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?
Thank you for your very helpful suggestions!
I have used the packs with rice or beans, heated in the microwave.
I do use ice packs and heat, alternately, recommended by the chiropractor, mostly ice.
Hot/warm showers help reduce the pain.
Anything with menthol as a rubbing lotion or oil.
An e-oil by Doterra, just for pain, called Deep Blue.
Supplements like magnesium and Vit. D., bromelain etc.
Anything so I do not have to take a pain medication, which causes many untoward symptoms in my case. When I do take an Aleve, the next morning the pain is different and worse.
But I am okay, as long as I can function and still drive dH to work.
And, can you imagine this? "Honey will you massage my piriformis muscle so I can get up to drive you today?' He is good at mini-massages for a limited time.
The Deep Blue helps the arthritis in his hands. Reciprocal caregiving.
You don't have to grow zucchini. It literally grows itself; just plant the seeds! Seriously, zucchini is noted for being very prolific, to the point that some people just don't want it.
I'm concerned about your suggestions of cold for your back. Don't heating pads help? Have you ever tried an herbal remedy?
I use what used to be known as Herbie herb pack. Did some research recently; the company apparently has segued into something else - I'm not specific as I don't remember, but the herbal back pack I used isn't available from the same company.
At one point I made my own, which is fairly easy. You can use rice, or grains, or something similar in the pack, but freeze them first. I froze mine for a week or so. That's to kill any insect larvae. Then sew up the sides and ends of the pack.
If you want to make one, post back. I wouldn't use the same pattern as those I bought, because it's much better to create sections in the pack than have all the rice and grains rolling around loose.
Another option is Lucky Tiger muscle rub, with castor oil, and various oils, peppermint, menthol, clove and more. The fragrance is divine, and it's very effective for muscle aches.
https://www.getluckytiger.com/products/head-to-tail-muscle-rub-15-oz
I get mine directly from the Henry Ford Health Center. The medical building is more like a small European town, with a Vita center which sells the Rub. This is totally unlike any medical building I've seen. There's also an education room where lectures are held, what would be called a pharmacy but it's filled with organic rubs and treatments, and so fragrant that I always visit it just to inhale the scents.
Ford also has an organic greenhouse at which produce is produced not only for its hospital patients but for weekly markets.
https://www.henryford.com/locations/west-bloomfield/greenhouse
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CWilile, I read about that 30" of now. That's worse than Marquette, MI, and it's known for heavy snowfalls.
We got about 9" +/-; not completely sure as it had already begun melting when I started shoveling. Fortunately a good neighbor came over and helped with the driveway apron, always the worst part b/c the snow plows come through and heave snow up into the driveways. It was about 14" high in that section alone.
Took me about 1.5 hours to shovel out, but I left some of the driveway by the garage as only the critters hop around there, and they can leap and hop which I can't, so they're more adapted to the heavy snowfalls.
I don't know if we here in lower Michigan could handle 30" of snow. Hopefully we'll never find out!
We have a hospital and a church with that name, Cwillie.
Or maybe you have named your garden? lol.
I think if I sat in the snow, as much as I need ice, it would melt. No shoveling.
But I had a friend in Lake Tahoe who could not get out her front door when it snowed there.
Snow in your yard must make for a beautiful garden scape.
Convenient if it was in my garden, just outside my door.
Not sure. but I think I could still have paperwhite narcissisus growing up through the snow.
NHWM, everybody knows one cannot grow cheese or vegetable sauce in our gardens, lol. But I am very interested in growing some zucchini.
A veggie omelette is delicious! Throw in a bit of cheese too if you like. Yummy!
My friend from Iran taught me to make zucchini in scrambled eggs.
Something to think about.
Thanks for jumping in there so fast.
Sometimes I forget to come back, because I get busy outside!
As for the advice not to plant too many - my experience shows that when you only plant one or two they will inevitably be duds or die, but when you plant a half dozen they will all produce copious amounts and you will end up pitching most of them in the compost. Remember to pick them small and often, nobody wants those canoe sized ones!
Yep, veggies are all in 24" containers and have tomatoes, peppers, onions, and herbs. This is our growing season.
Critters can still jump in the pots and feast, I even had a rabbit trying to burrow. I trellis things so they can have the bottom produce and I get the top.
I found a solution to birds in my area. I filled a bright yellow mesh bag with dog hair and tied it top and bottom. It looks like a giant hornets nest. The birds were gone. I intend for them to use it for nests, but the shape and color scared them, yahoo!
Start them off under cover, and then once they've got enough adult leaves you can plant them out safely. The rabbits won't like them because the leaves are quite prickly.
Not sure that my garden will ever be 'conquered', but it is surviving the winter well, on it's own.
The paper white narcissus grow in 3 patches by themselves in the driveway.
One patch is at the entrance seeming to grow up between the rocks there.
I don't even need to pull up, store, or replant the bulbs! It looks great, imo.
The bouganvilla stays small, like a bush in it's planter box. But it is green and full of small leaves. Strange, but I like it. Just never took off as a vine.
The decorative apple tree has lost one side of it's branches, but is surviving well; one branch shooting up taller than ever this January. Kinda defective,
huh? If I find any time, I will feed it some tree food. Maybe camouflage the defective side ?
