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?
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Thanks, that’s good to know. I find that the rainwater really perks up our plants.
Plumbagos are hearty! I love the blue flowers.
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.
Louisiana gets a fair amount of rainfall. I notice that after it has rained my garden seems to perk up more so than when I water it with my hose.
My mom would collect rainwater to water her plants and garden. She felt that plants preferred rainwater. Do you feel this way too?
That was really a complete article on just what it is, what it looks like, and how it acts.
Maybe he hasn’t and doesn’t know what he’s missing out on.
One of my favorite pies is peach. I prefer it to apple pie. It’s my favorite cobbler too.
https://matadornetwork.com/read/palisade-peaches/
Our FFA (Future Farmers of America) has their yearly fundraiser by selling cases of Palisade peaches.
I always buy peach pepper jelly at my local farmers market and fairs. One vendor told me that he thinks peaches from South Carolina are the best. South Carolina harvests more peaches than Georgia does. California grows the most peaches.
I love peaches! I glaze a pork loin with the pepper jelly.
My mother in law preferred nectarines over peaches. I like both.
Copper isn't a pesticide, or is there a pesticide called copper?
Gotta love Google!
https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7426.html
I have an old peach tree and an old apple tree in the yard next door, that I love for their hanging over the fence into my yard with their bounties.
Each season the peach gets its lovely pink blossoms,
then a set of leaves that quickly go all curly and weird (almost a fungus sort of look); these then drop
and a SECOND set of leaves come in that are lovely for the most part.
It always grows great tasting peaches which the squirrels are loathe to share with me.
I asked an orchardist about it long ago; he may have given me a name of the pest, and he said "Oh, needs it's spring spray of copper".
Noooooooo. No pesticides for my garden with all the wild birds and squirrels. So we make do.
My question is this:
If you live in warmer climes, not so damp and without seasons, not so without hot sun in summer--do your peach trees STILL suffer from whatever this pest is?
Just curious really, and thanks to any experts.
Dawn dishwashing liquid is a multi purpose item. I love it.
I have a nice patch of Johnny Jump Ups that come back year after year. 💐