I pledge to help new gardeners...

Every spring, new gardeners emerge from the dark tunnel of their world without gardening into the light of a world with gardening.  These new gardeners can be a bit blinded by the brightness of the gardening world and need our help, if we are experienced gardeners.

Raise your right hand and repeat after me...

I, (state your name), will remember that there was a time when I didn't know much about plants or gardening.

I will not roll my eyes or  sigh or otherwise indicate in any way that a new gardener's question is one that has been asked a thousand times before.  I will answer it.

I will not laugh at new gardeners when they attempt to pronounce botanical names, nor will I correct them and tell them my way of pronouncing it, as though my way is the only way, the right way, even if I know that it is.  Well, I won't correct them in public but I won't let them continue to make it obvious that they are a new gardener by continually mis-pronouncing Clematis.

I will remember that the collective wisdom of gardening and knowledge of plants is much bigger than my knowledge of gardening, vast though I think it might be, and therefore, it is possible for a new gardener to encounter some new wisdom or knowledge that I know nothing about.  I will learn from them at times.

I will never give a new gardener a thuggish plant, no matter how much they beg or promise to keep it under control.

Finally, I will remind new gardeners that gardening is a way of life, a journey, and once in the light, their lives will never be the same.

Thank you. You may lower your hand now, grab a hoe and head out to your garden.  Be careful in the heat!