It's all a learning curve, and it can seem like a huge one at times, but we've all been there to some extent As @Borderline says - try and do some research about plants' requirements, and that will help. If you're unsure, you can ask on the forum too. The majority of members speak from experience, and there's a very wide range of knowledge, and although your location, climate and soil are all factors, you'll get advice which should steer you in the right direction Potted plants always need a bit more attention, so bear that in mind when you plant anything in a pot. Watering is the biggest problem most folk experience -whether it's too much or too little
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I would say that, for new gardeners, there can be a sense that the 'rules' or ways of gardening and cultivation should be 'obvious' - that somehow all we need to do is look the plants and we will be pretty much able to guess what's wrong or what to do or what plants will be happy where. I have found quite to opposite to be true, of me and of the gardening groups I am part of. Beginning to understand the natures of soil, water, sun, cycles, nurturing, propagation etc takes a commitment (large or small) to learning, being wrong a lot, to spend a lot of years making mistakes (some quite massive) and not minding.
I have growers in local groups who are tied to certain ideas and won't let them go. They are wedded to the idea that plants should do what we want them to do, rather than (first) learning how they work and trying to provide for them the conditions that they like. Those growers feel they would be able to grow any plant in tiny pots (because that's what they have), grow tomatoes, sunflowers and chillies in the dark (because the don't have much sun) or drizzle water over the garden once a week because they don't have much time.
One idea is that of 'curation' rather than control - so that you are learning to serve the plants, rather than them serving you. This again means a lot of learning, paying swathes of attention to see what is not/working and why. It's more of an ongoing conversation than a lecture; listening, caring, patience - like any relationship.
Love what @Fire says above. I'm not an inexperienced gardener, but I face failure often. I actually think it's one of the hidden benefits of gardening- mistakes and accidents are a fact of life and the garden is a great way to experience weathering them. I am more accepting of my own failings and life's disappointments (in general) than I was, and particularly in the garden. I can still be brought to tears by accidentally letting seedlings fry or fox cubs digging up my veggies though!
I feel your anguish and frustration and anxiety. I’ve only grown things in pots up until this year.
The last few years of “potting” have taught me to listen to the plants; do research; ask people for advice on here (don’t always assume what you see on a label is the be all and end all); celebrate your successes; learn from and bounce back from your “failures”; but most of all: ENJOY IT. Find and take the time to look at it all and appreciate your work and the plants’ work/beauty/resilience/wonder etc etc…
I think it's important to accept that, especially for a novice gardener, like myself, there often appears to be no rhyme or reason to the results you get from your endeavours. I've found that both some successes and some failures leave me scratching my head. "But it's exactly what I did last year!"
There are so many variables that learning how to 'go with the flow' is crucial. Control the controllables and adapt to the rest. Don't set expectations too high and enjoy anything that goes well
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As @Borderline says - try and do some research about plants' requirements, and that will help. If you're unsure, you can ask on the forum too. The majority of members speak from experience, and there's a very wide range of knowledge, and although your location, climate and soil are all factors, you'll get advice which should steer you in the right direction
Potted plants always need a bit more attention, so bear that in mind when you plant anything in a pot. Watering is the biggest problem most folk experience -whether it's too much or too little
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
There are so many variables that learning how to 'go with the flow' is crucial. Control the controllables and adapt to the rest. Don't set expectations too high and enjoy anything that goes well