The Joy of Gardening

[Kätzchen]

On a lark, several years ago, I posted about how e joy able my day was spent helping my friend with her garden. It's so nice to see other's enjoy gardening, too.

Originally Posted by Chad

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

Chad??? I know you asked about this over a year ago, but I've never heard of keeping sunflower seeds in a freezer. Like, ever. So I don't know if you ever found a reasonable answer, but I save back some of the seeds from healthy plants and store them in air tight glass jars. Season to season. If I don't use the seeds during the next planting season, I just leave them out for birds to feed on.

Originally Posted by Bèsame*

Has anyone ever done this? It looks easy..

I've never heard of these type of garden planters, Besame*. The only planters I have are clay pots and planters that I sculpted years ago, when I participated in a ceramics class in college. If you've learned about them and liked this type of planter, I hope you'll come back to share about it.

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!

It sounds like you're going to enjoy your garden this year!

Originally Posted by Soft*Silver

I live in NE Ohio and love to garden. My gardens have always reflected how well I am doing in life. If I am scattered and falling apart, so are my gardens. If I am not succeeding in general, nor is my garden. If I am flourishing and happy my garden is colorful and productive. If I am really busy in one aspect of my life, my garden is put on hold. And when I have time to concentrate on it, I do a helluva job...

so for the past five years, I have been very busy in other aspects of my life until this year. This year I hope to put in herbs, and some perennials, a few roses, and a small vegetable garden, mostly gourds and melons, a few beans and two tomato plants. I have to redo all the plants around my house for they have gotten overgrown and I want to do more of a cottage garden in those spaces.

I use to have an ENORMOUS herb garden at a different house, and hope to get that back, at this house. My problem is that the greenhouse I bought the herbs from, closed. They had 20 varieties of scented geraniums and I use to have all of them! I had at least 5 varieties of sage, mint, basils, thyme, etc. Does anyone have an herb shop they frequent that sells via catalog? Let me know!

I love growing flowers and certain types of herbs. Your gardens sound absolutely beautiful! I hope you have time to cultivate all the many things you enjoy growing in your garden!

Chad and homoe's banter about baking pies reminded me that it's been awhile since I've baked a pie for my sweetheart. I didn't get around to it this week at all, due to my partner coming home after chemo and needing bedrest. This last week was a tough week on both of us. I love to make apple pies and berry pies. Once in a blue moon, I like to make Cherry pie. Good stuff, for sure.

[Chad]

Originally Posted by Kätzchen

On a lark, several years ago, I posted about how e joy able my day was spent helping my friend with her garden. It's so nice to see other's enjoy gardening, too.

Chad??? I know you asked about this over a year ago, but I've never heard of keeping sunflower seeds in a freezer. Like, ever. So I don't know if you ever found a reasonable answer, but I save back some of the seeds from healthy plants and store them in air tight glass jars. Season to season. If I don't use the seeds during the next planting season, I just leave them out for birds to feed on.



I've never heard of these type of garden planters, Besame*. The only planters I have are clay pots and planters that I sculpted years ago, when I participated in a ceramics class in college. If you've learned about them and liked this type of planter, I hope you'll come back to share about it.



It sounds like you're going to enjoy your garden this year!



I love growing flowers and certain types of herbs. Your gardens sound absolutely beautiful! I hope you have time to cultivate all the many things you enjoy growing in your garden!

Chad and homoe's banter about baking pies reminded me that it's been awhile since I've baked a pie for my sweetheart. I didn't get around to it this week at all, due to my partner coming home after chemo and needing bedrest. This last week was a tough week on both of us. I love to make apple pies and berry pies. Once in a blue moon, I like to make Cherry pie. Good stuff, for sure.

Hi friend,

Thank you for the tip on seeds. I love gardening, my parents and grandparents were avid gardeners. I grow food, herbs, and flowers.

Thank you,
Chad

[MsTinkerbelly]

My mother and sister were/are avid gardeners, and my sister married someone with magical gardening skills. I however have a major black thumb, and struggle to remember to water the trees and small number of plants we have.

My sister and her husband moved to Idaho this past January, and since there is such a small growing season, they started most of their plants in the house and are waiting for the thaw to plant. They have a large bank of floor to ceiling windows that are acting like a green house, and the pictures show that they are going to have a great bounty eventually.

The biggest problem for the garden will be the dear living on the property, as they live in the Forest on a mountain, but my b-in-law thinks he can build a fence that will keep them out. We will see..........

