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?
Snow is so foreign to me! One time, a rare occasion here there was enough snow for me to build a snowman with my dad. Sweet childhood memory.
Do you build snowmen? Or did you in the past. They are so cute!
Hope you get your gardening done.
I hope I get my gardening done too.🏂
Last night they were saying 6-12 inches this morning 4-7 and very cold. Nothing like summer to winter. Not much fall here, ever. Wish I could just stay home, can't today, may come home early or stay put tomorrow.
Snow is beautiful. I think of postcards, Christmas cards and paintings that depict snow. For us, it’s in our imaginations. There are snow machines that blow ‘fake’ snow during the holiday time in our City Park for children to see the snow.
City Park does a beautiful holiday display with lights, choirs singing, many decorations and activities. It’s fun. It’s called Celebration in the Oaks. Used to be called, Christmas in the Oaks, the name was changed years ago to include everyone of any faith.
The most snow I ever saw was in Colorado. My husband and I were married on a beautiful spring day here. It was warm and sunny.
We honeymooned in Colorado. Ski season had just ended. A freak snow storm hit and on the way to Vail we were caught in a blizzard. Was scary to us because we were not used to driving in the snow!
Hahaha, if we get the tiniest bit of snow here (flurries) everything comes to a screeching halt. We aren’t good driving it it. Schools close, businesses close, and we just admire it! It’s a treat for us to see!
I wouldn’t want heavy snow or to live in it year round. Brrrrrrrr! Too cold for this southern gal!
I bet sledding is fun! My niece moved to a cold weather area and she loves sledding.
If I lived near you, I’d help! Would be a win/win situation because you would have help and I could gain gardening experience.
I have rabbits that love my organic garden and the last internet tip, using moth balls, actually caused a feeding frenzy. So much for that non solution.
So I am happy to read where someone has had success.
Best investment I ever made? I bought a new drill, and a bulb auger. The drill even has reverse on it which is a good thing as the auger got stuck a couple of times. Put it in reverse and out it came.
Took about 2 hours for 150. The 250 a couple of weeks ago? I was out there about 9 hours and completely beat. My back gave me trouble all week. Tweaked my back early today, have taken ibuprofen already, hoping to ward off some pain. I herniated three discs about 15 years ago, never felt such pain, even with childbirth. Now it just does not take much to set my back off.
But, it is done, will look lovely in the spring. And I have a three day weekend, the rest will be doing a whole lot of nothing.
I wish you could post a photo of your lovely garden when it blooms. It must be so rewarding to see how your hard work and dedication pays off. I hope you take photos of it.
I used to watch a show on PBS called Victory Garden. Don’t know if it still comes on. Lovely garden show.
I have to say our Louisiana irises are beautiful. My grandpa always planted lilies. I love them. Grandma loved the Easter lilies, St. Joseph lilies, day lilies. They are all beautiful.
Gorgeous in a bouquet. She always had flowers on the kitchen table.
https://www.milorganite.com/using-milorganite/what-is-milorganite
Number one, Milorganite is not made out of No. 2. Let's get that straight from the get-go. Despite what you may have heard, this Milwaukee-made fertilizer does not contain human feces. ... The next step is where Milorganite (a smashing together of Milwaukee Organic Nitrogen) really begins to happen.May 12, 2017
https://onmilwaukee.com › articles
Made in Milwaukee: Milorganite - OnMilwaukee
It is better suited for the treatment of acute pain. Ibuprofen tablets or capsules (such as Advil, Motrin) need to be given every four to six hours. Naproxen is considered long-acting, and can be given twice daily.
Then, there is the layering effect. That didn't work, so take some more. The first med may not have entirely left your body when another dose of something else is added. Often, this layering is recommended for dosing severe pain to prevent the patient from having pain between doses.
Another factor, time has passed and the build up of lactic acid in muscles may have subsided some. The pain that is left and needs to be treated could be an exacerbated joint pain, such as an inflamed joint/joints. Or, you might have taken a nice warm shower and that too added to your pain relief.
Yeah, all those factors. And rest helped too!
imo.
Tumeric is also good because it acts as an anti-inflammatory. That could address muscles, nerves, and joints.
Pain come can come from several causes at once.
If you get a headache from reading all this, try Tylenol.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsjr6vZnAUU
All the gardening you did was back breaking! Hahaha
Hope your back is better soon. Hugs!
I have made a vegetable garden and put in some fruit trees and a raspberry patch, but my primary use of the space is purely decorative. I want my gardens to be a place of healing and respite. I take great pleasure in simply walking the paths (especially when I have managed to get the weeds pretty much under control).
