One of the things that has often struck me about gardening articles and literature is that the end result is always a wonderful plant or the perfect fruit. A rose, a peach, a melon. You know what I mean. A few years ago William Alexander wrote a book on his gardening exploits and wound up with a $64 tomato. It was a fun read in parts (with gardening becoming a "Three Stooges" routine.)
But a key point about Bill's exploits were lost (I think) on many people: Gardening should make you feel good. Really good. And in many ways it did or should have. From the first page where he was aroused by the sight of a gardening femme fatale with dirty fingernails, which is the horticultural equivalent of the plunging necklines in "Dangerous Liaisons", to later on when he got randy after snorting some apple pollen, there was a lot of ecstasy going on. But it was the agony that got the yuks and attention; gardening as a contact sport with a focus on perfect growth (in Latin if possible.)
And to me, that is what is wrong with the way that many have looked at gardening and how to deal with nature.
GroHappy is a blog that is going to focus on the human element of gardening with the purpose of having fun and feeling good.
My desire to create this site is an outgrowth of working in the area of horticultural therapy and seeing the powerful positive effect that plants can have on people.
I'm looking forward to chatting with all of you. Grohappy.
