Feel your pain completely. I've killed more plants than I care to admit. Tried every trick online, from watering schedules to different soils. They just give up on me after a few weeks. It's like they have a personal grudge or something. At this point, I'm convinced some plants are just drama queens.

Why would your buddy knock it without trying one first?

My mom never used a timer for her pot roast, and I burned three of my own trying to copy her. Now I can tell by the meat's smell when it's ready to fall apart. I had to fail a lot to trust my nose instead of the clock. It feels like a superpower now, not needing to check the time. That instinct is what makes cooking feel real, not just following steps.

Was it the labor practices or something else?

My buddy's block started sharing herbs and now they actually know each other's names.