When were you initiated into gardening?

By sofs
@sofssu (23662)
October 6, 2015 7:02am CST
I was initiated into gardening at the age of four. My dad's biggest hobby was gardening. He used to have so many kinds of flowers and veggies on our little patch of land. He let me have a parallel garden where I could plant my own flowers. My first plant was a marigold which I grew from seed under my father's guidance..From this grew my love of gardening.. though for many years living in a city in small apartments I could do nothing that could be called gardening. However, I always had house plants. Now I am starting a terrace garden and having fun. When were you initiated into gardening? How did you find your love for gardening? Or do you think you have a black thumb?
14 people like this
15 responses
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
6 Oct 15
I'm a recent reluctant gardener. My husband used to do it all, but can no longer get down that far now. Someone has to do it.
3 people like this
@sofssu (23662)
7 Oct 15
@valmnz Do the weeds still grow in the winter too?
1 person likes this
@sofssu (23662)
7 Oct 15
@valmnz I am glad you've stepped in.. hopefully you will develop a love for gardening and not be a reluctant gardener any more.
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@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
7 Oct 15
@sofssu I don't mind it in summer, but over winter, which we've just had, the weeds go crazy. I've actually been out in the garden today.
1 person likes this
• United States
6 Oct 15
i grew up with gardenin' 's a necessity 'n not a hobby 'n fear i've no recollection 'f bein' a certain age. i love it to this day though 'n take great joy with e'ery seed that sprouts all the way through harvest...'n 'r frost (flowers).
3 people like this
@sofssu (23662)
7 Oct 15
@crazyhorseladycx I guess your environment is naturally inclined towards gardening.. I love to watch those little seeds sprout and become plants,bushes and trees..
2 people like this
@allknowing (137822)
• India
7 Oct 15
I could say my mother's interest brushed on me. Right form childhood I have had interest in gardening. My pocket money used to be spent on buying plants and seeds. I used to even go to those dirty lanes between properties where only garbage used to be dumped to pick up seedlings that I would find there. This hobby, this passion got converted to lucrative business designing and executing landscaped gardens for builders and individuals.
2 people like this
@allknowing (137822)
• India
7 Oct 15
@sofssu Thanks sofs Today I spend most of my time strolling in our garden and just look forward to the morning each day.
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@sofssu (23662)
7 Oct 15
@allknowing You bet.. That is one thing I look forward to each morning.. just looking at my plants even if it is just for a few minutes before I begin my day.
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@sofssu (23662)
7 Oct 15
@allknowing Glad that your mom's love for gardening has caught on to you. I can just about imagine you taking the baby plants and placing them in your garden giving them their rightful place. I believe passion if tuned right should bring its own rewards. I am planning to do some thing like that in a few years.
• United States
6 Oct 15
I wouldn't say I was ever initiated into gardening, it was a chore we were given when I was about 4-5 years old. It had to be done, and us kids were the ones to do it. Which I didn't mind at all, I actually enjoyed it. We played in the dirt, dug up worms to go fishing and got us outta of other chores. It is something that followed me all my life, to me it was just a normal thing to do.
3 people like this
@sofssu (23662)
7 Oct 15
@TexanTornado LOL Sounds like fun to me.. I used to play with the worms too when I was young.. but now I just about handle them without squirming. Fishing is a great escape from all the hassles of life isn't it?
@marlina (154130)
• Canada
6 Oct 15
When we were growing up, my Mom had a garden in the backyard and each of the 6 children grew a different vegetables. Mine was the beets. It's only after we bought our own house in Toronto, that I started a little garden.
3 people like this
@sofssu (23662)
7 Oct 15
@marlina Wow growing beets at that age must have been so thrilling. I am so glad that your mom initiated you into the pleasures of gardening. What kind of things do you grow in your garden in Toronto.
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
6 Oct 15
I came to like gardening late in life, when I was in my 60s. A friend of my son gave me some of his surplus plants, and I found I enjoyed watching them grow.
2 people like this
@sofssu (23662)
7 Oct 15
@jaboUK Oh wow! Just proves that no age is too late to develop some love and passion for things. I am glad your sons friend gave you those plants.. I remember that you have a wonderful garden.. from the other site and I love those begonias of yours.
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@sofssu (23662)
7 Oct 15
@jaboUK I am so sure that she would be proud of you. You have such a beautiful garden.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
7 Oct 15
@sofssu My mother was always a keen gardener, but I had no interest in it while she was alive. I often think that she would be amazed to see my garden now (in the summer).
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
6 Oct 15
My father was a farmer in Canad. After watching too many Victory Garden episodes, he decided we should dig up a large portion of the yard and have a garden. I learned a lot about growing many things and did a lot of gardening. I don't really do any now, I have no space for it.
