For the Love of Plants!

Just when did I fall in love with plants? When did gardening become less of a chore and more of a hobby? These are questions I often ask myself while building up a sweat working in my gardens.  Have you ever asked yourself these same questions?

When I was young I would watch my mother slave away in her gardens, slapping mosquitoes and wiping sweat off her brow only to think, "is she crazy?" Now, some 30 years later, I'm following in her footsteps!

Just like everything else though, gardening has come a long way with the surge of advanced technology. For example, my mother never ordered plants online as the word, "online" wasn't even a common word back then, but here in 2012 I order plants online by Serenata plants along with various other websites that offer exquisite, unusual varieties of plants that you can't find in your local garden centers.  When I first thought about ordering plants online I was fearful that I would be disappointed in their size, performance and health, but rest assured these stores that mail order plants take the finest care to make sure they arrive to your gardens in perfect planting shape.

Another resource that I have at my fingertips that my mother did not have is the ability to read about plant care, descriptions, and a host of other valuable information about plant material. Back in the day, my mother would read her gardening books, and today, I simply visit the web for all of my gardening how-to information. For example, one of my favorite resources is a website called ehow.

While all these resources make my passion for gardening easier, and provide for a world of different plants not readily available, one could argue the fact that both ages of gardening are equal. My mother's gardens produced enormous baskets of fresh vegetables and flowers that filled our rooms with delightful scents. While today in my gardens the vegetables and flowers are similar, except for maybe the scents as it seems that many plants have lost their ability to provide beautiful aromas. Is my garden any better than my mothers? Perhaps they are equal, but the resources are easier for sure.

What's your opinion?

Garden On!