[Soft*Silver]

Originally Posted by MsTinkerbelly

The biggest problem for the garden will be the dear living on the property, as they live in the Forest on a mountain, but my b-in-law thinks he can build a fence that will keep them out. We will see..........

good luck on that..the fence line needs to be at least 9 foot high and even then if hungry, they will attempt to leap it. The best thing to do is to buy some mountain cat urine and keep it placed around the parameters of the garden. They stay away from their predators. The other thing they can do is to plant a hedge of boxwood around the fence line. They do not eat boxwood and its scent is strong to them and thus, they might not bother whats inside.

I too live in a short season area..range 5. NE Ohio. I cannot start anything inside because we have 4 cats and they tear up my starts. We are considering putting grow lights in a room in the basement, for a seed starting area. It would keep the cats away. Maybe next year once I get this garden started.

I freeze my seeds over from one year to the next. Most seeds that actually need a cold dormancy should be frozen for a few months, if not over the actual winter period.

I had a pup that use to climb into my raised beds and pull up all my plants. Lord he was a terror! LOL. He was so happy with himself for "helping" I couldnt hold it against him! He has passed on (long story short, a neighbor shot him. The neighbor is now in jail) but I will never forget him wagging his tail, smiling at me with my huge sage plant in his mouth!LOL

[Kätzchen]

Originally Posted by Chad

Hi friend,

Thank you for the tip on seeds. I love gardening, my parents and grandparents were avid gardeners. I grow food, herbs, and flowers.

Thank you,
Chad

You're welcome Chad.... But, after reading soft*silver's post on seed dormancy, I am now reminded about something: I keep my jars of seeds outside on the patio. We get four distinct seasons here (albeit each season comes with rain), so I'm guessing the seeds wintered properly on the patio. But you live in Texas, so maybe that's why you freeze your seeds (???).

Originally Posted by MsTinkerbelly

My mother and sister were/are avid gardeners, and my sister married someone with magical gardening skills. I however have a major black thumb, and struggle to remember to water the trees and small number of plants we have.

My sister and her husband moved to Idaho this past January, and since there is such a small growing season, they started most of their plants in the house and are waiting for the thaw to plant. They have a large bank of floor to ceiling windows that are acting like a green house, and the pictures show that they are going to have a great bounty eventually.

The biggest problem for the garden will be the dear living on the property, as they live in the Forest on a mountain, but my b-in-law thinks he can build a fence that will keep them out. We will see..........

My sister lives in northern Idaho. It's very beautiful in her part of the panhandle ....(LoLo pass, area). Elk, deer, bobcats, cougars, bear, and moose, are sometimes spotted on her mountain. My sister's husband died suddenly two Christmases ago, but her husband's hobby was fly-fishing. He taught her how to fish....so she catches salmon, steelhead and rainbow trout during late springs runs until late summer, early fall. It sounds like your sister and her husband will enjoy living in northern Idaho.

Originally Posted by Soft*Silver

I make THE best chocolate toffee nut cookies in the world! And apple pie? Yes yes! Cherry pie, blackberry pie, strawberry pie...you name it. I am just getting into baking breads now. By hand, no machine.

I am not really a cake baker..tho I can and do make cakes. I just dont favor doing them. Not like I do cookies and pies!

I have won over many with my baking skills...it is a joy for me!

That's so sweet!

Originally Posted by Soft*Silver

good luck on that..the fence line needs to be at least 9 foot high and even then if hungry, they will attempt to leap it. The best thing to do is to buy some mountain cat urine and keep it placed around the parameters of the garden. They stay away from their predators. The other thing they can do is to plant a hedge of boxwood around the fence line. They do not eat boxwood and its scent is strong to them and thus, they might not bother whats inside.

I too live in a short season area..range 5. NE Ohio. I cannot start anything inside because we have 4 cats and they tear up my starts. We are considering putting grow lights in a room in the basement, for a seed starting area. It would keep the cats away. Maybe next year once I get this garden started.

I freeze my seeds over from one year to the next. Most seeds that actually need a cold dormancy should be frozen for a few months, if not over the actual winter period.

I had a pup that use to climb into my raised beds and pull up all my plants. Lord he was a terror! LOL. He was so happy with himself for "helping" I couldnt hold it against him! He has passed on (long story short, a neighbor shot him. The neighbor is now in jail) but I will never forget him wagging his tail, smiling at me with my huge sage plant in his mouth!LOL

I can tell you've got some awesome pointers on how to manage deer. Thanks for your helpful ideas!

