Plant Snobbery

I had the wonderful opportunity last week to see a presentation by Dr. Allan Armitage (Canadian; currently at University of Georgia).

Speaking at a local garden centre, his main point was to "have fun" while gardening. He reviewed several plants, telling us of their attributes, and a little bit about where they came from. He minimized the fact of whether a plant was a perennial, tender perennial, annual or tropical indoor plant -- if you like it in your garden, that's all that matters.

One suggestion he had re botanical names was to "Get the syllables in the right order, then fire away." In his book on perennials, he adds, "Don't worry about sounding silly; it is only the garden snob who continually tries to correct you. And who needs snobs in a garden?"

Good advice, I'd say.

Here's to dirt under your nails.

MPD