Part of the gardening system was changed in regard to how fast the plants reach the next level. And there are fewer harvestables per plant. At first, I thought I wouldn't like the changes but now after playing for almost a month, I like how my Sims gain gardening skill without making a mad amount of money. I have always preferred a more middle-class lifestyle for my families. The game is more fun when there isn't a boatload of Simoleans involved. Some Simmers use the money cheats to make their Sims millionaires, while I use cheats to make them poorer. The gardening in this game is amazing and has always been one of my favorite gameplay aspects. The changes have made it more challenging with the weather and seasonal plants while making it easier for my Sims to become successful gardeners. I will have to check the next time the season changes to summer to see if that makes a difference in how quickly the plants reach the 'evolve' stage in their growth. But as someone else stated, the bees play a large role in how quickly plants mature. I have greenhouses for all my playable Sims now along with beehives inside that I make sure to position so all the plants can be pollinated by the bees. Carl's List is a website with hints and tips on everything Sims and when I read what he had to say about the hives and how to properly place them, I found the bees actually cover more area than a five by five section. But you raise a good question that I am going to investigate as soon as my save moves into Spring and Summer. Do plants in greenhouses mature slower in the winter even though they are considered to be 'sheltered'? The first winter I played through I was too immersed in all the gorgeous scenery to pay much attention to how quickly my gardens were growing. But in the future, I will pay closer attention to how quickly the plants mature.