I might add that deer love to eat roses. It's their "chocolate." They tend to do that often in late fall as they forage for food.

That's just awful what happened to your dog. My sincere condolences.

And .....Good Morning to all. Have a joyful day!

[Medusa]

I just potted some rosemary and a bell pepper plant. I do believe I'm heading back out for more because I need some basil, romas, and jalapeños

[Chad]

My morning glorys look great and are blooming. The cilantro is about an inch tall and looks great. The 4'o'clocks are not productive yet.

The peach tree has started blooming. Yay!

Lastly, the Dewberry vines have new berries growing. Yay!

[Soft*Silver]

I finally got my berry garden in! Blueberries, blackberries and raspberries!

Veggie garden coming soon! My grand daughter is going to do this garden with me. I want her to grow up knowing where food comes from, that it isnt just found in stores!

At an auction, I bought a weather vane (with a horse of course!) on a pole, for my garden. I love it so much!

Sometime this week, I have to tackle my shade garden. It has become overgrown and I really need to get in there and pull out all the weeds!

I went to Lowes for soil today and god help me...it took everything in me not to buy out the store! There was so much I wanted to get! So many new ideas!

[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?

[Truly Scrumptious]

Originally Posted by Soft*Silver

I too live in a short season area..range 5. NE Ohio. I cannot start anything inside because we have 4 cats and they tear up my starts. We are considering putting grow lights in a room in the basement, for a seed starting area. It would keep the cats away. Maybe next year once I get this garden started.

You can actually make mini greenhouses with the bottoms of plastic soda bottles. They fit pretty tightly around the pots so unless your cats were really determined, the starts would likely be safe. A 2 L bottle bottom fits snugly around a 4 inch pot, and the 750 ml bottle bottom fits around a 2.5 inch pot. I have some lemon and grapefruit seeds starting this way right now so here's a pic of what I mean.

[Soft*Silver]

I actually use these when I plant seedlings outside. Inside, my cats are prone to use any dirt for litter boxes. I have tried for a few years, and they have won each year. LOL. So I am resigned to starting things outside. I DO want to get a greenhouse going eventually. However, I tend to do things in a big way when in reality, my age and my physical limitations might prevent things from happening. I need to bear all this in mind. I dont believe I am limited until I go to do something. LOL.

What I have going for me, is that I did an internship in horticulture therapy, and specialized in creating gardens for those who had limitations. So, I am designing everything this time, to accomodate me as I continue aging. I have raised beds, and am putting in a few more this year. I grow things vertically when I can...like berries and grapes, peas and beans, gourds and melons.

Originally Posted by Truly Scrumptious

You can actually make mini greenhouses with the bottoms of plastic soda bottles. They fit pretty tightly around the pots so unless your cats were really determined, the starts would likely be safe. A 2 L bottle bottom fits snugly around a 4 inch pot, and the 750 ml bottle bottom fits around a 2.5 inch pot. I have some lemon and grapefruit seeds starting this way right now so here's a pic of what I mean.

[Cin]

Originally Posted by Soft*Silver

Inside, my cats are prone to use any dirt for litter boxes.

Wow. That is impressive. These pots are about 3 inches around and the covers are pretty tight. I have trouble getting them off. Your cats must be quite dexterous, not to mention they gotta have some tiny little bums. LOL.

[Kätzchen]

Originally Posted by Truly Scrumptious

You can actually make mini greenhouses with the bottoms of plastic soda bottles. They fit pretty tightly around the pots so unless your cats were really determined, the starts would likely be safe. A 2 L bottle bottom fits snugly around a 4 inch pot, and the 750 ml bottle bottom fits around a 2.5 inch pot. I have some lemon and grapefruit seeds starting this way right now so here's a pic of what I mean.

That's such a great idea, Truly.

I live in a densely populated urban setting, so I think I can use your helpful idea to grow starter plants at home. We have community gardens in various locales across the greater metro area, but I don't live close enough to any of them, to make use of this kind of program. So I'm going to make use of your idea. Thank you !

-------------------------------.

I'm not an avid gardener, but I do like to garden in small ways. Especially if I can use small foot print ideas and try not to support anything to do with Monsanto. But that's getting harder and harder to do lately. I read somewhere recently that plastic is now found in the human food chain, so that's a scary thought.

I did a tiny bit of looking online for resources that might come in handy (for anyone who wants to do their own research, etc).

Here are two resources that might help:

http://www.almanac.com/content/garde...-order-sources


https://www.smallfootprintfamily.com...-non-gmo-seeds

Happy Gardening.