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?
I was reading that some bees stay outside the nest overnight, under flower petals, maybe as guard bees.
Dh, (not an expert), now says they are orphan bees, without a queen bee, and they will be moving on soon, or die. Maybe he is right.
I have this small glass greenhouse without a bottom, (like a terrarium?), about 15" x 20", and 15" high. If I set it over their nest, we could see them inside there, but the bees would hate me. It says they can remember faces. Lol.
Pet pests.
Plan to dump an entire bottle of thyme over their nest to encourage them to move out.
Please stop me if anything will be deadly or mean to the bees. But if it's them or my dH, they gotta go to bee heaven.
Looking forward to the gardening magazine.
I no longer shop in stores, so I will have to wait.
Maybe there is a preview online.
My dH is the one allergic to bees, and when I asked him what we were going to do about the bees, he SANG: Let them bee!
Lol. 🤡
You have my sympathy on the bees; I was once stung by ground dwelling bees, or hornets (??? yellow jackets (???). I don't remember which. I do remember that they stung "in formation", creating a large "V" on my arm. They were like dive bombers, except that they flew upon me as opposed to diving down. They left 26 bites!
I saw an English Garden magazine at Krogers and quickly glanced at it but mustered up my resistance before buying it. I do love that magazine though. If you have a Kroger's near you, you can take a peak at it before your subscription delivers your first tantalizing issue.
Glad, I have some big old trees that need to come out, or at least come down, as well. They've grown over from neighbor's yards, but I can't do anything about the bases so I'll just have to have the portions in my yard brought down.
After staring at them in different seasons and wind conditions, I've decided to wait until all the leaves are down so the entangled branches can be seen more easily. And I'll already have the leaves for compost so they're not just discarded.
I HOPE the grass stops growing! I've used up most of my stimulus payments on lawn maintenance. I'd rather spend it on flowers.
Son is here for the weekend. We washed Windows, he cut and trimmed the grass one last time (I thought the last time was when I did it a couple weeks ago😉). And he helped me with some much needed organization in the basement.
I love when he comes. Third time in three years. First time was at the very start of covid, then was here for five days after my surgery. Wish I had a chain saw, there is a tree that needs to come out. Maybe Murdoch's.
Backing the car out of the driveway caused them to swarm the car, following us 20 ft. or so.
I don't think I should kill any bee.
Maybe watering and keeping the soil wet will cause them to move?
And sad, must get rid of the new mums. 😢😢😢 😭😭😭
That's all.
They were finally the right price, at the right time.
Because I deserved a break today.
Waiting still for my special gardening magazine. It is taking a long time, will be 6-10 weeks before it arrives. Can't wait!
It occurred to me that I could write sayings on some river rocks to add interest.
It would be quirky, like the vet was.
I would like to include "in memory" pavers for all my past pets.
Virginia creeper - that's one that is rampant in my neighbourhood and when I get to old to do battle it will certainly take over my trees and shade garden, it has already climbed my walnut from the top of my backyard neighbour's hedge. To think I actually used to like it, ugh😖.
I've often wondered about that when I see plants at Home Depot, Lowes, and grocery stores. Sometimes the plants haven't yet flowered or fruited, and I'm not sure whether or not cross pollination can occur once a plant is close to the fruiting stage or if it has to have been when the seed is forming.
I've discovered some visitors which I wish would go back home. I've found what I'm pretty sure is Virginia Creeper in my yard for the last few years. They're way, way out of their comfort zone.
And I found a pawlonia at my father's house, I believe it was 2 years ago b/c after researching it I chopped it down and bark stripped the trunk. Guess what? It's back this year.
The tree I thought I killed 2 years ago grew up to about 10 feet in one year. (I looked around for Jack as I thought this might be his beanstalk, but I never found anyone except the neighbors.)
This apparently is a nuisance plant; it grows rapidly and seems to be very durable. I did read though that its wood is good for carving. So guess what this plant is going to contribute to my eventual woodworking goals? I'll bark strip it again after cutting all the good wood, and research to try to remember what I can pour on it to deter it from self resurrection. I can't remember if it's salt, or vinegar, or something that might kill it.
Pawlonia:
Photos:
https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/pautom/all.html
And another:
https://laidbackgardener.blog/2018/04/06/how-to-grow-a-monster-leaf-paulownia/
The second photo is closer to the volunteer in Dad's yard. Apparently this tree originated in Eastern Asia. I'm guessing it traveled in goods from China, and somehow made it to Michigan, perhaps in Chinese packages or other products. I'd like to find a way to send it back. It's a nuisance, especially next to a house.
A neighbor walked by, said hello. She is a caregiver starting her own business.
She has some well-placed potted plants and garden chairs in her back yard with a large umbrella that has not yet blown over.
Would it be weird to hire her as a 'garden caregiver'? Regular gardeners and landscapers have not worked out for me. Thinking on it....
I like to check out what other people have planted when I'm out walking and the other day I spied the exact same weird little orange peppers as I have (I guess they were not as noticeable when they were still green because I walk by this place often)... no doubt they shopped at the same place I did!
(and no, I'm not wearing scented anything)
Trifid peppers.
Glad - they are definitely sweet not hot, I wonder if they are some kind of unintentional hybrid. Plants I have bought in recent years have been really hit or miss when it comes to being what I think I'm getting: broccoli that turns out to be broccoli raab, cucumbers that are pickling rather than slicing and now the peppers.
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/cooking/g27556089/types-of-peppers/
On another note - suggestions to paint or spray plants with powdery mildew (my zucchini) with diluted milk seems to be working.
I used to think ladybugs were delightful little creatures. Not so much now.
I used to see more of them, and loved having them around. I don't recall many last year or the previous years. They're sweet little creatures, and I enjoy knowing that they're finding something in the area and yard that appeals to them.
Years and years ago my parents and I took a trip to a place where Dad gets fish, although I can't remember what kind. While there, I got out to walk around and was shocked to see the walls of the small shed crawling with ladybugs, and realized that they weren't the good ladybugs. They were the Asian ones, which can be nasty.
I'm getting a handful of green and yellow beans every day or two to add to my supper.
The sweet potato that I coaxed and cajoled but couldn't get to sprout this spring has finally come to life, I can't imagine I'll get anything but leaves before winter though. I think I might bring slips in and grow them as house plants through the winter, that way I can easily start new babies next spring.