Online dating can be daunting. How do you approach someone you’ve never even met before? Having a shared interest definitely helps. Whether your garden is big, small, or simply a window box, talking to fellow gardeners is a great way to meet new people.If you enjoying digging dirt, playing with worms, and planting bulbs, you might find it easier to start chatting with someone who feels the same way.

Start off by introducing yourself. Don’t be too long-winded, as that can be a major turnoff. If you email a thesis statement as your first message, you’ll likely bore the other person to tears and come across as a little too into yourself. After you say hi, mention something you read in their profile. For instance, you could say:

“Hi, my name is Matthew/Jane. I noticed on your profile that you enjoy landscape gardening. I’ve tried a little bit of that myself.At the moment, I’m trying to work on re-creating an English garden. Are you working on any fun projectsright now?”

By showcasing a shared and specific interest, you’ve let the person know that you have something in common which is a great way to create interest. Now you can feel free to ask them a question. This lets them know that you care about their thoughts and life experiences, which will break the ice and start a conversation. You could ask questions like, “What’s your favorite garden or park?” or “Have you ever had any formal training in gardening or horticulture?”

Plant and plan your dating garden now. Dates could include garden tours, seed and plant swaps, lectures from local farmers, and a fall harvest contest, (biggest tomatoes? tastiest pickles?).

After you introduce yourself and show that you’re interested, feel free to disclose a little more information. Talk a bit about where you live and how you became interested in gardening. Or what you do for a living. Ask them how they came to enjoy gardening and nature, about where they’re from, but don’t go overboard. You don’t want to seem like a police interrogator. Soon enough you’ll be planting your own little seeds of love.