A few dislkes

There’s not a lot I dislike about gardening, here’s just a few of the things that niggle me.

First are the big multi national stores that get in truckloads of plants from the southern states for sale in Queensland and probably knowing very well that when they stop flowering that’s it and they will not survive. Take Cymbidium Orchids, they are for sale here in Brisbane especially on Mothers Day but what the purchaser does not know is that they will only flower when subjected to a cold winter.

Organic soil, I have learnt my lesson over the years and have found that the goodness soon goes out of this so called soil and all you have left is usually sawdust. Then you have the terrible shrinkage problems as later on the gardens have to be topped up with a good mix, which ideally should have the base of at least 70% topsoil and sand.

Garden talk back shows, where the presenter, if not sure of the answer to a question from a listener should not answer the question if he/she is unsure of the answer. An incorrect answer can sometimes do more harm than good. Don’t get me wrong there are some great presenters out there. 

Cheaply made garden tools. I bought a good branded fork, which is  a well-known and respected brand of equipment. I found its prongs bent almost immediately, made in China of course.

Lawn mowers not made for Australian conditions, mainly referring to the safety features found on the made in USA mowers, ‘painful’.

Garden Nurseries where they only stock plants which cater to the lowest common denominator.

Television make-over shows, I remember watching Jamie Durie on ‘Backyard Blitz’ planting a ‘Fictus’ in a small unit forecourt, they are all like that, look good for a TV grab, but in the future?

Garden designers who mass plant the same plant; let’s have colour and variety.

Those who think that native plants are the only answer to gardening in a drought.

The demise of the small nurseries, these are the ones that were not afraid to stock rare and interesting plants.

Garden owners who employ a garden designer and a landscaping crew and then without doing any of the ‘hard yakka’ themselves open their garden to the public through the ‘Open Garden Scheme’.

People who hire a personal gardener and in conversation talk about “my gardener”.

People who think you can’t use chemicals in the garden.

Television garden shows, which presents most of the program from the presenter’s back yard, it’s getting to be ‘cheap TV’ and perhaps a little boring.