I think that it might be useful to cover What's Most Important, and also to tell them what can safely be ignored until later, when the gardener is looking for new challenges.

For example, after some years at this, after which I still more or less consider myself a newbie, I now have a small set of "do this much right or don't even bother" priorities:

- Decent soil.

That doesn't mean that the gardener needs to do a fancy soil test and measure elaborate mixtures of mineral dusts and soil amendments and put in just the right amount of fertilizer. In fact, those things, for a new gardener, are just scarey distractions.

It means, to me, that the gardener should get his hands on something that he can use to easily improve his soil (in my case, an organic planting mix with bat guano and compost and other items), dig into the dirt, and mix the good stuff in until the texture becomes something that he can happily run his fingers through.

My rule for soil is Make It Nice And Fluffy. That seems to be good enough.

- A steady supply of water.

Sure, this looks obvious, but people do so very, very frequently water too little, too shallow, and either too seldom or too often. Lots of them also aren't sold on mulch.

- Planting "thoroughly"

Digging holes deep enough, making the spacing at least approximately correct, unwinding or hacking up rootbound rootballs, firming in the soil, watering the plant in, pruning flowers off of those poor overblooming sixpack plants, and so on. None of this is really obvious when you start.

- Select plants that like the conditions

I ignore reality: I've planted roses in full shade. I've planted daphne in full sun. I've planted endless moisture-lovers in underwatered heat.

It's almost impossible to get somebody like me to stop killing plants this way until they learn the lesson on their own, but it's still worthwhile to emphasize that matching the plant to the conditions _really matters a whole lot_. Yes, you want roses. If you absolutely insist on planting roses in the shade, well, fine, get _one_. But meanwhile, throw in some hostas and Japanese anemones so you have something green next year when the rose is covered in mildew.

Unfortunately, this already looks like too much for two hours. :)

But going on anyway, to what I think can be ignored until later:

- All of those soil distractions that I mentioned above.

- Insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and all that. They are, again, complicated, scarey, and weird. If you're starting out, and your plant just got eaten by a bug? Plant something else.

- Powdered, pelletted, liquid, and generally smelly and scarey fertilizers. Just dig in the bat guano, or the steer manure, or whatever.

- Fancy pruning rules. When you find out what survives the first season, then look up how to prune it.

Burnet

In our garden club, I give new members a sheets a paper-2 sided-with lists of local gardening stores that have healthy plants at reasonable prices, and a list of some speciality stores too. It lists local people who do quality grading, new lawns for seeding or sodding, tree service people, fertilizing companies with approx price, maintenance people and design people. Where to get good topsoil, compost, pavers, rocks, etc! It also states the extension phone number and web sites. Web stores for speciality plants is another group, and Web information sites. All these stores/sites are ones used by you or of your personal knowledge--without any kickback to you $$. Great library books. Location of local gardening clubs. The new gardeners really appreciate this info.

As a new gardener, the most intimidating part was the selection of plants.

After tearing out a small garden full of sun-scorched rhododendrons (they were sent to live out their days on my parentÂs farm), ugly perennials and raised flowerbeds full of nastiness, it was very important to me to get the right plant for the right place. (DonÂt get me started on the seven rose bushes, red bud, Japanese maple and dogwood that were planted in a 15 by 25 ft area along our entry path.)

So, I would have loved a class on plant selection (full size, sun/shade, texture in comparison to the plants it will be near, heartiness, drought tolerance) and resources to help with plant selection. I realize there are entire class series dedicated to this subject, but if I could have taken a class on the basics, I think it would have helped me immensely.

Following on from colebug: what to do to get an 'instant garden' without buying disaster for later.

How to use 'quick growing' plants for privacy and wind shelter and making a builder-wrecked lot look civilised for the coming season - without ending up spending bazillions on either electricity because the plants have cut the light - or tree removal...

And pest plants that are local menaces requiring hours of work to contain: Agapanthus and Alstromeria and Acer pseudoplatanus, Ajuga repens - all the way to Zantedeschia.

And natives that are fine on a ten-acre lifestyle block but disaster in small lots. (Phormium tenax, anyone?!)

Also - a common question: 'How do I fix the messy garden I've bought? How do I ID the species and recognise the weeds?'