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?
Digging around the foundation sounds a bit like that. Maybe your nephew needs supervision?
Interested about the Lasagne gardening.
It will have to wait until I recover from our last project/transplanting a big plant.
Dh is recovering too.
I told him to buy good soil, to start a compost pile and add organic matter, I've told him to bring cardboard home from work and lay it over the grass and weeds and to add soil and mulch on top of that, this year I told him how I started a new bed last year by simply cutting open bags of much and laying them over the grass, I told him to go online to read about lasagna gardening, and I have told him repeatedly to make a plan he/we can work at slowly over the years.....
He has apparently dug all the soil away from his foundation (because it was "sh!t") and rather than spending enough to fill it with better soil has planted in the depression. OK, this is wrong on so many levels... how do I help him understand that for the sake of proper foundation drainage beside his house he needs to fill this hole in??
Go avs!
I have some Oriental Poppies that I would like to move. Has anyone had success moving poppies.
I've also been working on my very neglected deck prepping it to be stained, I've been down on my hands and knees scrubbing away because that seems to be the only method that is working to get up the mildew and crud. Oy.
I make a dandelion salve that is great for bruises.
you are more than welcome to come to my yard and pick all you want. I will let you do it for FREE and keep the profits.
I think they are bitter. Not a fan of bitter.
I did try some dandelion wine once. "Once" being the important take away here.
They sell for 4.00 a bunch around here.
The garden centre didn't have any deep purple lilacs, just white, light purple and a variegated one (didn't know those existed) so I ended up getting the little Japanese maple - third time's a charm?
I haven't heard anyone call moths millers for years and years, I think when it comes to things going bump in the night they aren't so bad... 🤣
I can't remember what I added to my soil, but I did use some peat moss as well as garden soil from nurseries. Eventually I stabilized the soil. But all that digging was challenging, even decades ago.
Does your nephew compost? That could certainly help loosen the clay soil. I also fed the worms with coffee grounds; they helped turn clay soil as well (Nature's own rototillers!).
I learned from my many garden failures too and I'm always willing to try something new, if I can find the motivation I may experiment with growing some lettuce with the kratky method this year.
Because of the propensity of recent years many people do not garden. My family was never "poor" but my stay at home mother always grew gardens and canned to add quality to our food and as kids we were required to do many gardening chores. Good for everyone! This year my nephew and I have a challenge going on: who will have more yield - me in my limited container garden or him from his larger traditional garden spot? I am very confident because of my secret: I have better soil in my containers and better drainage than the clay based soil he uses for gardening. So far he's been unwilling to put manure on his clay field in the fall and turn it under to improve the soil. A little something I learned from my grandfather.
I can't believe people can be so completely ignorant of where their food comes from, or how plants grow.