1 person likes this
@sofssu (23662)
7 Oct 15
@Rollo1 That is what I though when I lived in a apartment.. slowly my collection of container plants rose to nearly hundred. I had a full fledged garden when I moved in to our new home.. I had them on walls , window sills, kitchen windows and anywhere I could find some sun light.. I also had some in front of our home and they grew under a grow light.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
8 Oct 15
I saw how my Mom and Dad made both ends meet by planting vegetables in our backyard. From them, I learned the value of gardening at a young age so up to now I put so much effort in gardening. I have ornamental plants, vegetables and fruit bearing trees around my home.
1 person likes this
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
8 Oct 15
@sofssu I could almost see my Dad in him!
@sofssu (23662)
8 Oct 15
@salonga Its always wonderful to hear from a successful gardener.. My dad had a whole array of fruit trees. He also planted a whole lot of veggies in the backyard and lovely flowers and ornamental in front of our home. The joy on his face while he was in his garden was inspiration enough for me.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (223802)
• Chile
6 Oct 15
I love to garden and my first achievements were also under my father´s guidance and with marigolds. I never thought anything would come out of it, but my papa told me to be patient. And then, there they were, seedlings ready for transplanting. I wasn´t so young as you though. I must have been ariund 13.
@marguicha (223802)
• Chile
7 Oct 15
@sofssu Gardening is one of my best hobbies. I pride myself saying that my garden is made entirely from seeds or cuttings.
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@sofssu (23662)
7 Oct 15
@marguicha Marigolds seem to be made for the young gardeners. Patience and nurturing is something you learn from gardening.. as you sit and wait for a new leaf, bud, or cane to grow. I am so excited to see new life on plants. Pruning plants was difficult for me .. but I have learnt that there is no gain without pain from gardening.
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@sofssu (23662)
7 Oct 15
@marguicha That is something..people these days just buy plants and put them there,.. I love starting things from seed and cuttings. Infact I have a whole bunch of cuttings growing to be given away as Christmas gifts. I have baskets of Christmas cactus and poinsettias ready to be given to my special friends.
@SIMPLYD (90721)
• Philippines
7 Oct 15
I envy you , my dear because you have a green thumb . That's what i don't have though . But my mother and sisters they have green thumbs too.
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@SIMPLYD (90721)
• Philippines
7 Oct 15
@sofssu But we call it that , to those who can let a plant grow beautifully even if it's almost dying .
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@sofssu (23662)
7 Oct 15
@SIMPLYD That is some special skill that comes with experience. I am sure you can do it too. with a little experience. Don't under estimate yourself.
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@sofssu (23662)
7 Oct 15
@SIMPLYD Sweetie there is no such thing as a green thumb.. its just practice..
1 person likes this
• Canada
7 Oct 15
I'm not a great gardener, but I try. This year the packrats thought I planted my veggies for them.
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@sofssu (23662)
7 Oct 15
@Sheilamarie78 The pests.. They are always eating up my produce too.. I have traps set for them now and they leave them alone. Last time I did not get any spinach from my garden.
@gudheart (12659)
6 Oct 15
I am not keen on gardening mainly because of my allergies and my hate for creepy crawlies LOL
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@sofssu (23662)
6 Oct 15
@gudheart Is it just your allergies and fear of creepy crawlies or you hate gardening too? Don't you have any house plants at all?
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@sofssu (23662)
6 Oct 15
@gudheart Okay so you enjoy your father's handy work.
@gudheart (12659)
6 Oct 15
@sofssu I think I hate it because of that to be honest! I have flowers but my father plants them as he likes gardening.
1 person likes this
• Quezon City, Philippines
7 Oct 15
I have my small garden in our house and I planted many types of flowers and fruit bearing plants.
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@sofssu (23662)
7 Oct 15
@intal_carl That is wonderful .. what kind of fruits do you have there.. I love fruits and I can't have mainly as my garden is mainly on the terrace.
• Quezon City, Philippines
7 Oct 15
@sofssu I have some tomato, and what I'm waiting to grow is my melons.
@Carol2015 (136)
• Zhengzhou, China
7 Oct 15
I also like gardenging, as the power of a little seed is really magic. The sprouting of a seed makes me feel delighted.
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@sofssu (23662)
7 Oct 15
That is the truth .. there is s tree contained in a little seed. Glad you see the tree in the seed,
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
6 Oct 15
I think when you stay in an apartment, you will appreciate the privilege of having a piece of land to plant whatever you like. For us in Singapore, 90% of the population live in high rise apartments, so gardening is practically non-existent. Enjoy your gardening!
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@sofssu (23662)
6 Oct 15
@scheng1 I live in the heart of the city and there are only high rise buildings and it gives me great pleasure to be able to garden in a concrete jungle.
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