In article , Jennifer Sparkes
writes

Also being able to accept, with dignity and good grace, the fact that what
you write/say is not always correct. I am not saying every time someone
doesn't agree with you it means you are wrong, just that sometimes there
is more than one answer because gardening in different situations can
mean different answers to the same problem.

The times you are wrong admit it and use it as part of your learning curve.

Remember - thinking before one posts helps ...

Jennifer


I think the past few years of gardening have made it abundantly clear
that to delve into the "authoritative books" or spout verbatim some
learned tome on horticulture is not always the wisest move.

Even the RHS is now re-considering some of it's teachings to accommodate
global warming. In particular classing some plants as only half hardy in
the UK when many gardeners are not only growing and keeping said plants
but are getting crops from plants such as olives, grapefruit and
bananas!


Not that many years ago it would have been impossible for a book
recommend planting almost full grown shrubs. At least until eh advent
of container growing in the 60's and 70's


The RHS course teaches the basics but then you have to go out and build
on that information by talking and mainly listening to the experienced
gardeners. They will refute some text book stuff and will agree with
other data


Likewise I know a brilliant grower of daffodils and delphiniums but he
hasn't a clue about roses or clematis! So very few people are masters
of all in gardening. Yet some are respected specialists in just one or
two areas.

That's what's so good about gardening, even the beginner, having grown
something, can add to the fund of knowledge with either a success story
or a tale of woe, it doesn't matter, both things benefit the rest of
us.However you need to speak from the heart or from experience , if not
you can sometimes continue a piece of misinformation!


--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk