The Joy of Gardening

[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 Jack-Russel, and Petunia - their 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.

[JustBeingMe]

I love gardening and glad you made a thread for this. I take care of my neighbors garden in front of me. She's an elderly woman in her late 80's and can't do it herself. She has all rose bushes across the front of her apt and down one side towards my apt in the back. I live in a 4 plex. I have elephant ears growing this year, but I didn't take time to plant anything for myself in my own garden to make it look more full. I was too busy helping my aunt out of town this Spring. Her son in law helped me spread new sandy loam on the ground in front and back of the house so I could lay new sod grass and build flower beds for her. It was a job and then some. Me with a bad back got it done with a little bit of help from a couple of cousins with everything. It was very time consuming trying to figure out exactly where and how much and what but it's done and she loves it and that's all that matters. I'm proud of the work we did. And her labor fee was free. I didn't charge her a penny to help her.
I enjoyed doing it but I hated getting sick while I was there. UGH that was the worst part of it all. LOL
We can't post our personal pics here, I wish we could(takes up too much in the server I think), but we can talk about gardening.
Great thread Idea.

[Chad]

Bumping this for a friend.

[Chad]

I love to garden and I plan to start a greenhouse this year.

[Chad]

I have some wildflower seeds that I need to throw out on my land so that they can go through the winter process and bloom in the spring.

[Chad]

Does anyone know how long I need to keep wildflower seeds in the freezer before I can plant them?

[Bèsame*]

Has anyone ever done this? It looks easy..

[Chad]

Texas has had a warm winter so far and I am getting very excited to start planting gardens. I worry that we may have a late freeze but I am so excited. Like a kid on Christmas morning!

[Chad]

I planted 4 O'clocks and more cilantro today. My Morning Glory's have sprouted and look good. I lost 2 Lantana to a freeze so they have to be replaced. The Rosemary is ready to be transplanted. The peach tree looks good and I hope to have peaches this year.

This is just the beginning of spring and I have a lot of work to do to get the rest of the herbs in place.

Yay spring!

[homoe]

Originally Posted by Chad

I planted 4 O'clocks and more cilantro today. My Morning Glory's have sprouted and look good. I lost 2 Lantana to a freeze so they have to be replaced. The Rosemary is ready to be transplanted. The peach tree looks good and I hope to have peaches this year.

This is just the beginning of spring and I have a lot of work to do to get the rest of the herbs in place.

Yay spring!

I'll be expecting some tasty peach cobbler this year Chad

[Chad]

Originally Posted by homoe

I'll be expecting some tasty peach cobbler this year Chad

Haha! I don't know how to bake. One of us needs to bring a baker into the picture. Mom will not bake anymore.

Maybe barter with a baker.

[homoe]

Originally Posted by Bèsame*

Has anyone ever done this? It looks easy..

I know it's been a while since you asked about this, but if I come across any information while doing research I'll be happy to share.......

[kittygrrl]

Plant in the rain. Plants & seeds love it..

[homoe]

Originally Posted by kittygrrl

Plant in the rain. Plants & seeds love it..

Living in the Pacific Northwest, that won't be a problem......

[kittygrrl]

Originally Posted by homoe

Living in the Pacific Northwest, that won't be a problem......

Lucky h.....you really are

[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.

[homoe]

[homoe]

Originally Posted by 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.

What a difference a few lights make!