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?
Need - huskys are pullers. That's what they are bred for - pulling sleighs. I found it was no fun walking the part husky pooch we had. He pulled all the time He was a lovely dog, intelligent, friendly and affectionate, but he pulled while on the leash.
One time I was walking him near the bush and sat on a log for a rest. I had slung the leash around my waist. He heard an animal in the bush and took off and momentarily I had visions of myself bouncing backwards through the bush as he pursued this creature - but thankfully he stopped when he felt my weight.
That same walk I had started downhill and it was dreadful straining against him so we didn't go down too fast. My legs were sore. Uphill on the way home was another matter. He pulled me up the hill and that was fine!!!
They have such a lovely personality. I understand you dd being concerned about him catching insects. Once my springer aroused a nest of wasps and was stung all over. Fortunately I has a plastic bath for him outside that summer full of water. He jumped into it and the wasps floated off him and he was fine. A sting in the mouth would not be nice.
My daughter is supposed to be coming over a little later today and I will ask her about her situation.
When I spoke to her on the phone, we only spoke for a couple of minutes, so I don’t know much.
You know how she loves her pooch so much. That’s her baby! I think she was most upset that he tried to eat the bee or wasp, whichever it is.
Her dog definitely has strong prey instincts. I had to tell her that I cannot walk him when she leaves him with us when she goes out of town. If he sees a squirrel or bird, he wants to run after it. I take him to the dog park to get his exercise.
He pulls so hard on his leash. I feel like I will fall, I don’t feel safe walking him. I don’t know if all Siberian huskies pull as strongly on their leashes or not. He isn’t good on his leash. He’s sweet as pie but he doesn’t listen to me so I stopped walking him.
I wasn’t familiar with this breed of dog. They aren’t common here in the south.
ana - That's an old plant. I'm not sure I have some that old. I may have a few of the originals I moved up here with 40+ years ago.
A wasp inside your bra - ouch, indeed. Worse than a grasshopper in my undies! I didn't know that about spider plants. Looked it up and they are not toxic but mildly hallucinogenic to cats. Mine ignores them most of the time.
I cut a bit out of it and slid a paper plate over the pot containing my dracena. It worked and now Rocky isn't interested. She does lie down in a big pot sometimes curling around the plants but hadn't destroyed anything. They all have different personalities.
Being bitten inside your bra. Ouch!
Last time I mowed a wasp nest, one flew into, and couldn’t find its way out of, my tank-style sports bra. Ouch! As if I need extra swelling in that area.
My cat is a determined acrobat. I’ve poked sticks in the pots, pop cans, tin foil, etc. She smacks stuff out of her way! Her favourite is new spider plant growth. I heard they’re hallucinogenic to cats. My obsessive fuzzy stoner.
I guess they could be wasps. Not sure.
Good idea about the dracena. My kitty wiil eat a little off a spider plant only and just once in a while but there are so many spider babies that that isn't a problem and they are safe for cats. She always eats a little grass when outside in the summer.
Speaking of dracena, I have been able to propagate them by putting a shoot in water and letting it grow roots then planting it in soil. Once a side "branch" broke off and I thought I would try it. It has worked for me several times. I was surprised.. They are such lovely architectural plants.
Weird idea re: the deer. Are they fussy about where they step? What if you cover the ground around your tasty trees and shrubs with those mylar emergency blankets or crinkly cellophane? Our evil kitty is a plant murderer and that's what I’m currently trying. I have a tall dracaena with a 2’ sprout that my cat keeps pruning. So I encased the sprout loosely in cellophane. Would deer maybe hate the sound if they stepped on it? Or bubble wrap?
My husband and says I get a lot of kooky ideas. That sometimes work.
Apparently this couple is fond of their rodent. It was all over the news awhile back. We were cracking up 😆!
I don’t think my daughter told her landlord yet. She just told me about the bees today.
She is in an apartment complex. She’s upset about her dog trying to eat them. He’s very playful and curious.
My neighbor had a BBQ and he sat his beer down to flip the burgers on the grill.
Poor guy took a big gulp of his beer and the bee stung him inside of his mouth. His mouth was all swollen.
I have stepped on a bee by accident in the yard and it stung my foot. At first I thought I stepped on something sharp. Then I saw the bee.
Several years ago husband was pruning our hedges and he was attacked by a swarm of bees.
The only other time that I remember being stung was on the back of my thigh. I had on suntan lotion. I think they are attracted to sweet smells.
glad - slow and steady I guess, and lots of rest till you build yourself up.
https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/rescued-nutria-rat-becomes-family-pet-in-bucktown/article_74fb4ea8-c11a-11ed-9c77-83f9e42374fd.html
Started, will try to do some each day. Cut back the Karl Forrester. Started on a slight slope, WORE ME OUT! So out of shape. Some that I cut just did not have it in me to pick up the last group of cuttings. Will think about it in the morning. It is going to be very slow going!
A man and his wife rescued a baby nutria! LOL, they kept this rodent in their house as a pet!
About 17,000 people signed a petition to keep ‘Nutie’ in his home with the couple that saved him.
Now this rodent is a rock star on TikTok!
Kind of sounds like a scarecrow idea to drape clothes over it.
You have tried lots of different things. Please let everyone know what works the best!
Come to think of it I haven't seen any signs of deer this year. We live opposite the bush and I usually see signs of them from February on - even on my deck. Maybe they aren't coming because there has been much snow this year and everything is still covered. Normally they are very persistent.
I wonder how people started using the Irish Spring as a repellent for deer.
Hey, if it works, I would use it too.
She said, “Mom, bees are in my apartment.” I guess she thinks that they are coming in the house when she goes in and out. She doesn’t leave her windows open.
Inside the walls? I had no idea. Geeeez. So, what do you do when this happens?
She said that she is going to try it because her playful pup is trying to eat the bees!
Irish Spring has a very strong scent. Maybe that is how it works.
It reminds me of the Avon product, Skin So Soft that is supposed to repel mosquitoes.
I will tell you a trial and error story about using ordinary products. When my daughter was a teenager she wanted this cheap necklace from a trendy store that caters to teens. She bought it with her money from her part time job.
Well, her neck turned this funky color. Honestly, she looked like she hadn’t been washing her neck! LOL 😆
I told her to please wash her neck. She said that she was washing it.
I tried and she tried scrubbing her neck with a wash cloth. Nothing! Her neck was stained this ugly dark from the cheap necklace. I guess that it was an allergic reaction to the metal.
Anyway, I searched online to see if I could find help. I ran into a UK article that said Fairy dishwashing liquid would remove discoloration of skin from cheap jewelry.
I thought that I would try Dawn dishwashing liquid because our stores don’t sell Fairy and I have Dawn in my kitchen. The Dawn did get the ugly stain off of my daughter’s neck.
I have heard that Fairy dishwashing liquid is better than Dawn. I believe that it may now be sold on Amazon. I should try it out to see how good it cleans. It’s supposed to be a great multi purpose cleanser.