Hello gardeners!

I have had several gardens in my life. As a child I worked in my grandmother's farm garden on the Canadian prairie picking beans and shelling peas, while she sprayed chemicals on weeds. My skin crawls thinking about the unknown danger of chemicals back then. As a sulky teenager, I helped my mother create a terraced garden in the Okanagan. The soil was heavy clay full of rocks. She raked rocks more than any other garden chore. As a young adult I yearned for a garden of my own. I started growing sweet peas on the balcony of an apartment overlooking a busy downtown Vancouver alley. Then I transitioned to two gardens in the suburbs. A garden heavily shaded with majestic Western red cedars and beautiful rhododendrons. Gorgeous flowers. The deadheading lasted all summer. Rhododendrons have become a plant I enjoy in other's people’s gardens. This shade garden also taught me about ground covers. I bought and planted Lamium. The light silver leaves and purple flowers were a perfect carpet under the woody shrubs. Now, when I walk through a neighborhood greenspace, and see the invasiveness of this plant, I feel dreadful. I planted an invasive plant in my garden, and that wasn't the only one. English ivy has always been a sentimental favourite of mine because my Mom grew ivy from a cutting in her wedding bouquet. I decided to cover a three sided box, built with landscape ties, and positioned at the base of a large cedar tree, with ivy. I then planted Rosa rugosa, I think maybe 4 plants, in this box. I envisioned a gorgeous box of heavenly scented roses to be enjoyed by people strolling by.

At the same time as I had this shade garden, I joined a community garden and started a plot of vegetables. What a chore it was to drive to the plot to water, after a long day at work. This community garden was also a magnet for crop specific worms and moths. Tropical rooftop gardening has been my latest foray. I envisioned a beautiful oasis of fruit trees. I carted heavy bags of soil up to the roof. Scouted wonderful specimens - lemons, papaya, figs, pomegranates and avocados. Strong winds and hungry insects taught me a lesson quickly. Mother Nature can be very humbling.

Rosa rugosa has a heavenly scent and gorgeous rosehips. I envisioned it forming a lovely thicket at the base of a cedar tree in one of my first gardens.

Five things I wish I knew when I started gardening:

eliminate all weed control chemicals (even the home DIY concoctions)
add mulch and compost to the soil
learn about local invasive plants
wind damages more than trees
learn to share your garden with insects

Take time to reflect and learn from your experiences as a gardener.

Mistakes? Yes, I have made many in the garden.

Now when I share advice with novice gardeners, yes it comes from 40 years of gardening experience, but it really comes from having already made a plethora of mistakes. All good gardeners have killed their share of plants. And I am not referring to chemical warfare. We learn to garden from our mistakes. We expand our skillset and learn more about the ecosystem of our gardens, from hands on experience.

Get your hands dirty and learn from your mistakes. You will be a better gardener for it.