I have planted a fair number of plants with medicinal properties, though I have not yet actually collected any of them and processed them for use. That is still in the future. I will turn 69 in December and hope to have the beds in shape for simple maintenance care by the time I am 75. I am hoping that I will be able to then maintain them for the following 10 years, perhaps with a little hired help.
It has been so cold here, good thing I got those bulbs in when I did. Still need to scatter wild flower and natural grass seed.
Are there plants or seeds with the kit? If so, what kind? Herbs? Perennials? Annuals?
Much as I love terrariums, I eventually gave up b/c I had too much trouble controlling the humidity. I still have some, upstairs, someplace, and eventually I'll find them and create miniature, artificial environments w/o soil and real plants, and just little seasonal vignettes.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Arcadia-Garden-Products-Secret-Garden-Polyresin-Fairy-Garden-Kit-12-Piece-FG10/300160414
What worked for your last year, and what will you change?
Do you have all your seed or floral catalogues?
I haven't done anything yet, not even ordering catalogues. Today might be a good day to start. I've read of a few new catalogues I want to try, and there are always the old standards.
BTW, for the folks "across the Big Pond", any insights into why Thompson-Morgan no longer sells its seeds here in the US? I got most of my seeds from them; they had an excellent selection.
And on that topic, I believe I read elsewhere that Lowe's has its seeds in already, so on days that aren't snowy, freezing rainy, or just too frigid to go out, Lowe's sounds like a good destination, if only to marvel at the annual array of seeds and begin the garden daydreaming.
Last year I began saving straight tree branches and trunks, with the plans of finally starting a wattle fence, or several smaller wattles as low borders. Some will be supporting morning glories, others woven (if I can successfully weave the twigs and sticks) as borders for the totally revised garden plans I've been thinking of, and jotting down plans for, over the last several years while sitting in hospitals or rehab facilities.
What are YOUR plans for this year?
Are all of your windows facing North? If so, shade plants would be better than sun needing plants, unless you use lights, which raises the next question.
Grow lights often refer to special large lights sometimes used for seed starting, and indoor growth until ready to plant outside. Fluorescents are used as well.
These are similar to the system my mother used:
https://www.johnnyseeds.com/tools-supplies/seed-starting-supplies/grow-lights-and-carts/. The lights can be lowered or raised as the seedlings grow.
I found that putting plants like coleus next to indoor lamps, with just basic lighting, heightened their growth and color intensity. Some of the coleus I grew in my office at one firm were so lovely b/c of that color intensity.
Are you interested in container planting? We used to use the clay pots, and some plastic, and some plants do better in them. I found that begonias, for example, couldn't tolerate either, but thrived in Styrofoam pots.
Do you have a hygrometer, and if so, what's the average humidity in the area where you want to grow? E.g., I couldn't grow Boston Ferns (which I loved) b/c the humidity was too low in my apartment. Some succulents are easier and better suited in that they have thicker leaves would be more appropriate for indoor growth.
One I definitely would avoid with grandchildren around is poinsettias. Information on potential toxicity is controversial and inconsistent, but I just avoid them b/c of that potential.
Do you want to grow food, greenery, herbs, or flowers? Some of my gardening friends garden and grow all year long, putting herb plants in windows, or creating elaborate indoor systems. I'll get together some links for you.
Do you plan to have your grandkids help? Children's gardens are typically outdoors, but there might be something I can think of that children would enjoy. Herbs might be a possibility if the grands will be involved. Basil, sage, parsley could be grown under the right conditions. Something like tri-color sage is a lovely, decorative plant.
https://www.thespruce.com/tricolor-sage-plants-2132331
We're under a flood and winter storm watch so tomorrow I'll be out running around and stocking up in case we have a power failure, so it might not be until Sat. or Sun. before I get together all the good sources I can find.
Thanks for asking! Oh, and I'm sure others would have some suggestions as well if you don't mind??
Especially grow lights!🦋
If they're biodegradable, that's even better; just slit one side, remove the bottom so the roots can grow out and down, and put the cup in the garden.
My mother's flora-cart was bought probably back when I was a teenager. I believe that would be in the Jurassic Age? I don't remember what we paid for it, but it was well worth it.
I remember one year Mom was very enthusiastic and ended up with something like 900 seedlings!
We also used the flora-cart and sometimes the lights to overwinter geraniums. And Dad had an aloe that he grew; I was surprised how much it thrived indoors.
Barb, an aloe vera plant might be something to consider. It requires little water, and has medicinal properties. It was kind of unique to go into the plant room and slit an aloe leaf instead of going into the bathroom to the medicine cabinet.