Comments on: How to Garden in 25 Words or Less http://www.sustainablegardeningblog.com/archives/178 Susan Harris's blog about eco-friendly and urban gardening, plus the adventures of a DC-based garden writer, coach and occasional rabble-rowser. Mon, 24 May 2010 11:12:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Michele Owens http://www.sustainablegardeningblog.com/archives/178/comment-page-1#comment-665 Michele Owens Fri, 19 May 2006 09:09:17 +0000 http://sustainablegardeningblog.com/?p=178#comment-665 No joke. When I was tutoring college students many years ago, the grammar books' comma rules drove me crazy--30 rules that these poor kids couldn't remember, when really, about 7 rules would have covered that little piece of punctuation. Same deal with gardening. It's simpler than the books suggest, if not subtler. Somebody needs to write a book that encourages people to garden--and not just to feel bad that their yards don't look like the photos in British gardening magazines. No joke. When I was tutoring college students many years ago, the grammar books’ comma rules drove me crazy–30 rules that these poor kids couldn’t remember, when really, about 7 rules would have covered that little piece of punctuation.

Same deal with gardening. It’s simpler than the books suggest, if not subtler.

Somebody needs to write a book that encourages people to garden–and not just to feel bad that their yards don’t look like the photos in British gardening magazines.

]]> By: Takoma Gardener http://www.sustainablegardeningblog.com/archives/178/comment-page-1#comment-664 Takoma Gardener Wed, 17 May 2006 00:45:37 +0000 http://sustainablegardeningblog.com/?p=178#comment-664 Michele, do you see a book in my future? I'm keeping notes! Michele, do you see a book in my future? I’m keeping notes!

]]> By: Michele Owens http://www.sustainablegardeningblog.com/archives/178/comment-page-1#comment-663 Michele Owens Tue, 16 May 2006 17:18:00 +0000 http://sustainablegardeningblog.com/?p=178#comment-663 Susan, the fact that so many people have a vague yen to have a garden--but no idea where to start suggests that there is something seriously wrong with the garden literature. I like The Garden Primer by Barbara Damrosch very much as a reference book for beginners. But even that is a little thick and complicated for someone who's not utterly committed. And you don't have to be utterly committed to make a pretty yard. You ought to be taking notes on the work you're doing as a gardening coach. And demystify this entire process. Susan, the fact that so many people have a vague yen to have a garden–but no idea where to start suggests that there is something seriously wrong with the garden literature.

I like The Garden Primer by Barbara Damrosch very much as a reference book for beginners. But even that is a little thick and complicated for someone who’s not utterly committed.

And you don’t have to be utterly committed to make a pretty yard.

You ought to be taking notes on the work you’re doing as a gardening coach. And demystify this entire process.

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