The Ethics of Gardening

[Nyboy]

Well said Bee

 

[seedcorn]

Only wAy I see anyone guilty of hoarding is IF you buy all the available seed and destroy it so no else can have it. Even then, it can still be duplicated as you did not take the genes out of existence.

 

[catjac1975]

Hi
This is probably only a problem that applies to hyper depressive me, but here goes.\

Does anyone else ever feel GUILTY for gardening in the first place. I mean I get the idea that gardening and seed saving is important to preserving the diversity of our plants. And I love growing.

That's actually sort of the problem. Since I am so bad at growing things (and a lot of those causes are beyond my control to correct) I often feel like I am doing a terrible thing by trying, in that I am using up and ultimately destroying rare seed that might otherwise go into the hands of a more successful and competent grower.

This even applies to that seed which I find on my own. Since that is probably still rarer, a big part of me says that the ethical thing to do is to not grow it myself but immediately give it to someone who is more deserving. Indeed I should probably PAY them in order to encourage them to keep growing and ultimately, devote ALL my personal resources to such other people, leaving NOTHING for me.

Thoughts?

That's just crazy talk. Don't be offended. I say that to my husband when he says, well, crazy things.

 

[digitS']

There is a sentimental value to plants.

My dad's youngest brother enjoyed gardening and was a source for tomato seed which he said that his mother grew during the depression. I grew this tomato for several years and, by then, I had internet and became curious as to whether I could find out where it came from. Grandmother was reported to have just referred to it as "the peddler's tomato." I figured that I might have come up with it so bought and grew Porter's for a couple of seasons.

The first year, I thought that Grandmother's tomato had lighter colored foliage than Porter's but the fruit seemed identical. The second year growing side by side, I realized that there really was no difference. Before I told my uncle what I'd learn, I asked him if he wanted to know.

I'm glad I did that. He answered "No!" so fast it would have made your head spin! He looked a little sheepish about this apparent neuroticism and obvious low openness to scientific experience .

Steve

 

[so lucky]

@Pulsegleaner , I wonder if your aggravation with yourself regarding bad luck growing things could be showing up as a feeling of "If I can't even grow the darn things, maybe I don't deserve to try. I'm just taking valuable seeds out of circulation." Our mind has interesting ways of trying to justify our feelings and what we believe to be true.
Rather than continuing to plant seeds in impossible growing conditions, maybe you could find a different place to garden. I bet there is an empty lot or unused garden area within walking distance.
Use your abundant imagination to find ways to walk around that hole in the sidewalk, rather than falling in every time. If you don't get the reference, let me know and I'll find that poem for you.

 

[Nyboy]

Steve you are so right about sentimental value of plants. My father still lives in house my grandparents built over 100 years ago,Because of this I have hosta, lily of the valley,lilac and rose of sharon from plants my grand mother planted. I often think of her when in the garden.

 

[Collector]

@digitS' that is one of the things I enjoy most about gardening nostalgia. No matter what I am doing in garden I am thinking about my dad and grandparents who always had gardens and spent lots of time working in them and talking about them. I think that is how your uncle felt about the tomato seeds , they were his moms seeds and that is it. Nostalgia has nothing to do with science, and science is not welcome on my garden lol

@Pulsegleaner , I have never thought of it that way. I just think trial and error, like I am searching for the best seeds for me to grow. If I have a failure it’s not me, this variety is not suited for my gardening situation and I move on. Like the last seasons bean seeds were from a late planting and the seeds were not fully mature at and of season. I think I am not going to plant them, I might just make soup out of them, which is another good use for bean seeds.

 

[ninnymary]

Perhaps you're glitch is not in growing them but to be the vehicle to distribute them to others. There's nothing wrong in being a coordinator of sorts and you may find that rewarding. Just a thought.

Mary

 

[Pulsegleaner]

I tried that once.

The problem is that a lot of people have a very limited view of how much "input" I should have in the process. They only want the seed if it comes with no strings attached at all, no instructions, no directions, no nothing; seed that once they take it is theirs to do with as they please, no further involvement by me.

A few people on the others sites took it even further. At one point I was trying to share a bit of extra corn I had around that had some traits I thought were interesting. What I was suggestion was that the people who took some seed take a few seasons keeping it isolated to clean it up a bit and up the amounts to something significant. Instead they simply tossed it into their land race grexes as is and when it immediately disappeared from sheer drowning out by everything else, they got mad and said the fault was mine, that I should have provided them more seed and I had an obligation to turn over ALL seed I had to them (sort of what I was talking about in reverse, OTHERS demanding I give them everything I own because "I deserve it more than you do". It's often turns into a version of the standard spoiled child rant "I don't want advice, I don't want help, I just want free stuff and when I lose the stuff because I never bothered to learn how to use it, I just expect more free stuff.)

What it all boils down to is I never become the coordinator, I always end up becoming the cash cow; taking all of the costs and getting none of the benefits, not even thanks.

BTW I have started this seasons planting at last.

 

[aftermidnight]

I'm a seed searcher and a seed saver, for instance I search for rare and endangered bean varieties. If it's a bean I can't grow because I don't have the right climate I either pass the information of where to get it or if I have the seed I'll pass it on to someone who can.
Once I've collected my bean seed in the fall I try to spread it around to whoever wants some, the only stipulation I ask is when they have enough seed they themselves share it with others, in other words pay it forward. If I have a variety that no-one else has I'm pretty nervous until I can pass seed on to others.
Right now I have a bean variety coming to me that we think is on the brink, it's older seed but as soon as I find out it it's still viable half of this seed is going to someone else to grow and hopefully share.
I have failures at times, who doesn't but when successful it makes up for my failures. There's givers and takers in this world of ours, there always will be but I don't give this much thought, as long as I'm happy with myself that's all that matters to me. I'm a firm believer in what goes around comes around

Annette