Getting the hang of gardening can be a trial-and-error process, and it certainly isn’t uncommon to encounter a few blunders during our rookie years. We asked folks in the community if they had any stories of funny gardening fails, mixups and mishaps. From too many tomatoes to none at all, here are our favourite lessons from first time gardeners! 

A Pain in the Butt

“I was working in the garden and forgot that I still had the bamboo stakes I use as garden markers in the ground. I bent down to do some weeding and stabbed myself right in the butt with a stake! I had to go straight to the ER for a tetanus shot. There was a scar on my butt cheek for nearly a year! It was a great year for my tomatoes though.” – Rachel

A Mistake You Only Make Once 

“Never ask a non-gardener to help you weed. I came outside to find that all the plants, as well as the weeds, had been completely pulled out. My son probably still suffers some light trauma from the loud yell that flew out of me that day!” – Jey

Birds Are Messy Eaters

“We filled our bird feeder with sunflower seeds, and the birds went crazy over them! But, they must have dropped one, because suddenly a seven-foot tall sunflower has appeared right next to our side door.” – Richard

Radical Radishes

“Radishes have always been my favourite vegetable to plant, because they grow so quickly and are ready to harvest within a month or two. But the first time I tried growing them, I wasn’t so successful! When I was five years old I was determined to start my very own vegetable garden over the summer, but I had no idea radishes were a cold weather crop. I planted them in early July when it was scorching hot outside, and they immediately bolted! I was so disappointed when I pulled them up and the root was teeny tiny, though I do remember thinking the little purple flowers were quite pretty.” – Jane

Skinny Melons

“My dad and I tried to plant some watermelons this year, but I don’t know what happened! They came out long and skinny, like some kind of weird zucchini hybrid. They still taste good though!” – Jimmy

Gardening Skills Reaching New Heights 

“Now, I’m not the tallest guy in the world, but I certainly wasn’t expecting my tomato plants to outgrow me by July… sigh.” – Carey

Crop Rotation? More Like Crop Termination. 

“When my daughter gave birth to my grandson, I offered to plant her garden for her so she could spend some time with the baby. I thought I’d try out crop rotation, as I heard it could result in better yields. Well, as it turns out, my daughter had planted everything in the same spot each year for a reason, and while some of her plants nearly withered in the hot, direct sunlight, her tomato plants flopped in the shade and didn’t produce a single fruit! Whoops”¦my bad.” – Leslie 

Too Many Tomatoes

“My fiance and I just moved in together, and this was our first summer in the new house, so I was eager to get in the garden. Well, it’s safe to say I overdid it on the tomatoes, because we just finished harvesting them, and the final count is 945. That’s just”¦ too many tomatoes. Let the salsa canning begin!” – Abigail

Surprise Squatters

“My mom and my brother Ted keep having little surprises pop up in the garden, like ornamental squashes and cantaloupes. We realized it was because they had been making their own compost! Looks like a few extra seeds were hiding in those vegetable scraps.” – Stephanie

A Kale Of Woe

“My dad thought he was planting broccoli, but it turned out to be kale. When he realized his mistake, he ripped it all out because he didn’t know what kale was! My mom and I were so disappointed””we could have made some kale chips with that!” – Sarah 

Not That Kind Of Grow Op

“I moved into a new apartment last winter, and I wasn’t getting much light in the front window. I was bored working from home, so I wanted to try propagating some new houseplants. I set up a big shelf in the window with a bunch of plants, grow lights, and metallic foil. Soon, my monstera cuttings were getting huge, and my propagation station was a success! But, then I got a knock on the door from my landlord, who said some residents were growing concerned that I had a different kind of grow op happening in my living room. I assured her, my plants were of the ornamental variety, not the recreational kind!” ““ Chris  

For a successful gardening season that’s free of epic fails and major blunders, visit Salisbury Greenhouse to get the best quality seeds and starters, easy to use equipment, and sage advice from the Salisbury experts. Now’s the time to start getting those fall bulbs in the ground, so swing by the greenhouse or order online to get them before the frost hits!