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?
But interesting bee behaviors.
Early spring we had a swarm of bees at the cape honeysuckle.
I was getting ready to panic (=means find a quick but maybe expensive solution) because dH is allergic to bee stings.
He said: Leave them alone, they are swarming, looking for a home, and will leave in a few days. They left.
So, I asked him what you should do about the more permanent bumblebees under your shed.
He said, leave them alone.
That means, I guess, don't go out to your shed, and stop composting for awhile?
Obviously, I don't have the answer!
Bumblebee nests don't live for long, so the nest should die naturally within a few months. After that time, the new queens will have flown from the nest to hibernate in the soil elsewhere. It is possible that a different bumblebee queen will find and use the same hole next year.
Our front veranda bees returned every year until my father rebuilt the porch. I've wondered since then why my father didn't do anything to get rid of them because all of us were stung occasionally - although now that I think of it I can't remember him ever being stung 🤔
The dog hated them, he made a sport out of chasing and killing bees 🐝
You may have to learn to use Beespeak!
Start practicing your Zzzz's and hummms! 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 You will be very bizzy!
Online mentions spraying vinegar for honeybees, to get them to move on.
Maybe a can of open vinegar nearby the entrance (not both entrances) will get them to move or make a new entrance?
One elderly old coot I met had the bees sting his hands several times to cure arthritis.
I am allergic to everything. I eat local honey that I buy at the farmers market. I still deal with allergies!
I find prices are going up at the farmers markets. I do enjoy going though. Lots of great vendors.
That sounds fabulous! 😊
My area had a Hurricane last night & my favorite city (right next to where I live) in under water now. There was a storm surge of around 9 feet, and many people have 4-5 feet of water in their houses.
People and pets are being rescued, and there's so much damage.
I live in very close to the Gulf and am saddened to see the sweetest little town that revolved around nature, gardens, tourism, wildlife preserves,& manatee preservation so badly damaged. Such nice people there, too. Always so friendly and happy to live among nature. Am so thankful that we're not hearing about injuries or deaths, but am sad about the whole situation.
There's no damage where I live as I'm not in a storm surge zone - but, am just feeling so bad about this and don't have any family to share it with. Sorry, if this post doesn't quite fit into the Gardening topic, but I thought Gardeners and nature lovers would understand.
I am so sorry about your recent hurricane. So sad.
I have been through my share of storms too. I’m in New Orleans.
Katrina wrecked havoc on our city in August of 2005. Storms are miserable to deal with.
i noticed this weekend I had lilies blooming that normally bloom in the spring.
Crazy
Occasionally, I buy pumpkins for decorating. I have never bought one to cook. I wouldn’t have any idea what to do with it. I would need to do some research.
I buy canned pumpkin to make pumpkin bread. I have never made a pumpkin pie. There is an ice cream place near me that does seasonal ice creams. Oh my gosh, the pumpkin one tastes like frozen pumpkin pie. It’s delicious.
I never drink pumpkin spice lattes. I hate flavored coffees. In my opinion they are for people who don’t like the taste of coffee.
Once in awhile I buy pumpkin or sunflower seeds to sprinkle on top of salads.
I love pumpkin seeds. So, do you buy a fresh pumpkin and remove the seeds to roast them? I just buy a bag of roasted pumpkin seeds. They are delicious.
I have been buying large bags of almonds and making my own almond butter. Super easy to do. I put a spoon of almond butter in my oatmeal with a spoon of maple syrup and a splash of almond milk.
It’s my favorite way to eat oatmeal.
I buy the seeds but I think it would be a special treat as a kid if mom is doing it!
Bounce,
Buy some pumpkin seeds to enjoy even though they won’t be the same vibe as eating them the same way that your mom did them.
My mom, grandmother and aunt picked crabs to make stuffed crabs. They were amazing! Our moms had a lot of patience, didn’t they?
Pumpkin patches are fun to see this time of year. I still watch the Charlie Brown Halloween special on television every year like I did as a kid. The Christmas one too.
Sounds delicious, plus it was a fun activity for your family to share together. I guess seeds have protein like nuts do. I love poppy seeds in muffins. I get those at the coffee shop sometimes.
My neighbor buys bird seed for the birds. He builds beautiful bird houses. He has a beautiful garden.
My grandma made homemade ice cream that was the best! Sometimes she made peach or strawberry ice cream too. She mostly made vanilla.
We loved doing that. Grandma had a fig tree in her backyard. She made preserves for us. The neighbor had a pecan tree and they swapped the figs for pecans. Grandpa made pralines with the pecans.
Fond childhood memories.
I buy a lot of Bob’s Red Mill products. Love their oatmeal, polenta and cream of wheat.