3 mental skills you need to have a green thumb

Have you killed every plant since Kindergarten when you put a seed in a styrofoam cup for Mother’s Day?

Even if that is the case you can still have a green thumb and learn to grow flowers so you can have your own cut flower garden.

Step one to turning your black thumb into a green thumb is to get in the right mindset to be a green thumb gardener.

There is more mental to gardening than you might think. I always assumed it was more of a physical task. It certainly has that aspect, but the mental is almost more important. Nothing tripped me more in my years of gardening than not being observant, curious, and patient.

Observant

There is an old quote or saying that says “The best fertilizer is a gardener’s shadow.”

All to say if you are frequently in the garden paying attention and tending your garden will flourish better than the garden that is watered and fertilized on a strict schedule. You can tell that kind of gardener by the photos on their phone. They are most likely filled with blooms, bugs, and other cool things they noticed while spending time in the garden.

No this doesn’t mean you need to be in the garden constantly. However, getting out in the garden and seeing what has changed in your garden should be frequent. Try taking your cup of coffee out in the morning and walking your garden to see what has changed. Prefer evenings make a cocktail and walk the garden before you make dinner or just after. Bonus Tip: morning and evening when the sun is lower in the sky is also the best time to get the best photographs of your garden.

Curious

Being out there observing is only the first step. Next is to take that up a notch and get really curious about what you are seeing.

What are those things that make you go hmm? That is what you are looking for in the garden. Take your phone. Snap photos of odd & unexpected things happening in the garden. Then join The Pinwheelers Garden Club so you can share your pictures and get the answers you need to be successful.

Doing this will help you guide mother nature to the results you want. To be completely honest, you can only try to guide mother nature she won’t always follow your instructions. If nature takes over this does NOT mean you are a bad gardener. It means you are learning and that nature is stronger than our nurture sometimes. Even the most experienced and seasoned gardeners have these moments.

Patient

Nothing in the garden happens overnight.

It will take days to see your first sprout.

Weeks to really see growth and maybe a month or more until you get a bloom.

The reward for the patience in all those steps is worth it. You are going to have to trust me on this until you see your first sprout and realize you helped nature do that. Without you, a flower wouldn’t be growing there. That flower wouldn’t be growing and getting ready to make someone’s day in a sweet bouquet. You should feel proud of that. Happy dances in the garden are special and common at my house.

When you get to the stage of oversharing pictures on Instagram like a new parent, tag me! Your friends may not get the excitement, but I'm here for it.

Trying to rush or forget any of these three is why people think that they have a black thumb.

One of the things I love about gardening is that when I do these three things it can seem a little like meditating. This is good because sitting still to meditate has yet to work for me. I slow down and pay attention to the plants, my thoughts, and always come out of the garden feeling calmer and more in tune with myself. I always keep my phone close for photos, notes, and my next great idea.

I hope you enjoy the time you spend slowing down, experiencing your garden and your new relationship with nature.