Hello again, Westside gardeners!
Is it fair to say that in today’s world, landscape gardeners have abandoned the passion of the trade for money? My observation shows a trend of both. Yes, we all need money to survive, but I am witnessing too many cases where professionalism and knowledge are absent.
A true gardener is consistent and hands-on, treating gardening as a process rather than just a result. Another fact, a real gardener is characterized by deep curiosity, patience with nature’s timeline and resilience in learning from failure.
Without complaint, truly oriented gardeners enjoy daily rituals of watering, weeding, viewing plant deaths as lessons, not failures and persist despite challenges.
Noticing subtle changes in plants, soil and environment, understanding that growth cannot be rushed, adapting to limitations, utilizing available materials and designing spaces that reflect their personal vision are marks of a true gardener.
My personal passion as a professional gardener is taking pride in sowing seeds, nurturing seedlings to plant life cycle.
For those seeking to hire a gardener, take time to understand their background, knowledge and whether they really have that passion. There are still a few out there.
— Mark Koehler of Los Banos is an arborist and master gardener who has degrees in landscape architecture and landscape horticulture from UC Berkeley and Northeastern University. Please send any questions or comments to markgardenguru@gmail.com.
