GardenArtist Posted September 2015
Gardening as therapy.
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See? A failed gardener!
If you don't mind sharing, was caregiving an issue in the interview and if so, any suggestions on how to make it an asset instead of a concern?
I'm in zone 6; hydrangeas seem to grow easily here; I see them a lot in residential and commercial settings. Just did some quick checking and learned that some hydrangeas don't grow in some zones. So if you're in zone 6, you'd have to find ones that tolerate that zone.
I hadn't realized they were that particular. I suspect a lot of that tolerance or intolerance of some zones is due to hybridization.
Send, I wasn't aware hydrangea flowers could be freeze dried; that's a new one for me. I love to see the large flowers in dried form during the winter. One of our doctors is in a facility where the front door is flanked by several panicle hydrangeas that were always stunning, whether they were in bloom or just resting during the winter. They really do provide lovely winter interest.
Weren't your bougainvillea lost because they didn't have enough time to acclimatize before winter?
Ashlynne, how large is your garden? And your greenhouse? Is it attached or separate? If the latter, do you heat it or does it get solar heat to start the seedlings?
I've always wanted a greenhouse but it really isn't feasible and I don't plan to stay in this house anyway.
The blooms? One is a paperwhite narcissisis, another are the flowers on a vine, cape honeysuckle, and very soon, the daffodil will bloom. Rejuvenating themselves without help, here comes the prolific - - - forgot their little names- - - - - getting back to you on that.
Imagine, a secure environment, like the community in Denmark, I think, where the residents are free too wander as much as they like, it usually is not too much. A bingo game to check in on, a gardener to help with pruning or planting seed, a card game, an entertainer, and their own relatively private quarters to settle in when they tire. A place with reasonable property values is necessary, and a smaller community would be a requirement. It is strange but I have dreamt of such a facility for a number of years. And to have a hand in the first one in this country, unimaginable!
The plant, very hardy, are called Vinca. They are also probably weeds, but pretty, inexpensive, and spread by themselves. White, pink, magenta!
If I understand you correctly, you're going to be working in development of an ideal, more European style community that's far more progressive than most adult communities in this country. That would definitely be exciting! It sounds like an ideal job.
I wish you well, I wish you success - anyone who can handle caregiving and work on a Masters to me demonstrates a level of commitment that exceeds what most Masters candidates have to meet.
Send, I have Vinca...they do form a great ground cover, with literally impenetrable root systems once they're established. The flowers are lovely. Their invasiveness is not. I'm battling them in one area, and they've already invaded another.
Tacy, herbs can be air dried, or they can be oven dried or even dehydrated.
I usually dry mine by clipping them before they set flowers, as energy then goes into flower production. I cut an ample stem, wash them well, let them dry before bunching and wrapping the stems with postal twine or a pretty ribbon. Then I hang them upside down in an area where they aren't in bright sun. The challenge also is to keep them from absorbing dust as they're drying, so an area that isn't exposed to a lot of dust-generating activity is ideal.
That's when I wish I had a butler's pantry - that would be so perfect!
What I also used to do when I had a gas oven with a pilot light was to clean them, cut them in smaller sections (but don't strip them from the stems), put them in a glass pie plate (any other glass baking dish would work as well), then set them in the oven to air dry.
The problem now is that most gas ovens don't have "always-on" pilot lights, so there's no heat generated to dry them and they could mildew.
Sometimes I'll set them on top of the oven when I'm baking to give them a little bit of a head start, but the old pilot light heat drying method worked the best for me.
I've also read of drying them on top of a refrigerator even though there's not as much heat as there would be in an oven with an always on pilot light.
Another option is to use a food dehydrator, at the lowest setting possible, but to me there's always the risk of drying them too quickly and too much.
When they are dry, I store them preferably in darker glass bottles, or even plastic or glass jars but keep them out of the sun. Canning jars could be used as well, but again, don't expose them to direct sunlight.
What herbs are you growing?
The daffodils are up and will probably be blooming in 2-3 weeks. This is normal for my zone. I do not know when the Irises will bloom since I never planted them before. I am excited for both to bloom. The camellia is blooming now.
Happy gardening and hope your thumbs are green!!!
Who's starting seeds inside? Anyone have one of those great flora-carts with 3 or so levels of trays with fluorescent lights above that can be adjusted to be closer to the seedlings? That's one of my long time wishes, as well as a place large enough for such a large seed starting arrangement.
We're almost halfway through February; time to be drawing up garden plans, starting seeds, and doing our exercises so our backs can hold up through several months of gardening!
Maybe if I see them growing in neighbor's yards, I should slink out there at midnight in a Ghillie suit (what is that?, btw), put on a miners hard-hat with a light, and dig out the little invasive, but pretty buggers? Lol.
"Bloom where you are planted." General statement, another cliche' to be interpreted by the recipient.
She came to me years later, asking if she should leave her husband, but not telling the truth about why. I said that I could not advise her, but repeated what she said to me so many years ago. "Bloom where you are planted". She returned to him.
She became happy planting roses in her garden, winning ribbons at the fair.
In her memory, I will plant a yellow rose in my garden this year. She was originally from Texas, when married to my Dad, he used to sing "The Yellow Rose of Texas" to her. Both happy and extremely sad memories all at the same time, but others on here who really loved their mothers have helped me to remember some of the good. So, thanks, everyone!
Bloom where you are planted is excellent advice!!