What qualities are needed to become a good gardener?

[emerald7]

I was having a discussion today about qualities needed to become a good cook. And it made me wonder what the the qualities are that are needed to become a good gardener.

What do you think.

[rootsy]

Aside from a willingness and ability to learn and self educate I would have to say a strong and committed work ethic... You cannot be afraid of dirt under the finger nails ...

[syntheticbutterfly]

above all, patience

[applestar]

I'll think about this more seriously later, but, qualities that came immediately to my mind are: curiosity, observation, and sense of wonder.

[cynthia_h]

Perseverance. Not easily discouraged.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[SWMOgardens]

What other people call work in the garden, I call play. Even weeding, I enjoy getting down in among my plants. If gardening is a chore, you won't stay with it or enjoy it. You also need to be able to appreciate the little things, like watching a bumblebee go from flower to flower, or the way light lands on a certain plant, or when a bird makes a nest in a tree you planted.

[img]https://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab19/swmogardens/100_3711.jpg[/img]

[emerald7]

What other people call work in the garden, I call play. Even weeding, I enjoy getting down in among my plants. If gardening is a chore, you won't stay with it or enjoy it. You also need to be able to appreciate the little things, like watching a bumblebee go from flower to flower, or the way light lands on a certain plant, or when a bird makes a nest in a tree you planted.

I like this perspective.

[English Rose]

A passion for nature and wanting to work with it.

[tn_veggie_gardner]

Yea, what English said, A love for Nature. =)

[petalfuzz]

Can't be afraid of hard work! Can't get easily overwhelmed by a profusion of ripe produce all at once; or a massive invasion of weeds, etc. The love of the good must outweigh the hate of the bad...

[tedln]

I think curiosity is a good tool for a gardener. I do so many things in my garden simply to see if they will work.

Ted

[ozark_rocks]

You have to be brave and not squimish . You have to brave the elements, and snakes. You have to squash the pests (often between your fingers) .You have to be more intelligent than the deer, crow, and other animales, that want to eat your garden.

[a0c8c]

above all, patience

+1

[Hatter]

I agree, patience is the most important. What else...curiosity, passion for nature. A bit of talent may also help. Ability to learn on your mistakes. That's it.

[johnnytomatoseed]

I think all the qualities listed by good folks below are important and I would like to add: Those who are genuinely puzzled why some people do not like to garden are going to be good gardeners. john

[mtmickey]

perseverance

[emerald7]

perseverance

Yeah, definitely. there were times I wanted to give up when I was having major bug problems, but I'm glad I stuck it out.

[SWMOgardens]

You must realize you can't beat the weather. There will be late spring freezes or frosts, hail storms, floods, droughts, and wet winters. You can't beat nature. Rabbits, deer, slugs, japanese beetles, cut worms and pests are going to visit your garden. You can simply make your garden the nicest place you can, enjoy it and TRY not to worry about things you can not control.

[tedln]

You must realize you can't beat the weather. There will be late spring freezes or frosts, hail storms, floods, droughts, and wet winters. You can't beat nature. Rabbits, deer, slugs, japanese beetles, cut worms and pests are going to visit your garden. You can simply make your garden the nicest place you can, enjoy it and TRY not to worry about things you can not control.

Acceptance!

Ted

[William71]

I kept aquariums for many years, mostly planted ones, both at home and at work (although I no longer have any now), and it seems to me the same qualities apply both there and in gardening. Respect for and fascination with nature. A willingness to learn the details and get your hands dirty. And above all, patience. The person who would toss some seeds in the ground and expect a thriving garden with no further effort on their part is just like the person who buys an aquarium, throws in some water and some fish, and expects a thriving tank with no further effort. Those people who want instant gratification, but who are unwilling to crack open a book or visit a website to learn what to do, simply disgust me. It's why I no longer work in fish/aquarium retail.

[microcollie]

Smart enough to learn from nature, but naive enough to think that you can improve upon it.

[microcollie]

Oh yeah...and a ****load of money!!

[SWMOgardens]

When someone asks me how much I have spent in my garden, I say "I have a nice bassboat sitting in the backyard"

Once my wife had her Longerberger basket dealer over, (VERY expensive baskets), and I made a comment about their cost. Her dealer pointed out the window and said "Is that a Japanese maple? How much is it?" I never made another comment about the cost of the baskets.

[img]https://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab19/swmogardens/100_7337.jpg[/img]

[Canadian Farmer Guy]

I operate on pure Canadian stubbornness

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

I mostly notice myself using patients, compassion, sensitivity, my reading skills, and my thumb which becomes more and more green every day.

[alexdestin]

while this is not an essential characteristic of a good garden coach can be beneficial, especially if you decide to charge people for your services. You can take up to a Master Gardener training course or at least review some courses at your college or university.

[lorax]

Patience, perserverance, childlike wonder/curiosity, and a certain mulish stubbornness for when people tell you that certain things can't be grown.

[AkeenGardener]

A willingness to learn and the patience to understand that mistakes can be made and nature is not always helpful!

[SWMOgardens]

Understand that a lot of plants are not "permanent". Some will die, some won't do well and you will remove them, others you will move to a better spot.