stay busy pulling a few weeds, watering, evaluating progress, and planning the next garden. The binder where I keep my diagrams, notes, and other important info is labeled “I Love My Garden.” No matter what is going on in the world it is the one place I can go and consistently find something right and good. The peaceful quality that exists in a garden is essential to my well-being. Many times when I’m out there working, and I get in the way of the bees, I think they must tolerate me because they understand my role as a caretaker. I am a gardener, not because of what I know but because of what I need. Yes, I get precious food from my garden, but it is the feeling of oneness with nature that I need even more to thrive.
Well Theresa,
I immediately got ready to answer the question “Are you a gardener” and read through each post first. I can’t believe each response was so amazing! If I were a writer all of the above is what I would have responded with. All of the above responses ring so true to my feelings!
You have collected wonderful people in your cyber garden Theresa! Thank you for sharing yourself and your community.
I would say I like to dabble with gardening. I am not always successful and I know I dont put all of the time into it that I maybe should, but I enjoy dabbling and seeing what makes it. So far everything is looking pretty good with all of the rain, so Im tickled to be off to a running start. Thanks for all of the fun articles!
Yes, I am a gardener because I love to garden. The peaceful tranquility of just being in the garden makes it worth the time I spend there. The anticipation of the first flowers blooming or the first ripe tomato is something to look forward to. Every season brings something new and different. Do I garden exactly like my friends? No, but that makes it more interesting because we can all share different experiences. Success and failure is part of life and the garden. I wouldn’t change it if I could. The garden is a beautiful place to be.
Am I a gardener? OMGosh……I have never thought about it. All I know is that beginning in my early days I recall walking with my grandmother in her flower garden and she proudly showing me a beautiful rose that was almost black in color. She also had a cactus garden in her sun porch with cacti of all shapes and sizes. Then in my Girl Scout days I earned a scouting badge for growing squash in the front yard after digging a “hill” and planting 3 seeds. That was the start of many happy years of gardening. Not all of the years were happy for me, but putting seeds in soil, be it in the ground or a container on a apartment patio has always been a joy to behold. At age 74 I continue to be amazed at the rewards gardening brings, It outweighs the disappointments and casualties. Walking the garden each morning is how I start my day (weather permitting of course) Today is one of those days I am on the inside looking out because the winds are blowing at 22 mph and it is 81 degrees (welcome to Northern Nevada).
Beppy hit it right away! It’s the love (for gardening) that makes us gardeners. And all of you have expressed that love!
As Virginia noted – it’s the adjective before the word (gardener) that give folks pause.
And Toni, I agree, all the responses were wonderful. And yes, I think TMG has wonderful people in this cyber garden. All of you are definitely a notch above the crowd!
No wonder I enjoy writing TMG so much!
And by the way, Kate, you’re definitely a gardener. 🙂
Theresa
I have been pondering this question for a day or so…. I garden, that is a fact. And I do it on a regular basis. And I know things about gardening. But the reason I enjoy gardening so much is that I am first and foremost an observer of nature. I often find myself distracted from my gardening chores by my observations of bugs, birds, volunteer plants, and even the weeds that abide with the planted things. It is an adventure every day!
😀
I just dug through e-mail and found this post and took time to read it as they are always wonderful! Yes! We are gardeners. “We” you may ask….well, our children have a garden and are learning the joy that is found in being a gardener and the discipline and time it takes. They help us as well. A gardener can enjoy gardening from a very young age up to an old age….it is one of those things that can last a lifetime on any level. Thanks for helping me find a part of my identity! A gardener….Wonderful!
So glad your kids are enjoying the garden with you Stephanie! I think teaching kids to garden is an important contribution to their future. Sure glad you took time to post. Thanks.
Theresa