Gardening and outdoors?

@ellerbracke I will be more of a gardener when we move in two weeks. Just hearing you talk about it is overwhelming. I did not inherit my mother's green thumb.
Ginger

@ellerbracke Hello and I have a suggestion have your husband make above ground planters for you . I didn't have this problem when I had my garden but have seen it done . Its a box with your dirt in and fertilizer mix. I have seen all kinds of vegies growing in it . Would save on your back. They call it raised garden I think ? Good luck

@gingerw Once you get into it I think you may find it stress reducing Just plant the seeds water and watch them grow. Simple. I had to teach myself how to can also . I wasn't into gardening either but from a allergic son I had to learn. Then I loved watching the garden grow.

@ellerbracke If it were not for my little flower garden and the backyard birds I would surely succumb to despair and depression. These give me a reason to keep trying. Members here have been a valuable asset in my life and hope you will feel welcome as well. I am not as active with the forums for now. This site is well organized, respectful and supportive.

@lioness One of my neighbors has two of above ground planters on her patio and I may try one next summer. She ordered these online and I was dubious at first. Looks like the way to go. Rather like hydroponincs except with dirt and not water alone.

@parus One of my friends here does hydroponincs gardening I think I like to get my hands in the dirt .

Wanted to share my Day Lilies from my garden. They place a smile upon my heart.

@parus Oooh, I love those colors, so rich-looking!
Ginger

@parus : those daylilies are lovely! I have some older varieties in my garden as well, but unfortunately many of them have the dreaded disease that turns the leaves rust-yellow and ugly. This in spite of cleaning up the withered leaves in the fall. As long as I keep up with the “bad” leaves, and keep the spent flower stalks trimmed to the ground, things look good. Pretty much that means fussing with them at least every 3 days. But going forward I may just yank the daylilies I have now and look for a less labor intensive alternative. I’m not getting any younger, and the summers in SC are getting hotter, making yard work a challenge sometimes.

@lioness Raised gardening is what my husband and I have done. Many of the home improvement stores have a “kit” for raised beds. We also use beautiful lightweight extra large pots. Instead of filling them solely with soil, packing peanuts — those styrofoam shapes that protect items during shipping — or water bottles in the bottom of the pot before soil and plants are added. I grow some tasty cherry tomatoes on my patio this way. Having fibromyalgia and chronic spine pain I find sitting on a low step stool while working with my plants helps.