The idea of learning how to nurture, cultivate, and finally reap the rewards nature had to offer has always held a moderate interest with me. So when the opportunity arose to learn a little something about our carbon-breathing friends, I jumped at the chance.

The second most important thing I've learned is the difference between landscaping and gardening. Though maybe it comes across a bit pretentious, gardening is the scalpel to landscaping's steak knife - that is to say, landscaping is not quite as refined as gardening. I had never realized the difference until I started really looking at the two professions - the lack of finesse is obvious. Gardening takes patience and a delicate touch, while landscapers will bulldoze the land and go from there. It's simple if you look at the etymology: "landscaping" directly implies creation, which isn't an inherently bad thing, it's just unfortunate that destruction must take place in order for creation to begin. I've found that I identify with a refinement and restoration process more than a delete and rebuild process, so I think I've ended up in the appropriate school of thought.