Connect
← Return to Let's Talk about Gardens
Discussion
Comment receiving replies
@fiesty76 I have only lived in this area for two years now. I am a wanna-be gardener. This year, due to health issues, I will be an observer. The weeds are gleefully sprouting everywhere. We had big plans for our outside area until my back issues came along in January.
Around here, those who garden for veggies or flowers, take it mighty seriously! It definitely is a 4 season area. The starts and plants are showing up in not-so-local nurseries and big box store garden sections. Our local classifieds and trade pages on fb abound with people selling or trading seeds, bulbs, starts. The elementary school has an annual plant sale. People over-winter seedlings and starts indoors or in greenhouses with propane heaters going. I don't know if this is because there is not much to do in this town, to place such importance on gardens. The deer, squirrels, and other critters make it a challenge to be successful. Deer don't like daffodils, marigolds, lavender, but they love our blooming cherry trees!
Ginger
Replies to "@fiesty76 I have only lived in this area for two years now. I am a wanna-be..."
Connect
@gingerw, Beautiful photo of your blooming cherry trees! We don't have cherry but other fruit trees are in bloom here.
I so regret that back issues have placed you in the mostly "observer" status for at least this year! Due to a previous back injury, whenever my back royally flares up, it is all I can do to sit long enough to observe anything.
When I retired, people said I'd become bored. I promised myself after having to serve on too many boards and as a community volunteer that I would not join any group for one year. After 3 yrs of gleeful "abstinence", I agreed to vol. only if I could choose when and how much. Most want a commitment to a "schedule" and that wasn't going to happen for me.
Flower gardening became my passion at retirement and it has become the most rewarding, creative and challenging pursuit....ok...obsession !!! of my later years. Yes, several yrs ago, I joined an internet gardening and seed sharing group. Made some lovely friends, whom I still corrspd with and exchanged seeds with tons of people. Until I had so many little pkgs of seeds I realized they could never all be sown. Smiles
Our arboretum has an annual plant sale so I contribute to that as well as two ele. schools who have developed on-site gardens. I can vol. as I wish for both as well as for our Friends of Library and food bank without having a set schedule. Perfect for me.
In my residential area, there are no deer but we do have occs'l opossums, plenty of squirrels and most bedeviling of all, both slugs and snails.
One yr after hours of planting 18 tulips among the tree roots...what a job!...squirrels dug up each of the tulips and each had one large bite taken out of the bulbs...I was ready for WAR! lol Like deer they don't attack other spring/summer bulbs but other plants are fair game. I learned to wrap the tulip bulbs in brillo pads and/or dog fur and now have successful tulips in others beds, both front and back.
I know many enjoy house plants and maybe that might work for you? My indoor lighting isn't good and very few survive more than one season in my home.
My daughter called yesterday morning. We talk frequently but usually as she waiting for one of the grandsons to come out from some sporting practice. Sheer luck had driven me inside for a glass of tea and so I caught the phone.
She said, Mom, I got a call from your area code a bit ago and knew it wasn't you. Turned out to be from a rather panicky lung scan scheduler telling her she couldn't reach me and that the pulmonologist needed that scan done that day before my Monday apptmn't.
Daughter laughingly told her I didn't "do" cell phones and all who knew me also knew not to call before heat drove me inside from my yard at mid-afternoon! At 11 am, I reached the scheduler who asked if I could get the scan by 11:30; otherwise would have to cancel and reschedule the Mon. apptmnt'.
Luckily (for all concerned lol) I'd showered/shampooed the night bef. so was 90% clean, minus fingernails, and was able to change clothes and make the scan.