is gardening too complicated?

**<m*@sympatico.ca>**

OK, you've hit one of my sore spots with this.
I believe gardening should be fun and satisfying to the gardener. If that means annuals, fine. If that means Himalayan blue poppies, fine. If that means other fiddly things, fine. It's up to the gardener.
However, I have problems with the statement: "You do not need the help of garden experts to garden. You just have to dig a hole and put a plant in it and water it a bit. Get over the idea that every plant you plant has to live 100 years."
That sounds like a recipe for throwing money away--something most people resist. Also, gardeners--esp beginning gardeners--don't like to see things die. It makes them feel like failures. And that makes them stop gardening.
If digging a hole and putting a plant in it is what you're comfortable with, stick to annuals. Most are fool-proof, colourful and pretty (like the ones Tim and Ryan market). They also don't cost much. If you want to move on to something a bit more sophisticated, do a little homework and pick up some more knowledge.
But I don't think we do the gardening public any favours by saying gardening isn't complicated. It doesn't have to be--but sometimes it is.
Mary Fran McQuade (who tries to balance "garden gambles" with some sure things)

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