Let's Talk about Gardens

Posted by Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor @rosemarya, Mar 31, 2020

Spring is on it's way and many of us are looking forward to some sunshine and warmer weather and being outdoors...and gardens!
Perhaps you look forward to digging in the fresh spring time soil as you prepare for a summer garden? Do you plant flowers? Do you plant vegetables?
Do you garden for enjoyment? Do you garden for health benefits? What do you want to share about your garden?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Just Want to Talk Support Group.

@gingerw, Wow! A lady Hercules joins the ranks of our gardeners! That is some heavy lifting you've managed and to a very pleasing effect!

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@gingerw

This morning I moved two carts of rocks. Still feeling the effects of a few days of "under the weather", it was enough to make me light headed. Then went and deadheaded the yellow tea roses, found this shy yellow beauty on the old plant, and caught morning light on the salmon cluster. Loving the pops of color!
Ginger

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@gingerw You have been one busy gal! Enjoyed seeing the progress of your rock pile. Hard to beat that morning light and no matter how good the photo still nothing like the real thing. My day lilies burst forth on the 4th and the mixed pots have done their thing. Will attach photos. Be careful with those Herculean endeavors. Sorry, being repetitive.
@jimhd Looking forward to images from you as well. Beware that coveting. 🙂
To all of the other lovers of playing in the dirt and muscle building-nice to know I have had company although I now work on a much smaller scale. Sad that so few see the splendor in the dirt.

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And the delightful mixed pot that greeted me one morning. Photo does not do this justice. for me, it was breathtaking.

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@gingerw

Except for adding in some rocks to make it look really finished, here is my Seger pile. I moved close to a ton of cement retaining wall bricks this morning to line the outside. Very pleased with this! It's in the front lawn, which has taken quite a hit with the pronounced summer. Since the lawn is more weeds than grass, we decided against irrigating it this year, and will tear it up to replant.
Ginger

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@gingerw Ginger, It turned out great. My grandsons would be in "rock heaven" rearranging them for you.
@parus I love the mixed pot - aren't the new coleus cultivars wonderful - they last all summer in sun or shade as long as they get water, and the color combo there is stunning.
I really need to get out in my garden and take some photos. But every time I start, I see something that needs to be pulled, trimmed, tied up or watered and I get distracted. Maybe I just need to put it on my to-do list.
Sue

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@jimhd

@gingerw You have some nice looking rocks there. I'm still working on my own project, hoping to be able to take pictures this week. My backyard looks pretty much like yours. I just can't keep up with the watering enough to keep the lawns green. Replacing it with sod would be wonderful. I did put seed on a section of the front lawn this spring, and it looks better, but I need to work on the weeds that came up at least as well as the grass.

I covet your bricks. Did you use your custom wagon/cart for the job? Are you going to make a border with them? There are lots of ways to arrange them, aren't there. That sounds like a fun job. Congratulations on your new rock garden.

Jim

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@jimhd We found the irrigation system and checked it out. Apparently it was unused for several years so there are repairs to be done. All these rocks are from the south and east sides inside our fence. They would be coming out anyway when we replace the fence next year.

We got a pallet of these bricks. I am going to start on building two small raised brick circles that will have some perennial shrubs in them, out in the easeway between chain link fence and sidewalk. I will still have some bricks left over and we'll border the space next to sidewalk with them as it is quite a drop from sidewalk to level of the dirt there. It's like playing with building blocks all over again, and I love it! Yes, I did use see custom cart that my husband fixed up, otherwise there was no way to move these. It's a blessing to have someone who can make up something like that.

