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?
Still available online?
https://www.crabtree-evelyn.com/pages/thanks-for-signing-up-to-our-newsletter#footer_form
Acquired by a company in Hong Kong, may be an actual store
(flagship store) Islington, London:
"All UK stores are set to close by the end of 2019, with exception of a new flagship concept store in Islington, London."
Now known under the name: "The brand relaunched on 16th July 2019. [7] Under its new ethos "Born Curious, Grown Wild" the products are available to purchase online only.[8]."
Second resource: Sold on Amazon under the name Crabtree & Evelyn for some crazy high prices: $125 for a $22-23 dollar product! Don't do it!
Their prices look a little bit high? - but then again it does last.
Found the article.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2004-07-04-0407040374-story.html
Found a Good Bond lotion with menthol. Will try it.
Weather here is iffy - some sun, some cloud, some rain, cool to chilly but warmish today (high 60s).
I pulled some grass out of the junipers in the front. If you do it after the rain they aren't so prickly and the grass comes out easier. The kitties 🐱🐱 joined me and were so happy to have company outside.
Does anyone have experience using vinegar as a weed/grass killer? I have a couple of beds out back that need treatment before remulching.
I make 20% vinegar and just use that for areas that I don't want to add any salt to the ground.
Sometimes it takes a couple of applications, depending on what you are trying to kill.
I recommend it.
I gather you can use the 5% household vinegar as is so I may try that. It is cheap and easy.
https://www.gardenmyths.com/vinegar-weed-killer-myth/
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/20-acetic-vinegar-kill-weeds-46792.html
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/a20705796/vinegar-weed-killer-danger/
https://www.seasonedhomemaker.com/a-vinegar-weed-killer/
I tried the vegetable oil and sugar yesterday and that works very well (thanks Linda), I hadn't thought of using sugar as a scrub. I think that if I tinker with the formula I might come up with something similar to the commercial products for a fraction of the cost.
The other day, I snapped off a branch of my hybiscus, it got too close to the lawn mower...oops. So I trimmed it up a bit, sprinkled root grow on it, and stuck it in the ground in my front yard... so far it doesn't look too well,, but maybe, just maybe? It will work?
And does anyone know how to get rid of those pesky white flys that suck up the hybiscus juice in the leaves? It's killing my other hybiscus tree :(
And I'm washing them more b/c of the virus.
I think it must have something to do with my diet, to which I'm paying more attention now. Or maybe it's that the chocolate is of a higher quality? Hmmmm....
I had someone tell me to add mineral oil afterwards, and now I add this to my lotions should they get low enough where the pump will not pump... get a bit more out of the lil bottles,,, mineral oil, seems to help in that department.
Also Castor oil is making a huge comeback. I remember this as a kid.. now you put a dab with a Q-tip to your eyelashes to make them grow longer. I wonder if I add that to my head, if my hair will grow in.. I guess I could take by mouth, but I remember the after taste was not so good... Then again stress doesn't do well for hair growth.. So perhaps it's worth the bad aftertaste.
I love it as a hand moisturizer and I even use it on my face when I feel overly dry. I am going to try it on my lashes, never hurts to have more of those.
It is a wonder product, much like witch hazel, both multi use natural products that have been in use for many decades.
A lawn issue. A small strip by the front driveway on the side of my property had very poor grass and a mushroom fairy ring appeared. R said put ashes from the fireplace on it so I did and the fairy ring disappeared, but also the grass grew like it never had before. Obviously the soil was lacking nutrients. A neighbour from long ago used to put ashes on his vegetable garden every year and he had a great crop. The past few years my main front law has been slow to grow and yellowish for too long in the spring. It faces north so gets less sun than the back which is greening up nicely. I am thinking of putting ashes on the front as it worked so well on that side strip. Then I plan on getting it weeded and feeded in a couple of weeks. I know it needs nitrogen.
Anyone have experience with ashes?
This is a good article on that aspect:
https://pss.uvm.edu/ppp/articles/woodash.html
If you have pH sensitive plants, such as hydrangeas, additives can cause the color of the flowers to change.
This is another good article as it addresses not only the different types of wood ashes that are beneficial, but it also the potential side effects, including using ashes of cardboard, painted wood, and treated lumber (such as that which was used some years ago as landscape timbers, but was treated with arsenic.
https://www.seattletimes.com/explore/at-home/fireplace-ash-can-be-a-boost-for-garden-soil-but-be-cautious/
I'm somewhat surprised to see that caution against cardboard, as I know organic gardeners who freely add it to their soils. I've always been reluctant to do that, b/c cardboard has to have some type of adhesive to hold it together, and I would think that dissolves just as the paper type content of cardboard does.
Two other substances I've found to be useful in the garden are seaweed and milk. The former is also available in liquid form, I assume from good garden supply stores. The latter is just left over from a milk bottle.
My father used to bring his trailer to the local lakes during spring when a harvester pulled out the seaweed overgrowth. We then put it on our gardens as mulch. It dried out quickly. My roses loved it.
The milk is just what's left at the bottom of a milk jug (in plastic). I watered it down a bit and fed my roses and morning glories. Both of them were more healthy for it and produced more flowers.
(If I could afford the pricey milks like almond milk, I'd try the leftovers from that as well.)
Hardwood ash creates a natural lye and could kill your soil.
Soft wood and paper ashes add good nutrients.
I had no idea until I started making soap, that black African soap, yep all natural hardwood lye. Fabulous soap by they way.
In the past I have found that water is the main thing needed by my lawns. One year it rained all summer. I didn't fertilize and the grass was wonderful. We are getting some rain these days so hopefully the front will improve. The back looks great already, but it gets more sun.
My lodge pole pine has a virus according the the Fish and Wildlife people. Parts of it are fine and parts are decidedly not fine . We sent them photos last year and they said a number of trees in the area had the same problem and they think it is a virus but had no solution to offer. 😟 It is the tree my youngest son brought home from school in grade 2 and we planted it so it is a bit of a memorial to him. I would hate to lose it.
Sea weed is not an option here, nor milk. Almond milk keeps well so I don't have leftovers.
When I move, if I move into a house, I will plant something in my son's memory.
I just looked up the life span of delphiniums and it is 2-3 years so I guess I can't complain. It's been there over 20 years. I will have to look for a seedling from it. Usually there are a few I keep around by the roses.