Have you ever noticed how competitive gardeners can be? Were always trying to one-up our neighbors with the first tomato, the fewest weeds or the tallest sunflowers. Who has the richest soil, the most bees and fewest aphids? A little competition can be good. It helps to keep the weeds at bay. Nobody wants the neighbors to think we are too lazy to weed or too busy to mulch. Too much competition and we are no longer in it for the love of growing and producing our own food. Everyone wants a gorgeous vegetable garden but if you arent in it for the end result of safe, healthy food, you might consider roses or perennial grasses.
Garden envy happens to the best of us. Its hard not to envy the perfect gardens we see in the glossy magazines. Unfortunately we snap back into the real world where weeds grow faster than we want and bugs and diseases attack our plants. Swing sets and satellite dishes disrupt our views and dogs are in places wed rather they werent. We can envy our neighbors garden, too. Their rows are straighter, their soil looks richer and their zucchini squash vines have no powdery mildew or bug damage. Trust me, your neighbors garden might look better than yours but they struggle with the same challenges you do.
Maybe the neighbor has more time. Perhaps they are retired and while you go off to work each morning they get to tend to the needs of the garden all day. Maybe the neighbor knows a few tricks that you dont. Perhaps they laid down layers and layers of newspapers between their rows and that is why there are no weeds to speak of. Maybe the neighbor has been amending the soil for 25 years longer than you and that is why it looks so rich and dark.
Take the opportunity to learn from your neighbors. Gardeners have tricks and tools they are usually likely to share, especially if you are genuinely interested in their zucchini squash that looks just like Richard Nixon. Asking questions and seeking advice can open up the novice gardener to a lifetime of skills and experience from the seasoned gardener.
Gardeners like to share whether it is information or tools. Instead of saying something under your breath about how you are certain there are 55-gallon drums of Miracle Gro and Round Up in their shed, ask your neighbor how their garden looks so good, produces such luscious harvests and how they find the time.
You might be surprised to find the friendships that develop when we seek the advice of our neighbors and fellow gardeners. We gardeners are an odd lot and when we stick together we not only gain insight from one another, we perpetuate the knowledge of growing food, self sufficiency and the ability to feed not only our own families but others who are in need. That knowledge is more important than ever.
In our modern world we have grown accustom to the convenience of supermarkets and have forgotten how we ever got to this point. Your backyard garden might not feed the world but it can feed you and a few others. The what, how, and why of the garden shouldnt be a secret. Gardening success doesnt need a trademark or secret formula. Ask your neighbor, share what you learn, and perhaps you will be able to share what you grow.
