Gardeners: A Rare Breed

By Hannah Kincaid
Published on May 21, 2018
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Photo by GettyImages/sanjeri
Hannah shares and appreciates every gardener's insatiable pursuit of new garden knowledge.

As gardeners, we share our hard-earned knowledge openly without expectation of payment or reward. We share our wisdom while leaning over fences, while standing in line, and while perusing seed catalogs in waiting rooms. There aren’t many other industries or hobbies where the competition is as friendly, where the environmental impact is as positive, and where the helping hands are as abundant. Master Gardener programs are an incredible example of this mindset in the United States and Canada. These community-based volunteer programs encourage local gardeners to give lectures, create gardens, conduct research, and answer questions.

For years, I didn’t share my gardening knowledge because I was intimidated by the amount of experience others had. Then, I had an incredible encounter where I learned that you don’t need to know everything about a topic to teach others, you just need to know more than the people asking. It’s also ok to say, “I don’t know the answer to that question, but I’ll help you find it.” If you’re passionate about the topic and patient with your students, then you, too, can teach.

Have you considered sharing your gardening knowledge? If you have the time, perhaps your local master gardener program would be a great fit. If you’re a beginner, consider working with a local school or nonprofit to teach children; their innocent enthusiasm makes them the most endearing (and sometimes hilarious) students. Or maybe you’re more comfortable sharing information using the written word, in which case I encourage you to start a blog. If website design isn’t your thing, then email me atHKincaid@HeirloomGardener.com to discuss sharing your wisdom on Heirloom Gardener’s website. We provide a platform for gardeners to share information on everything from peanuts to tomatoes, and we delight at reading each new post.

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