Team First Generation or Second-Generation Gardener?

Like any other heritage, if you are a first generation gardener, you may find yourself floundering around a bit. Perhaps you dove head first into gardening, devouring every website, book, and piece of advice that you could get your hands on. Or, maybe you eased in little by little, starting with a houseplant here and there or a container of annuals on your porch. Being a First Generation-er means excitement and trepidation, along with a good dose of anticipation; looking forward into the future with lofty goals and dreams of those picture perfect gardens.

The Second Generation Gardener certainly has a leg up! How to grow, what to grow. Favorite plants, least favorite vegetable. Those that bring back fond memories, and some plants you may grow just because it has always been in your family. Perhaps you learned by the purposeful teaching of a relative, or you may have just gleaned your knowledge through simply being around. You may have been an excited second generation, or an accidental gardener.

Whatever your gardening story, I'm certain of one thing - you have one!

Are you on Team First Generation, or did you get your start by watching your parents or perhaps grandparents garden and are on Team Second Generation?

Trish said:I am on Team Second Generation.  I can't remember a time when my dad didn't have a vegetable garden. I grew up carefully counting out and planting corn seeds and eating the corn as fast and my mom could cut it off the cob for canning! Landscaping and flowers, on the other hand, were not part of my heritage. We had an AstroTurf covered front porch with 3 holly bushes and 3 boxwoods. Neither of my parents had any desire to care for a plant that they couldn't eat. Dave and I started off with houseplants, and grew from there.

Dave said:Definitely team "second generation", although I think most of us are not "second generation" but "way down the line" generation. My parents are gardeners, my grandparents (on both sides) were avid gardeners with impressive gardens and farms. I was raised to have an interest in growing things and am passing that along to our children, as well.

Ok- over to you. Tell us your story- are you on Team First Generation or Team Second Generation? Just as importantly- are you passing down gardening as part of your children's heritage?