green fingers

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

a natural talent or ability for growing plants successfully, attributed to people whose gardens and house plants thrive under their care in a way that seems almost magical to those who struggle with horticulture; the equivalent American expression is green thumb; the phrase implies not just technical knowledge but an intuitive sensitivity to plant needs, the ability to read the signs of stress or health in growing things, and the patient attentiveness that successful cultivation requires; in broader use green fingers or a green thumb describes a talent for nurturing growth in any context — a manager with green fingers grows successful teams, a teacher with green fingers helps students flourish, a community organiser with green fingers builds thriving neighbourhood initiatives

British: green fingers; American: green thumb