Let's Talk about Gardens

Hi Sue....I use to be an avid gardener, finding it very relaxing, until I got MAC, and eventually pseudomonas...Not I make sure that I have on gloves and an N95 mask for protection...I think we have to be careful with gardening and especially the soil in pots

@megan123 Jennifer- I agree. I use mask and gloves, wet the soil i work with to avoid airborne particles and change clothes and shower when I get done. We have been a "no shoes" household for years so we don't bring anything in to the house either. In Texas, where I'm sure my soil is heavily infested with MAC from wild birds and feral chickens, my gardening, with similar precautions, is only in cactus pots. A gardener handles all the mowing, weeding, raking and a final wash down while I stay inside with windows closed and the HEPA filters running full speed. My husband also has bronchiectasis even though he has never had MAC. I hate doing it this way, but I never want to do the Big 3 antibiotics again!
Sue

Frost and rain have diminished my gardening energy. However, I found this sign during a detour thru a 'new' friend's garden during my walk yesterday. I knew that I wanted to share it here!

How are your gardens coming along? Is spring coming to your neighborhood?

@rosemarya Indeed, Spring is here in this Valley! Recently someone creasted a "trading hub" page for the community, and people are trading starts, plants, all all manner of things, or giving away excess cuttings. It is so awesome to see. I just wish I knew exactly what to do to get a garden going or flowers!
Ginger

@gingerw Goodmorning . Good soil is the first thing . After you till it to break up the clogs then a good fertilizer is need work it into the soil ,my husband did this then plant the seed whatever you want . Way before this in the winter we planned out garden the space we would need . Then just watch it grow . Have fun I had a embroidered piece at home that said Your closer to God when you in the garden

@rosemary, What a lovely sign. Pretty much sums up how I feel in the gardens as well.

This morning I worked in my front beds and planted my first seeds of the season in one bed...coreposis and orange, yellow and white cosmos. While working, a neighbor from a couple of streets over stopped her walk in the street to compliment my blooms and we had a love at-a-distance get acquainted visit. A while later she returned with her husband telling me that she dragged him away from his computer job at home to come see my yard. Wasn't that the nicest lift/?? Sunshine, perfectly still, person-to-person visit....can't get much better than this.

My gardening work actually is a year round responsibility. The cows and horses generate compost that I put in a place to cure for a year and then I dig into the planting hills, along with the kitchen compost that goes out there year round, where I plant cucumbers, various squash and in rows where I plant onions (already in), tomatoes and peppers. I got the tomato and pepper starts from the greenhouse between home and town. They're in the cellar under grow lights until the end of May when the danger of frost is past (usually). I need to look in my seed drawer and see what I need. I bought seed potatoes the other day and need to get them in the ground.

I put out soaker hoses in the garden and have watered a couple of times, but yesterday we had 2/10 of an inch of much needed rain. I'm still working on my riding mower, now waiting for a new drive belt which I hope will get me going. Walking behind my mower is too pain generating, given that I have around 10,000 square feet of lawn. My garden area that's fenced is 50x50'.

Gardening is a fair amount of work, but it's mixed with a lot of pleasure. My beds of phlox are blooming, daffodils are opening, iris are starting, fruit trees are in bloom, grape hyacinths and forsythia and the peonies are pushing up their new stalks. It's nice to see these harbingers of spring.

Jim

Wow, Jim. I got a thrill just reading about your garden!

@lioness There are spots of good soil, then areas of clay. I am such a neophyte when it comes to all this.! I want to go visit @jimhd and learn from him!! I went in to town this morning, and saw all kinds of flowers at the nursery, but couldn't bring myself to get some. I have no amendments. Guess I should start with that.
Ginger

@gingerw Good soil is certainly a key. Depending on how large a space you have, you can get amendments by the bag. You might send samples of soil taken from different places on your property to a field agency, and get their recommendations. I get mulch by the yard - I get it from a local supplier who lets me use their dump trailer, which holds 3 yards.

Jim