Let's Talk about Gardens

@contentandwell I like blackberries. Around this area, they grow wild, without prompting. I like when they grow on the sides of roads since the deer usually do not go through them and onto the road. Deer vs motor vehicle is a common call on scanner, and can be deadly. But they are invasive, and like the old scary movies, will literally take over a yard, or house, etc. They are a great source of ticks and other things, besides sweet berries. The empty lots around us have blackberry bushes with canes as thick as my wrist, and I can harvest berries there. We want to plant that slope with veggies and flowers. Or something the deer don't consider a delicacy.
Ginger

@gingerw Around here it's blueberries that grow wild. In our prior home we had loads of them in the area beyond where we had lawn. Wild blueberries are so small though that it took forever to pick them. Wild blueberries are so much more delicious than the larger ones though, just as the local, smaller strawberries are so much more flavorful too.
JK

@gingerw it is beautiful and would make a nice star pattern for a quilt . My Mom did a start pattern quilt . I still have it on my bed . I didnt inherit any of her sewing ,quilting habits.

@zep My comment was not an attack on you nor anyone else. I did not mean for you to take it personally. No one was in attack mode thus far. It was one of those global statements. My turn to grovel I suppose.
@lioness Was not attacking anyone!! Seems I have hurt some feelings and caused issues here. There was a smiley face to allow others to know I wasn't being judgmental, being critical nor was I in attack mode.
Good grief y'all.

In the past four years, we have had a straw bale garden. I highly recommend that process. Like a giant science project. This year my hubby is making me a raised bed garden. I'll attach a few photos. Our raised bed won't be as deluxe as the photo, but at my age, it'll be nice to have it at a higher level. I just found this site and really enjoy hearing the stories. The best thing about the straw bale garden & the raised beds....makes my bunnies very mad! I have very naughty bunnies over here.

@bjs06 I love my straw bale garden! And even more, your description as a "giant science project." I have been bale gardening for 10 years or so - ever since I had the opportunity to meet the inventor of the concept, Joel Karstens. This year I will be documenting "using your straw bales for a second year" as a lesson for our Master Gardener web site - will be heading out to plant the first plants on Friday.
I actually taught straw bale gardening as a science/life science/math/4H project to my 3 hone-schooled nephews last year - the 10 year old won a prize at the county fair for his report and photo display. It was so successful that their Dad converted most of his vegetable garden to bales this year.
Good luck with your raised gardens. That may be my next project, along the other side of the house, if I can convince my husband to move some in-my-way sprinkler heads (first I have to convince him that it's not the other way 'round - he thinks my plants are in the way of watering his grass...)
Just a comment - the bunnies don't like the bales & stay off - I think the straw pokes their feet, but I had to fence my old raised beds or they were all over them!
Happy gardening.
Sue

@bjs06 Oh, my!! How interesting, and exciting! I see you have done few posts here on Mayo connect, so welcome to you! This is just right up my alley, that picture of the raised bed garden with fencing and a bench, then your bale garden. I am such a newbie to this, and this idea never crossed my mind! So much to learn. Gotta love all these ideas and help!

@sueinmn I showed the post from @bjs06 to my husband. "Well, we can do that. Either one" Now to find the hours in the day. Fire season starts in a few days and we are scrambling to get growth semi-tamed in time. Yesterday we took 3 cubic yards of chopped blackberries and roots to the transfer station, whoo-hoo! I will be heading out to pull more weeds, shortly.
Ginger

@funcountess I don't feel like I have a lot of energy. I just plod on. Sometimes I make a list of things that need to be done, crossing off the jobs as I complete them. I guess I'm one of those people who likes to make lists just for the pleasure of crossing things out.

I use soaker hoses for a few reasons. One is that they require less water flow than sprinklers. I can hook up a bunch of them and water several places at once. Second reason is that sprinklers lower the water level in my well too fast, so I have to wait a half hour for the well to recover. Third reason is that sprinklers water everything, including paths and bare ground, which brings a ton of weeds up. Fourth reason is that I can leave soakers on overnight with a low water flow. There are a few places which I sprinkle just because I need even coverage over a larger bed of perennials, and the lawns.

An underground sprinkler system is something I dream of, but I hate to think about the price of setup and the ongoing maintenance of sprinkler and drip heads. My brother's a retired plumber, and I've watched at how much time he spends to keep his system flowing.

I was a minister until I retired, and during the warm months I was a house painter, both of which I enjoyed. Landscaping is just something that's been a necessity over the years, and I read books and have subscribed to garden magazines - one that was great was Horticulture. When we moved to new houses, there often was a real need to plant fruit trees, prepare a vegetable garden space, and plant shrubs and flowers. Our current (and last, I hope) home had a clean slate. Over 12 years, I've planted an orchard, evergreens, shrubs, roses, flower (especially perennial) beds, worked on improving the lawns by seeding and clearing away weeds, planting borders...the work will continue until we have to move. Working in the yard and gardens is good therapy, too.

Jim

@sueinmn I can visualize a bale garden, but could you give me a basic lesson?

Jim

@jimhd I googled it right after @sueinmn was talking about it, and came up with https://www.thespruce.com/straw-bale-gardening-848248
@bjs06 started the bale gardening idea. I am so excited to see this idea, it might be the right thing to find out what grows around here.
Ginger