As a child I showed no interest in gardening whatsoever. This carried into my adult life but three months after getting married, my husband and I moved into a tiny terraced cottage with a garden. There were a couple of apple trees virtually flat on the garden plus a Christmas tree growing into the drain and a beautiful old lilac tree. The lawn had long gone wild and part of it had been turned into a rough circular sandpit. The privet hedge on one side was overgrown and the fence on the other side, falling apart. I got stuck in out of necessity.
My mother laughed heartily, until she realised I seemed able somehow, to keep the plants she gave me alive. Close by, was my secret weapon - a horticultural college. Cheekily, I would call and pester a lecturer to tell me how to get the apple trees upright, how to prune and why the rose I bought in Woolworths had black spots and two types of tiny coloured flies on it. For the most part, they were really helpful.
Gardening is roughly as easy or difficult as cooking. Asking for advice and following instructions are useful. In the end, it seems very much trial and error. What works in one garden, may not work in the one next door. Gardening by the sea, even if it's not directly in sight, is a whole different challenge altogether !
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