Turning problems into pluses

It’s said that we don’t grow as people when things are easy; we grow when we face challenges. If that’s the case, gardening is full of opportunities for personal growth.

Very few garden projects start with the proverbial blank canvas of bare ground that has good soil, sun and placement. Whether modifying existing gardens or building new ones, what we have to work with is often less than ideal.

There may be buildings, trees and even pre-existing garden beds to contend with. The land may be steeply sloped or facing in an unfavourable direction. Areas may be windswept, prone to waterlogging or heavily shaded.