The Joy of Gardening

[Soft*Silver]

ok, I need suggestions. I have a troop of groundhogs living under my garage. Damn things eat my fresh plants! I am going to fence in my veggie garden, but I need a way of getting rid of these pests!

Has anyone successfully gotten rid of ground hogs? How did you do it?

[homoe]

A suggestion to keep an eye out for unique wooden boxes with either art or writing on them.

Nothing can brighten up even a small space more a colorful flower box!

[homoe]

Nice especially when your yard space is limited!

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[Kätzchen]

Originally Posted by Kätzchen

This past week, I had the honor of taking care of my friend's home and their garden while they took a vacation on the Pacific ocean. I used to have a small garden, years ago and raised sunflowers, tomatoes, lupine, calla and tiger lillies, pumpkins, and several kinds of summer squash (acorn, banana, spaghetti, to name a few).

My friend's garden grew like crazy this past week because even though she wanted me to do early morning sets of watering (15 min sets), I ended up watering late in the evening or early morning and usually it took about 2 hours each time I went about watering the garden, removing weeds and snacking on strawberries or cucumbers, but it's early yet for the tomatoes.


She's got lovely beds of flowers, too: Roses, poppies, daisies, hiacynth, calla lillies and all kinds of magical garden fairies and colorful glass sculpture, through out the entire garden. It was heaven to work in her garden and take care of it while she and her husband were gone for the past week.

My favorite items to tend in her garden were the roses, the poppies and her herb garden (spearmint, thyme, rosemary and sage) and this gigantic tree-like bush of huge flowering ... Hydrangea! The picture below is not from her garden but is near perfect to the flowering hydrangea that's in her garden -- which flowers in beautiful violets, blues and in a beautiful shade of lightest green that I've ever seen. I trimmed a few blue, violet and green ones and put them in a crystal heart vase to take to work.

If you have a garden (or even if you don't, like me) and want to share what's in your garden that brings you joy, please feel free to post and share and let's hear about what's growing in your garden this year!

ps/ their pets (Simon - their JackRussel, and Petunia - the cat) loved hanging out with me in the garden. Petunia loved hiding out in the rows of corn and Simon, bless his heart, followed me all around while I watered the garden areas.

Five years ago, I created my original post about how gardening can bring joy to our lives. I talked about my sister-in-law's garden and how I seem to be able to find joy in watering it or weeding it or making it otherwise look like it's an thriving garden.

I like to reboot my thread with an post about my gardening activities today.

I'm not a very good gardener at all. I spent this afternoon, repotting my Kong Empire Plant: I broke it up into three separate plants and I've since renamed my indoor garden, the Living Cemetery Garden, LOL (or not).

From here on out, I will not be watering them until they actually need it. I repotted them in two other beautiful clay pots my mother gave to me, recently, when I went to see her prior to the holiday.

I also put the dying Brian's Gold bush out on my patio deck, so it can freeze and go through its own natural metamorphosis, as far as regenerating back into the once beautiful bush it was, before I got ahold of it. Hopefully, putting it outside, will help in some small measure.

I'd also like this forum thread I've created to be about sharing about joys Gardening has brought to your life. And a place to help problem solve planting issues.... A place where we can ask for advice, like at one time, before my garden thread died a solemn death of being a place where pictures are just posted (and I'd like to see that stop, from here on out).

So … Anyhoooo!.... my gardening activities brought me joy today and I hope what I've accomplished today will actually help my plants to remain alive, rather than end up dead. If they live, I, of course, will be overjoyed. If not, I'll just go back out and buy another beautiful Kong Empire Mix plant and start all over again.


Happy Gardening and Joy to all!

[Vincent]

I have moved to the Tweed Coast,about 4 mths ago,so sloly learning where to plant,I love flowers,sadly so do snails.
Im lucky here coz it is one of the rare ares in Aust that is NEVER in drought,so I can have lawn and palm trees,and I have a patch near my bedroom widows,that will be perfect for a tiny rainforest.

Ive just turfed the backyard,which feels like I have had a baby,with watering every so many hours,although I can seee all the TLC,has paid off it is becoming lush.

I like to sit back and just look at a place,sometimes mths,before deciding to plant,i do that with art too,just stare at the empty wall,the it comes what should go there.

[homoe]

Most people grace only ceilings, walls or Christmas tree with lights. Why not put lights on each of the pine trees or shrubs in your garden? Even on a statue or around the pond or on garden accessories.