Expert gardeners share their memorable gardening mistakes and happy accidents

We’ve all heard people say: “I don’t have a green thumb. I kill everything,” as if gardening is an inherited talent.

The truth is no one is born a great gardener. It takes years of practice – and countless failures – to get a handle on the mysterious world of plants. And even then, the most seasoned pros still make their fair share of blunders. Regardless of how many books you read or gardening courses you take, the best way to learn is through trial and error. As U.K. gardening coach Janet Kilburn Phillips famously said, “There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments.

, as well as happy accidents that occurred because they weren’t afraid to “experiment” and see what would happen next.HandoutOur roadway leaving the gardens has been lined with an impressive stand of Hawthorn trees for as long as I can remember. They were always lightly pruned each year, basically removing sucker growth, and provided a beautiful spring display. Years ago, a respected tree expert advised us to let these trees grow out to create a tunnel-like effect for our visitors.

I embraced a newfound respect for native perennials and devised a containment strategy for the non-natives. It also led me to co-found the Canadian Coalition for Invasive Plant Regulation, aiming to guide other gardeners away from similar misadventures.I like to experiment and let things happen, which led me to try pairing the northern maidenhair fern, with its delicate, fan-like fronds, and the enigmatic blue cohosh.

I’ve learned that Canada anemone needs to be in a spot where it doesn’t need to be contained. At my new place, I planted it under some trees where grass won’t grow. It’s very happy there, and so am I.I like to think I know my native plants, but I was recently introduced to a new one called bluet, which is so lovely and compact I bought it in three colours – white, pink and blue. I brought them home and stuck them in the ground.

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