HA!! Took 4,000 tries (no, not really but it felt like that) but I finally beat Gord. My advice--concentrate on the largest bushes (most points) and the balloons. Forget the little bushes--not worth it. I'm now off to Felwinter harbor to see what the Mad Scientist wants from me. Good luck and keep trying...
And BTW, you CAN play BW2 without completing this quest--I've been playing almost since day 1 and haven't hit any snags for not yet completing this quest.