The Grand Objection

The grand objection I seem to hear most from soon-to-be beginner gardeners is this: “It just seems like it’s going to be too much for me.”

Phoenix Wright objects to your objection,
thank you very much.

Gardening opens the door to a complex world of natural food chains, soil biology (and chemistry!), seed germination rates, planting schedules, companion planting and optimal harvest times. When all this information is thrown out there in a barrage of facts and knowledge sharing, it’s too much and too soon.

I aim to keep it simple. For example, here are the main questions I ask before I approach each new growing season:

• What do I like to eat?

• What should I plant based on what I like to eat?

• How much space do I have allocated so that I can plant what I like to eat?

• When should I schedule the time in my allocated space so that I can plant what I like to eat?

Breaking gardening down into a simple, functional process is not only practical, but it relieves you of the overwhelming stress of the too much, too soon.

And herein is the simple truth you make space for when you start your garden this upcoming year: Gardening may be complex, but it is not complicated.

Here it is in a larger, bolder font, just so that you don’t miss it:

Complex =/= Complicated

When you start your garden, you will grow along with everything that is planted within it. As you grow, you will gain knowledge that may lead you to endeavour to do more the next year. And then more in the next year. And so on, so forth. In these simple but deliberate steps, you discover more and more complex systems and intricacies in your garden that make you a better gardener. It’s a process that takes time, much like it takes time for your own garden to grow and develop.

So, as you set your intentions for the new year and strongly consider finally starting that backyard garden, know that you invite into your life a lot of beautiful complexity, that when taken in moderate doses, is simple. Not complicated. 🙂