Can gardening romance bloom among the squash and sunflowers? These writers certainly seem to believe it’s possible!

Love. It’s the realm of poets and dreamers. Hopeless romantics lost in a world of flowers and songs. Or if we are to believe Hollywood, romance is just waiting for us the next time we bump into a stranger at the grocery store. But gardening romance?

Can love really exist alongside spindly weeds, “aromatic” compost, worms, and the occasional skunk? These writers don’t see any reason a long-lasting gardening romance can’t bloom right alongside the bee balm and bell peppers.

Romance can be serious, as it is for Jeff Taylor, a self-described “non-gardener.” Who among us doesn’t remember how surprised we were upon learning how much toil goes into a garden? But what happens when a non-gardener like Jeff falls in love with a born gardener intent on sharing the joy of digging into the dirt, bending and kneeling to plant seeds, and turning sweat and sore muscles into flowers and vegetables? That, my friends, is Jeff’s story to tell. Luckily, you can read it in The Joy of NonGardening. 

Gardening romance can also be humorous, as is the case for Rita Larkin Kayser, in The Tree That Talked To Me. I admit this one gave me quite a chuckle, as I could easily envision seven-year-old Rita looking quizzically at this large talking tree. 

Be sure to read Norma Johnston’s story, too, which includes something that every gardening romance should have: some flower hoarding and helpful advice for a long and happy marriage. 

Get more gardening romance stories below

Feel free to stay a while and enjoy all the gardening romance stories we have to share below. And be sure to check out our Gardening Romance Collection while you’re here, which features a hand-picked selection of our favorite stories from this category.