@parus My daylilies bloomed a couple weeks ago, same color as yours! Right now the dark red velvet roses are flushing, and big yellow ones just finished their first flush. Salmon flushed a couple of weeks ago, also.
Ginger

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Hello everyone. I’m new here and have read through a lot of the posts here. Looks like a good place to be.
I live in Phoenix and on March 14 I left there to visit my relatives in South Louisiana pulling a small RV. By the time I arrived here the world had been shut down by the COVID virus and I have spent the spring and summer on the banks of the Mermentau River.
My brother and sister have a large piece of property here and he tilled up a 25X60 ft. garden and turned it over to me. I have spent the time growing vegetables and canning the excess. Tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, okra, peppers, eggplant, cantaloupe, watermelon and squash.At this point the garden is mostly finished but for the okra which is now so y’all that I have to bend it over to pick the pods.
With some peaches and some purple hulled peas I have spent the last four months canning about 30 cases of pint and quart jars of fruits and vegetables.

The garden has kept me sane through all this. My spouse of 52 years passed away on February 15 after a 10 year fight with COPD and my thoughts have been diverted by the garden and the memories of my childhood working in my grandfather’s garden. I hope to return to Phoenix in order to put in my winter garden there.
Bud

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@oxbeaux

Hello everyone. I’m new here and have read through a lot of the posts here. Looks like a good place to be.
I live in Phoenix and on March 14 I left there to visit my relatives in South Louisiana pulling a small RV. By the time I arrived here the world had been shut down by the COVID virus and I have spent the spring and summer on the banks of the Mermentau River.
My brother and sister have a large piece of property here and he tilled up a 25X60 ft. garden and turned it over to me. I have spent the time growing vegetables and canning the excess. Tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, okra, peppers, eggplant, cantaloupe, watermelon and squash.At this point the garden is mostly finished but for the okra which is now so y’all that I have to bend it over to pick the pods.
With some peaches and some purple hulled peas I have spent the last four months canning about 30 cases of pint and quart jars of fruits and vegetables.

The garden has kept me sane through all this. My spouse of 52 years passed away on February 15 after a 10 year fight with COPD and my thoughts have been diverted by the garden and the memories of my childhood working in my grandfather’s garden. I hope to return to Phoenix in order to put in my winter garden there.
Bud

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@oxbeaux.. You have my utter admiration. You are a fine example of making lemonade when life hands you lemons. What an inspiration! Thank you for sharing. Your grandfather must be watching over you!

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@mayofeb2020

@oxbeaux.. You have my utter admiration. You are a fine example of making lemonade when life hands you lemons. What an inspiration! Thank you for sharing. Your grandfather must be watching over you!

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Thanks for the kind words.

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@oxbeaux

Hello everyone. I’m new here and have read through a lot of the posts here. Looks like a good place to be.
I live in Phoenix and on March 14 I left there to visit my relatives in South Louisiana pulling a small RV. By the time I arrived here the world had been shut down by the COVID virus and I have spent the spring and summer on the banks of the Mermentau River.
My brother and sister have a large piece of property here and he tilled up a 25X60 ft. garden and turned it over to me. I have spent the time growing vegetables and canning the excess. Tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, okra, peppers, eggplant, cantaloupe, watermelon and squash.At this point the garden is mostly finished but for the okra which is now so y’all that I have to bend it over to pick the pods.
With some peaches and some purple hulled peas I have spent the last four months canning about 30 cases of pint and quart jars of fruits and vegetables.

The garden has kept me sane through all this. My spouse of 52 years passed away on February 15 after a 10 year fight with COPD and my thoughts have been diverted by the garden and the memories of my childhood working in my grandfather’s garden. I hope to return to Phoenix in order to put in my winter garden there.
Bud

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@oxbeaux Oh, Bud, do you have a picture to post of your garden? That produces quite a picture in my mind, and I am envious to read of such a haul. I don't have much of a green thumb that way. Are you trading with the neighbors for things you don't have?

Good to see you over here, and also in the journaling group. A gardener's journal can really bring back memories of what you did to plant things, and keep it up!
Ginger

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@parus

And the delightful mixed pot that greeted me one morning. Photo does not do this justice. for me, it was breathtaking.

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@parus, Absolutely! Thanks for sharing both pics with us...great lift for the day.

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