Day: March 4, 2020

Most gardeners find inspiration in something, be it
another garden, someone they admire, or inspiring garden quotes that provide
purpose. Many of us here at Gardening Know How have been
inspired by little words of wisdom too. They speak to us in some way and, as
such, have special meaning.

GKH’s Favorite Inspiring Garden Quotes

I have lots of garden growing quotes that I’m inspired
by, far too many to list here, but there are a few that I find most appealing.
The first, “It is not just plants that grow, but the gardeners themselves.”
(Ken Druse) – This cannot be any truer. I have grown as a person right
alongside my plants. Through gardening, I have developed a greater sense of the
natural world around me and where I fit into it. And then, of course, the one
with which I can totally relate: “I’ve never seen a gardener who hasn’t
room for one more plant.” ((Lee May) – This is my guilty pleasure. I
mean can you REALLY have too many plants?

But it’s the words of wisdom from a fellow coworker
that inspired me the most. I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone sum up the entire
gardening experience as it relates to life quite like Kristi Waterworth when
she wrote, “Every plant in the vegetable garden is a little broken heart
waiting to happen. After all, you start them from seeds, nurture them through
their awkward teenage stages, and then hope, as adults, they’ll be fruitful
and, in some cases, even multiply.”

Bonnie Grant’s favorite quote comes from Alfred
Austin. “The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun,
heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the
soul.” What makes this quote so special to her? “I think it speaks for
itself,” she says. “Don’t spend a lot of money. Some of the simplest things are
the best.”

Tyler says, “Someone once told me, ‘It is better
to underwater than overwater.’ That has been a recurring theme on the
constant. Don’t be afraid to fail. Just keep trying. I have killed countless
plants, and will probably kill countless more. You just have to learn from your
mistakes and start over!”

Amy has a similar outlook. While she didn’t have any
specific inspiring garden quotes, she did offer up one of her own. “Dive
in. Gardening isn’t about perfection.” What does she mean by this? It’s
simple. “Sure, you can strive for perfection, but half the fun is the journey in
getting there. Just know that you are going to make mistakes along the way, but
that’s life. We all make mistakes and, hopefully, we learn from them.”

“I do not envy the owners of very large gardens.
The garden should fit its owner or his or her tastes, just as one’s clothes do;
it should be neither too large nor too small, but just comfortable.” This
quote from Gertrude Jekyll sums up how Stacey feels about gardening while Liz is
particularly fond of the words spoken by A. A. Milne. “Weeds are flowers
too, once you get to know them.” She says that “nothing makes me sadder
than seeing someone kill a dandelion. They’re beautiful, and bees need to eat,
too!”

And finally, “If your knees aren’t green by the
end of the day, you ought to seriously re-examine your life.” (Bill
Watterson a.k.a. Calvin & Hobbs) – Heather loves this quote because, as she
puts it, “it so wonderfully sums up both how I live and how I think gardening
should make you feel. To me, this quote means that you should live working hard
at play. And for a gardener, there is no better work or play than gardening.”