Today, you can say that there is a fear of everything. Fear of music. Fear of water. Fear of heights. Fear of clowns. Fear of hair. Fear of long words. So, why can’t there be fear of gardening?
You may have heard of botanophobia – the fear of plants – and anthophobia – the fear of flowers. While both are quite uncommon, they exist for real. However, the fear of gardening has nothing to do with these plant phobias.
Gardening, despite being a relaxing and therapeutic hobby, has some drawbacks and when I’m talking about drawbacks, I’m referring to all the elements of gardening that make some people hate it. For instance, initial planning and planting require lots of patience and hard work and when you finally get to watch your “babies” grow, a storm comes and destroys everything you’ve been cherishing.
If you didn’t get it by now, let me tell you that fear of gardening is none other than the fear of failure.
Did you know that around 3 % of people who buy a plant, well, the plant die the same day?
Gardening mistakes aren’t the only reasons why plants die but most people fail to understand this and that’s why they are scared of gardening because they fear the consequences.
So, let’s find out what makes people scared of gardening.
I Don’t Know Where to Start
Everything has a beginning point and so does gardening. However, way too often, people don’t take the first step because they don’t know what the first step is. With regards to gardening, it is very easy to get caught up in endless thoughts: Where to begin? Should I use the whole garden? How should I start? How much money do I need to start gardening? Or, do I have enough gardening equipment?
The more you think, the more questions will arise in your mind, which will create a kind of fear and prevent you from taking the first step.
The solution is to have a good plan. Planning is one of the cornerstones of gardening. So, start by laying out on paper everything you’ve ever wanted to grow and then you start planning about the resources needed to make that dream come true. Once you’ve got everything planned on paper, start by purchasing the plants and gardening equipment you need to get started.
I Don’t Have Any Experience
Oh, come on!!
You are just going out in your garden to grow some plants and not for a job interview.
While there are certain tips and tricks to becoming a successful gardener, that doesn’t mean you can’t become a gardener if you don’t have the necessary expertise.
Above all, gardening remains a fun hobby and I don’t think you need any experience to have fun, right?
Gardening Is Costly
Who told you so??
I agree there are times when you’ll need to invest in good gardening equipment, fertilizers, pesticides, water sprinklers and so on. Sometimes, you’ll even need to buy books to increase your knowledge. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that gardening is an expensive hobby as buying tools and equipment is a one-time purchase. In fact, if you pay close attention to what you are going and be relentless about growing healthy plants, vegetable gardening can save you lots of money.
I Don’t Want to Kill Any Plants
Let me be honest with you. If it’s your first time gardening, then you might end up making a few mistakes and kill–unintentionally- some plants. It’s not “wrong” in a moral sense because you wouldn’t mean for it to happen. However, if you are quite the “sensitive” type and think you won’t be able to cope with it, then well, you might need to find another hobby or wait until you are ready.