When dH sweeps the leaves, my yard looks acceptable.
Isthisreallyreal has grown some vegetable sauce for spaghetti, over on the dinner thread. Wondering how deep a container is needed to grow some zucchini? Can the rabbits eat it if it is up high, 3 1/2 feet? Maybe I will test that out.
I love getting ideas from OPG. (Other People's Gardens).
John Joe, xx
Does that appeal to you? Would you rather have plants on tables, desks, etc. or on the floor? These would be individual potted, and some would require more watering than others.
Just FYI, the dracaenas are generally good for interiors; they're available in a variety of colors.
Here's one group of smaller ones:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/4-Dracaena-Variety-Pack-4-Pot-Live-House-Plant-FREE-Care-Guide/238245072?wmlspartner=wmtlabs&adid=22222222222278629949&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=e&wl1=o&wl2=c&wl3=74629446973483&wl4=pla-4578229005067539:aud-807615483&wl5=&wl6=&wl7=&%20wl10=Walmart&wl12=238245072_10001022369&wl14=dracenas&veh=sem&msclkid=316c552ea9bc10328ced0b34bc40eebe
Some more, floor plants of varying sizes:
http://www.dracaena.com/
and a much wider variety:
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=dracenas&qpvt=dracenas&form=IGRE&first=1&cw=1260&ch=542
My mother and I both grew geraniums indoors. Not only are they available in different colors, but they're easy to care for, and now there are more hybrids in stunning varieties. There are also scented geraniums, or pelargoniums.
Some of less standard ones, and very lovely:
https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/outdoors/gardening/the-different-types-of-geraniums
There are a lot of new petunia varieties, which wouldn't be particularly appropriate for indoor growing but could survive on a balcony.
As far as growing platforms, I'm still looking for something apartment sized. If you have room for a flora cart and that interests you, let me know.
Also, please let me know if you have some specifics in mind and I'll focus on those.
Your mother is so right - gardening is therapeutic. When I'm outside working I forget about literally everything. It's not only a great distraction, it reinforces the creative side.
And when plants produce, the rewards are so great.
I assume you're an organic gardener as well? How long have you been gardening? Do you have any animal visitors? In my yard squirrels and birds are the most predominant, with occasional visitors from the magnificent black cat next door (who unfortunately shops in my yard for her own treats). Rabbits and raccoons occasionally visit, possums even less, and once a doe even stopped by for a visit.
Please continue to participate, and share what your plans are for your spring garden.
I wanted to create trillium beds in several places but also wanted to plant the seeds in the Spring instead of moving them in the Fall.
The more I think of it, I too think an Aloe plant would work for Barb, and her grandchildren.
Send, you came you saw, and you wanted to try....have you conquered yet? Where is that from? I can't remember at this time.
Glad, are you feeling better? Any further plans for your fairy garden? I have some vague recollections of seeing a lot of ideas in one of my garden magazines. It's a tough job, but I think I could be convinced to dig out my past issues and look for fairy gardens.
I just love that concept!
Little Orchid, I missed your post back in 2019 but wanted to welcome you (and anyone else I've missed) to the thread. I enjoyed reading about your plans; I'm impressed with the way you've conceived and created your garden. It brings to mind the more formal or commercial gardens, which I also try to emulate.
I hope you return and contribute regularly.
Did a quick check: Walmart and Amazon both sell it.
I've never used Neem Oil but I've read on my garden forum that's it's very helpful for fungus gnats. I've had something equivalent, the drain gnats (ugh!) but don't recall what I used.
The most recent little airborne pests were either fruit flies or something similar (my mind manages to block out those unpleasant creatures). I learned how effective cider vinegar can be. I put out little containers of cider vinegar, stabbed the plastic covers with a nut pick so the holes could be entered but not exited and the bugs were trapped inside, and eventually either died or drowned.
I used another source of liquid, which I also can't remember right now. If I recall the cider vinegar attracted more of the little fliers than the other liquid. I think it's the cider aspect that they like. Hard cider may work as well; they'll get drunk and fall into the cider pond more quickly.
did tell me that all of the Patients used to be brought out into the garden every day and once they had connected with the soil it soothed and calmed them. Gardening is one task where You can never say ' ah great I'm done, I have completed my garden, no because it's like a spiders web where many different tasks are intertwined and woven together. It is such a healthy life
style choice. To labour in Your own garden out in the fresh air all day, or evening listening to the many different sounds of nature while providing fresh organic foods for the kitchen table is extremely satisfying and much healthier and fresher and tastier. If Your gardening consists of flowers and impeccable
lawns & hedges with curved stone walls and borders, apple trees etc then You are onto a winner as Your Health benifits are imeasurible and You sleep soundly right through out the night. To imagine Your ideal garden in Your mind, to design create and construct Your garden and to make your mark upon it will bring You so much joy. I love my garden, and when I am out there I can after a short while find myself in the zone where time stands still and I just loose myself and I think to myself yes this is where I wanna be.
I finally found more snowdrop bulbs and got them in the ground along with about 60 daffodils right after Christmas. They’d all had their winter chill in the fridge for a few weeks so they were ready and I’ll be happy to see them probably sometime in March.
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.
Especially grow lights!🦋
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??