It's become clear to me through posts and PMs that there are some gardeners here just waiting for the chance to discuss gardening!
So, I was thinking... how do you use gardening, or how does it affect you if you need a break, need some respite, need to relax, need inspiration....how do you use it as a therapy tool in caregiving?
What are your activities: Do you go out and pull weeds, read a magazine, design new beds? Look through garden catalogues? Go to garden stores?
And what interests have you added to your gardening? Visit estate or garden displays? Do you go to garden shows?
Does anyone design and plant Knot Gardens? Raised bed planters? Assistive gardens? Pollinator gardens (and have you thought of ways to help the bees and butterflies?)
Are your gardens primarily for pleasure or food, or a mix of both? Do you grow plants for medicinal purposes? Which ones, how do you harvest and process them? Any suggestions?
Do you grow plants that can be used in crafts, such as grapevines for wreaths and lavender for lavender wands? Do you make herbal products such as creams, lotions, chapstick?
What else can you share about gardening and the means in which it nurtures your soul?
I also water from our pond so I don’t drain our well. Nutritious fish and frog manure.
Alva, copper sulphate (sulfate) was used as a fungicide, or herbicide. Blue-green crystals. Likely dissolved and sprayed. Used to keep tree roots away from weeping tiles, etc. I remember my father buying it 50 years ago but it may be restricted now.
Plumbagos are hearty! I love the blue flowers.
Thanks, that’s good to know. I find that the rainwater really perks up our plants.
Spring and fall are the best seasons. We don’t get the beautiful fall foliage here but our summer season is brutal so I am always ready for the fall.
I have two purple orchids in there now. One on my window sill bloomed for years! It stopped. The other one by my tub is dropping orchids on me when I bathe! LOL 😆
Is the bathroom too hot and steamy for orchids? What plants survive well in a bathroom? Keep in mind that I take long, steamy hot baths and showers because of my allergies.
I like indoor plants but most of mine end up dying.
My mother in law grew beautiful African violets. She had them for years and years. After she died, my father in law didn’t care for them and they all died.
How do you get rid of invasive plants in a garden?
I love mint but have avoided growing it an an area where it would take over.
It was constantly blooming orange flowers for the hummingbirds.
When cutting it back, pulling out the branches caused the roots to be more unstable.
(I did not do this). It is one hot mess now and looks unsightly.
However, it will grow. We just won't be able to allow it to get taller than 4 or 5 ft.
I could rent an auger to drill down, placing a post deeper down, add a brace underground, or a dead man brace above ground.
Wondering if I should keep it, try harder at more expense to stabilize it. The physical labor required was too much for both my husband and I working together. But we are in need of some shade for the summer.
Feeling conflicted. Taking it out fully could hurt us. Tying it to the porch looks really tacky. Any trellis we tried is not holding this thing up. My dH wants to keep it. It was so beautiful!
And then...we planted some vegetables to grow in the sun. I did this so poorly that doubt anything will grow. Peas, spinach, lettuce, carrots in gal. bottle containers to start. Nice effort, but that too was just too much with pain from fibromyalgia and arthritis. I will be amazed! I guess that I should have a watering schedule now. 😜
Wayyy too much for me. I am so happy! That is what feeling conflicted is all about.
Yay!
Also, it is the known habitat for Zink, the skink. We last saw him about a year ago, when he jumped up the stairs onto the front porch. We should protect the area.
In the meantime, I am studying dead man posts. When we were Camp Hosts at a State Park, the ranger there taught us to bury a post but put a cross beam at the bottom to make it more secure. Then it does not need to be buried so deep.
A mirage or possibly a delusion, I am sure!
If it's that easy, I am going to shop for my favorite: Sweet Pea flowers!
Some are lettuce, broccoli, spinach, carrots, and peas.
I will need to check which ones have popped their heads out of the ground.
Maybe it was weeds, but I don't think so. Dh told me because he has watered them the last 2 days. He is a master of misinformation, maybe I should have waited to confirm the news. I don't get outside every day. Still recovering from the work it took to plant the seeds.
However, I placed a Garden Cloche over some of the plants. It acts as a greenhouse. It does seem early to me too. I will get back to you on that.
The internet: " About Lettuce Seed Germination. Lettuce seeds can germinate as soon as two days after planting, or it can take up to two weeks."
Funny, I do not recognize my screen name as SH. Everyone has always called me Send.
One looks like a very short dichondra lawn.
That must be pretty awesome watching the veggies sprouting up. I have a black thumb when plants are involved. Totally opposite of my late dad. Even at 95+ years old he was watering the garden.
Produce is so expensive in the store. I eat a lot of salads and I spend a fortune on produce.
I do buy them from the store because I love them. Didn’t know about the issues of salmonella, listeria and E. coli with the store bought ones. Interesting…
My farmers market has a vendor that sells alfalfa and mung beans sprouts, plus micro greens. I buy from him occasionally.
From what I remember, they weren’t difficult to grow and so much cheaper than the small packages sold in the store. I grew them on a large baking sheet.
Catskie, Yes, these little vegetable will grow no matter what color my thumb is.
Lol. I am only a helper when I water them. It is fun. 🌱
CWillie, That explains why I cannot find sprouts in the markets. The farmer's Market sells micro greens, but the expense is prohibitive. I will do without.
Thanks for the info. 🌾
We never know who we may be helping when we post. 🤸♀️