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 have been clicking Like a monkey, and now I thought that I had lost all my friends, Lol.
Sheesh!
Last night the weather, sky, and temperature all were perfect for an outdoor walk at 8 p.m. Hubs was out there too, walking around, but ghosting. (Means he is there, but can't be seen).
Later, at 2:45 a.m., the crickets were chirping....mid-summer here.
Earlier this evening, the turtle doves were cooing. I almost mistook them for an owl, and on second thought, stopped myself before asking dH to come over and hear the owls.
Something about it all made me think, there are no bugs out at that special time-a one time only occurrence.
Will remember these brief, so very brief good times.
We had a wonderful weekend of rain, at least 2" over 2 days - just what we desperately needed, what farmers would call a million dollar rain! I have gherkin sized cucumbers and am watching anxiously for those tree rats hoping they don't come and destroy them, the plant and it's pot are too big to cover. My zucchini and pumpkin are also straining at their chicken wire enclosure and I need to decide whether to just remove it and cross my fingers or build something bigger and more permanent.
Had quite a bit of rain the last couple of days. Lots of flooding for some folks.
"The next full moon will be overnight on Wednesday and Thursday of June 27 and June 28. That's because the full moon occurs at 12:53 a.m. EDT (0453 GMT), so depending on which time zone you live in, the full moon will be at its best late Wednesday (June 27) or in the wee hours of Thursday (June 28). To the casual observer, however, the moon will appear full the day before and after it's peak brightness, so you'll have plenty of time to enjoy the lunar sight, weather permitting. The June full moon is typically known as the Full Strawberry Moon, or the full Rose Moon and the Lotus Moon.", says Space.com.
I found a nursery that might have the roses, it is one I've shopped at before but it is a little more than an hour away so I still want to check some of the closer ones.
I suspect though that if they're the Country Gardens, Michigan Gardener or Fine Gardening magazines, they may not be available in Canada. I don't know how easy or difficult it is to order from American nurseries.
They are lovely - masses of beautiful flowers, so thick and lovely.
I've been thinking about getting some of the Knock-Out Roses as well. They're not as upscale or unique as David Austin's roses, but they are pretty, and from what I've heard they're quite durable.
We’re also in the middle of bird poop along the lakefront. Canadian geese, loons and mallard ducks are all nesting. Illegal to clean along the shore. By the time the babies leave the nest and fly there will be 3 - 4” of duck poop to clean up. Fortunately, not my job.
For tick repellent, I spray Cedarcide on me when I go outside.
I'm sure the neighbors thought I was nuts yesterday - I made no less than 10 trips out the door with my container of boiling water to pour on the weeds. LOL
A trip to a four star hotel, beach at Maui, black flies.
I've read that they need to be on a human for 24 hours before the toxic diseases they carry are transmitted. But they can be hiding, such as in hair, or cavity recesses. I've read that some backpackers have found them there. (How many people search their navels after a walk?)
I wanted white pants as I've read that they're worn in some highly infested tick areas; white cloths are also used to drag areas to collect and destroy ticks. They stand out against white.
I'm trying to work out a good protective arrangement that's not too heavy and hot or cumbersome for gardening.
I haven't yet read that certain colors attract them; I've read that warmth, i.e., as in a living body (animal or human) are attractions, as they're vampires and are looking for blood sources.
My ghillie suit? I actually forgot about it. You have a good memory! I think since it appears to create an animal like appearance, I might end up collecting all the ticks in the area! Interesting suggestion though.
Hazmat suits could work, but they can be bulky. I suggested white b/c it shows the ticks more easily. Some people tape the base of the legs and sleeves tightly so ticks can't get in. But there's still the face and hair. I guess I'll have to wear a shower cap taped down to keep them out of my hair.
DEET is recommended for open skin and Permethrin for clothing, but I detest the idea of those chemicals on my skin or clothes.
Glad, try to pull off one of the stems of the berries; they're greenish, about 1/4 inch long and hard to remove. Raspberries kind of roll off, very easily. Makes them good for sustenance as you're working through a raspberry patch on a hot day.
Purplish splotches on pavement are an indication that something is enjoying mulberries and randomly "fertilizing" whatever is underneath their flight path.
The birds, and raccoons, love the berries and are like Johnny Apple Seed in their propagation efforts.