Sharing Plants and Gardening Stories
No one really understands your triumphs and hardships like a fellow gardener. If your close family and friends don’t share your gardening enthusiasm, it’s unlikely they’ll change. There are just some people that get animated when discussing the garden and, unfortunately, some that don’t. That’s not your fault. Making new friends through your gardening efforts can lead to people who understand how difficult it was to grow that perfect melon. Or those that can relate firsthand to the difficulties of growing the simple carrot, which isn’t always that easy. A dedicated gardening friend could celebrate or empathize with you and offer that sense of understanding you crave. Sharing plants from the garden and the stories attached to them is a great way to make new, life-long friendships.
How to Make Friends with Gardening
There are various ways to share plants or gardening stories to make new friends. In this day of social media, discussion sites and Facebook pages with some type of gardening as the primary topic abound. Find a couple of groups that deal with your interests and post your availability there. It is possible to meet local people this way, maybe new gardening friends. Here are some ideas that can spark some conversation and get the ball rolling:
Get help with thinning out your beds. Plant division provides room for your plants to continue growing and gives you extras to share. Invite other nearby gardeners to come and help while giving them plenty to take home.
Share cuttings. If you’ve recently done some pruning and don’t want to waste those great cuttings (or even suckers), offer them to others. If you’re interested to see how quickly they will root and take hold, plant them. There is usually someone that will take them off your hands.
Trade plants or share skills. If you have extra plants but have been looking for that special one that’s hard to find, maybe you can locate it by trading plants. Another way to reach out is to help someone who is new to gardening. While you have lots of gardening expertise, perhaps you don’t know how to preserve some of the harvest through canning, juicing, or dehydrating. Learning or sharing a new skill is always fun and enlightening.
Get involved with your local community garden. You’ll meet like-minded people that may become close gardening friends Community gardens provide fresh vegetables to those on tight budgets that might not afford grocery store prices. Contribute your skills for the combined goal of growing and expanding your gardening circle.
There are many ways of making friends with plants. Choose one or more ways to reach out to potential gardening friends. We can always use a great friend, and you must admit gardening friends are special.
