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?
Lemon grass is growing like a weed, smells wonderful and helps keep the mosquitoes away.
I've worried all winter, it's survived, and now I'm applying my tried and trusted method of benign neglect. Worst comes to the worst, and Daughter's visiting, I'll just have to swipe some twigs off my neighbour's adult tree, stick them in compost and hope she doesn't look too closely.
Tomatoes will be ready soon. Have some huge ones turning. Can't wait. They will be ready for market time, Lord willing.
This crazy weather has kinda messed us up a little. But everything is thriving.
Flowers popping up in the pollinator garden.
Will be transplanting some more things tomorrow. Peppers and more tomatoes.
Sometimes, hubs just amazes me with his skills.
Ive made good progress working with a friend of mine. We are almost half way done pulling weeds/grass, but slowing down. Any advice about mulch? We plan to buy it on the Memorial Day sale because I’ll need a lot to go around the house. The soil is sandy and doesn’t drain well.
Don't get the cocoa mulch. I have read it can cause serious health problems with pets.
Julia- we always use organic cedar mulch, as we have an abundance of cedar trees. Plus the cedar can repel some unwanted insects.
School districts west of here are closed due to snow!
🎅🏂😯
Why is it?
So hard to give away plants for free?
Container pots included, yes, they are nice.
Can we deliver them to your yard?
Nice cactus, choose, yes, you want them.
You will come by tomorrow you say?
No show.
This has gone on for a week.
Should I put a price on it?
Wild flowers have been popping up each day a new one in the pollinator garden.
Been harvesting herbs and tomatoes. The squash and zucchini will be ready this week.
Peppers are now producing.
Potatoes are looking well, but do not need any more rain.
CW- I have picked up many rocks in my lifetime. Glad you found a stash.
Hang in there all of you that are in snow. It will pass soon.
One of the stipulations of our moving into this 55 and over park, is that we have to make our gardens out front of our manufacturers home 50% "green". Currently the entire front, about 12'X50' is that red lava rock, with several raised planters made of cement pavers which look alright, but could definitely use some improvements. So now hubby will take out the majority of the red rock, move all that to the back of our home, and re-work the gardens using most of the existing plants (which are beautiful btw), and put in topsoil and mulch, and create a more acceptable garden.
I'm not are really sure why they want the 50% green, as the majority of the folks here are beyond the gardening stage of their lives, plus it certainly saves water having the individual planters, but we will fall in line with the rules, and do our part. My hubby does like to do a bit of gardening, so creating a gardenscape is right up his alley, and it will give him something to do so he will leave me alone to my tablet, lol! We just bought 4 beautiful hanging baskets to hang across our portch and they look lovely.
Hubby is also putting in a big stretch of grass across the back of our little "property", for my pup to do her business on (it's All red rock back there too), in case we don't wish to walk her to 1 of the 3 dog parks on the property. There is plenty of little things to do to keep him busy around here, and we are very pleased with our decision to buy this home. The people around here are Really Nice and Friendly, and not a day goes by where I haven't had a neighbor stop by and have a sit and a chat, just as hubby said would happen, he knows me so well, the Chatty-Cathy that I am.
Bonus, we have a Gorgeous Pink Dogwood tree just out front of my good sized deck, that just finished up flowering, Beautiful, and now the perfect shade tree, plus our home sits directly across from a sweet little sitting park, not a dog park but a cute little patch of grass with a couple of white Wooden Arbor benches and several parking spaces which is perfect if we have guests, so a win-win! Lots of folks walk around here, especially at mail time, so people stop and rest along their way, which drives my Charlie-girl Crazy, but she's getting used to all the activity! We are So glad we went this route, especially in this pretty little community, rather than a Condo as we originally intended to do. Our street is named Primsose Lane, and I feel like I'm living in the 60's here, which I Love! Color me Happy!
Glad you are happy in your new neighborhood.
And cottonwood trees - there are several at sister's place, it's the worst when they drop all those sticky little flower caps all over your car😬. We generally don't get the cotton until around father's day.