Can I just say that is awful advice. There’s an easy way to save it:
“Tell me where you are and I’ll give you a few good options to start with”
When the poster is clearly a hopeless beginner this kind of response is useless and overwhelming in information that they have no chance of understanding.
wise_pancake@lemmy.ca 8 months ago
Steve never did plant his garden, instead he put it off feeling like too much if an amateur to even begin buying seeds, and instead invasive creeping Charlie and thistles colonized his decaying garden beds.
I know those guys are trying to be helpful, but to a newb they can feel like you’re not ready to even start your hobby, when the best way to start any hobby is to go and get something started, even if it isn’t perfect.
If you go to a local seed store they’ll probably be able to point you to native wildflowers, or there are lots of sellers online for seeds.
fossilesque@mander.xyz 8 months ago
The local plant centers are wonderful sources of knowledge. Bring them some pictures and there will be some nerd there ready to geek out. This is community building. :)
frickineh@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Eh, maybe, but native plants tend to be a way better option for new gardeners because they grow so much better. My mom and I tore out all the grass in our front yard and put in native plants and they’re the first plants I didn’t manage to immediately kill. If I’d tried roses, they probably would’ve died and I’d have given up. Instead, I have catmint thriving maybe a little too much and it’s full of bees!
lightnsfw@reddthat.com 8 months ago
That’s not what the first 2 guys said though, they just criticized his choice of words(even though he’s an amateur) and started ranting about colonizers. It’s not helpful. Comments like that just push new people away and make the community look unwelcoming.
wise_pancake@lemmy.ca 8 months ago
You are right, we pulled a ton of invasive weeds and every spring I go to war with the garlic mustard that’s trying to take over my yard.
Native species are coming back and we just planted 3 beds of native flowers last fall, and I’ve got a bunch of native herbs to plant this spring.
A lot of the stuff we’ve planted just takes care of itself with no watering after it’s established which is nice.
fireweed@lemmy.world 8 months ago
It’s a mixed bag. Some natives grow easily, as they are naturally adapted to the climate, but some can be tricky little bastards as they are only adapted to very specific conditions that may or may not exist in your home yard (or they would do well once established, but getting to that point is difficult). Introduced species can be easier to grow, because they’re overadapted to the climate (that’s what makes invasive species so, well, invasive!).
Your example of growing catmint is a bit of luck on your part: mint is often considered a weed for growing so vigorously, so it’s a great choice for novice or “brown-thumb” gardeners. These are the types of plants we should be specifically promoting, so new gardeners don’t have to rely on luckily stumbling upon easy-to-grow natives.
On that note, might I advertise my namesake plant, “fireweed” (Chamaenerion angustifolium)? Beautiful flowers, easy to establish, self-sufficient once established (it’s called fireweed for a reason!), and beloved by bees. Native to much of Canada and the United States (and maybe northern Europe/Asia?). www.fs.usda.gov/…/chamerion_angustifolium.shtml
Rodeo@lemmy.ca 8 months ago
Don’t let other people hold you back.
If you’re trying to start a new hobby and you get put off by people giving you information because you think they’re being condescending, learn to put aside the personal feelings so you can focus on the thing you wanted to focus on.
New information is useful regardless of how it was presented to you. You can’t control how other people act, but you can control how you react to it. Learn to take the good and leave the bad.
wise_pancake@lemmy.ca 8 months ago
There’s such a thing as too much information, and it’s not always relevant to a beginner.
otp@sh.itjust.works 8 months ago
You’re absolutely right and I would’ve commented something similar. What held me back is that we’re in ScienceMemes, not HobbyMemes, so we’re seeing advice that’s more scientifically-based rather than hobby-based or even human-based.
kamenlady@lemmy.world 8 months ago
The damned context
dangblingus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 months ago
If people giving you actionable advice without putting you down makes you feel intimidated, I would think about that.
Mucking about at a hobby without knowing the first thing about it is idiotic. This person is only sharing their intent to start a garden because they are implicitly looking for feedback.