5 Pitfalls Of Amateur Gardening

We all want our back yard to look like the garden of Eden. How hard can it be to throw around some seeds and hose them down once in a while, right? Plants are the dominant lifeforms on Earth after all and should have no trouble springing up given conditions, right? Well hold your horses, because something that seems like a relaxing weekend hobby can turn out to be a ticket to your own personal hell. Either read up on the subject or give it up all together, because...:

1. Gardening soaks up a lot of time

Plants love water more than a hungover you after a three day rager. But that will only take you so far, and I'm neither talking about nor judging your lifestyle and choices here. What I mean by that is there is a lot more to a successful vivarium. Weeding in certain times of year can be a daily task as well as humidification. You need to pay close attention to your flowers and even more so to your vegetables to make sure they are growing to be outstanding specimens. That means you'll be spending a lot more time taking care of your garden than actually relaxing surrounded by the fruits of your labour. In our busy times there's no shame to seek professional gardening services for help.

2. Plants can be more needy than a pet

Unless your planning on making a cacti emporium, you will have to learn every individual plant's dos and don'ts. Some of them want a specific level of humidity throughout the day. Others will die if the temperature changes even 5 degrees. And counter intuitively some of them will wilt into the form of a middle finger just to spite you if exposed to too much sunlight. What I'm saying is - Read up on the flora you want to domesticate in your garden and plan accordingly. Don't choose the plants just for their looks.

3 Flowers attract stingers

Bees, wasps, hornets and all manner of nectar gathering species often have a nasty bite. A colorful garden full of aromatic blossoms is sure to gather the I-would-rather-cause-you-pain-for-looking-at-me-funny-than-continue-living crowd. And you don't want the entire extensive family of a bee visiting your Sunday BBQ. Fortunately there are also a lot of species that repel or outright kill these insects, so you may want to look for a few bouncers like that. It won't get rid of them entirely, but it will save you some minor inconveniences.

4 Some plants don't get along very well

While we are on the subject of species diversity and role, I think it's a good time to mention something no less important than keeping your burgers angry wasp content to a minimum. When we typically look at a forest our immediate association is of serenity and harmony. However what is really going on is an all out war in slow motion for the precious resources of sunlight, roots real estate, and nutrients. Every sprout has it's own strategy to dominate the survival front. Often there are even vendettas among some species. The key here is once again research. Make sure none of the species you choose will rival each other and thus ensuring the optimal position for the growth of each one.

5 Seeing your plants die can make you clinically depressed

And last but not least your inability to ensure a safe growing environment for your chlorophyll babies can actually adversely affect your self-esteem on a subconscious level, pretty much in the same way if you let your pet die of neglect. Granted you're not a psychopath of course. If that's the case - Carry on. If not, think really good whether you are ready for the commitment required to achieve your goal. That is to say, gardening is not at all a thankless job. At the end of the day when you relax under the peach tree surrounded by the aromatic paradise you toiled to achieve, rocking a glass of homemade lemonade from home-made lemons, you will feel like a venerable Nature Deity. Just do your homework first.

I'm a stay at home kind of person with a penchant for gardening and cleaning. I'm also an avid gamer and a decent drawer. I enjoy puppies, long walks on the beach, and inadvisable amounts of rum.