Garden Rivalries

You know, I've never come across a snotty gardener. They are the most helpful, generous and all-around good natured people on the face of the earth. They'll grow something gorgeous and not bat an eye in their eagerness to share advice, seeds and even parts of the plant itself. True gardeners want to spread the wealth, so to speak. They want to get you hooked, to succeed, to enjoy every aspect as much as they do.

But when it comes to competitions - oh boy!

Can it get vile? You bet! Here's an example: So who really wins?

This is just one of the reasons I haven't joined Blotanical yet. Granted, Stuart has done one bang-up job on that site, but honestly, I really, really loath the fact there is a 'ranking' system on there. According to many blog comments and posts I've been reading recently, I'm not the only one who feels this way.
All those blogs linked in my sidebar? I like each of them equally. There is no 'better than'.

I even felt funny voting in the Mouse and Trowel Awards, but I swallowed hard and did it to, more or less, give Colleen my support.

Would I like to peruse other blogs that people think are great but I haven't stumbled on yet? Sure. But I think every gardener and garden blogger has a personal style that someone else might not like, but would appeal to me. Does it matter? I don't think so. Would hurting someone's feelings matter because they weren't ranked high? You bet!

Since when did blogging become a 'look at me! I am so fabulous!' sort of thing? Ick...

If I wanted the how to of growing a plant that looks like it should be in a garden magazine, well...I'll look in a garden magazine. I want the blogger's personality! The one that says, "Oops, I screwed up, the plant doesn't look all that good, but it made it anyway. I tried this or that method and look how well it worked/didn't work. It's snowing, raining, sunshining, freezing, God, I hate/love where I live. I tried that plant - it took over/is well behaved. I grew that watermelon a few years ago and the flavor is scrumptious/sucked. I pruned the spirea today (and maybe a finger) and think it was the wrong/right time. This shreader, pruner, glove, gadget is wonderful/sucks to high he**." I don't necessarily want it to be instructional or even helpful, as long as it's fun and an interesting read. You'd be surprised how many garden blogs I read with entries about dogs, cats, kids, husbands, wives, neighbors and inlaws. And I read them, because they're fun and interesting!

I want to read blogs of gardeners that are just starting, have mega-years of experience under their belt or the intermediate that is obsessed with growing something new to them (or me!). The ones with personality - not the one that everyone thinks they need to boost the ego of.