You know you're a gardener when.........

When you get up in the middle of the night to add something to the garden to do list you keep by your bedside...

Early_bloomer, I only have a 1 car garage, and it is filled to the gills. I'm sure that if I had a 2 car one, it would be too. There's always rent-a-pod! LOL

jrwbirds, one year DSO bought me a pair of those really expensive elbow length rose pruning gloves. The first time I wore them, I managed to snip the tip of the left forefinger off!! It's Atlas for me all the way!

Donna, I do that all the time!! I keep 2 notepads, one for the garden and one for work. Sometimes at work the next day, I find that I've written the garden notes on the work notepad.

You know you're a gardener when you have to stop typing this to run over to Starbucks to get the last load of grinds for the night (already reserved for your 8:30 pickup).

I love this thread! Haven't had too much to add but laughing as I read everyone's posts :) I figured this was appropriate as I'm already making lists for 2010 plantings!

YKYAGW, it's only November and you're lusting for plants listed on a website I visited this morning. It's in CT and ratings are not so positive on Watchdog for their mail order :( But...I've already mapped out directions to stop off on my way to Maine next summer! LOL

...when ALL the nieces nephews and grandkids brought gifts of garden stuff for your 70th birthday party.

yes - this has been the most fun of any thread I've been on.

YKYAGW....you get up extra early so that you can do some work in the flower beds before the 9:00 Doctor appointment

can't wait for Spring - a butterfly on my red Flame Azalea

You know you're a gardener when you go through more stacks of paper plates to dry batches of seeds on, than feed your family dinner.

So many funny responses on here--an awesome thread-a CLASSIC!
...when you finally do a nice nail polish job on your nails and are still immediately struck with an overwhelming urge to repot something.

Of course, Sally, we all do that. I totally gave up on Manicures. Do you remember Holly lamenting the state of her pedicure the day before her vacation? She valued that new bed more than her cute little toenails!

You know you're a gardener when you will work outside all day in the mist and mud despite just having your hair done.

You know you're a gardener when the mud around your potting bench is so slick you have to move fallen leaves to cover the spots where you've already taken big slips and slides!!

absolutely love this thread

.........when you have Bag Balm or Corn Huskers Lotion at every wash basin.

This message was edited Nov 15, 2009 9:59 PM

Aw, Flowerjen--how about any bold or vegetable color of carpet? Anything except white!! That might help you identify.....

LOL about the nail polish, Sallyg. But I only get a French manicure once in a blue moon.

Hey, that's good info about the Toro leaf shredder, jrw. The kind I had in mind was one that you feed the leaves into. But the vac/shredder model sounds more convenient and quick.

Stormy--really now, you cannot cut into Atlas gloves?? I have been hearing about them here. That is a selling point!! Now, all I want for Christmas is a leaf shredder and Atlas gloves!!

No Foxy, Atlas gloves are definitely vunerable to cuts. It's just that at $3 a pair, it's a lot less painful than the $40 pair!!

Lady & I have been looking at those Electric stand up leaf shredders. Carrying the Toro gets very tiring after a while. It's great to use on tight spots and edges and in narrow beds and under the deck and around furniture. It's also great between and under trees and shrubs. But doing the whole yard with it hurts your shoulder and back. The Blower is faster and easier for the open yard. If you're just bagging them for disposal, the Toro is OK. But to chop them fine enough for mulch, it takes repeats of passing them through the Toro.
My chipper will do this, but it's hard to start and gets clogged a lot and often the carberator chokes up despite frequent spark plug changes and servicing. It likes branches better than leaves.

stormy--

Are you talking about sucking leaves up as they lay on the lawn with the Toro?

I tried that once--and found it to be next to impossible. That is why I rake them up in piles first--and then stand there sucking them up with the shredder/vac. One big pile of leaves is usually reduced to one vac-bag full.

Two vac-bags full fit into one 39gal. trash bag--with room to spare.

G.

Yes, Gita. I blew them into piles and then used the Toro to suck them up. This yard is just too big to rake. But even then, the Toro does not chop them up small enough to mulch with.

I do both - like to suck the leaves off shrubs, low growing ones haha. I don't have to reshred - I'm sure the variety of trees determine how easily they chop/break up. I do fing that dry leaves are best....so, if the leaves are a bit damp, I rake them in a row and by the time I am done, the wind and sun has dried them beautifully.

I'd never tackle the back - an acre+ is just too much - use the JD lawn tractor for that

this just a small part of it....

jrwbirds, do you mulch with the leaves?

Foxnfirefly, ok that helps. ☺

You guys are too funny!!

Stormy, my yard is huge for raking. You may be right about pooping out carrying that shredder/vac around all day. I tried my DH's gas leaf blower and it was really heavy with the gas tank. I am leaning toward a chipper/shredder/vac that sits on wheels and you move it where you want it. We dump mountains of leaves in an area in the back. That's where I would go to work on home-made compost. I liked the Patriot modelw/9 HP.

Flowerjen, also, if you never had a "White Christmas" caladium that you brought in to over-winter, any other white caladaium or white-flowering houseplant will do for the winter holiday longings. Every gardener has their own specifics, but the scenarios are the same.

I also meant to add that your aesthetic appreciation would include pictures of fruits and vegetables, even a big, fat tomatomato, haning on the wall in your kitchen. Only a gardener would go to the extreme to find the perfect tomato pictures, applies and pears, etc.

Dragonfly--"neglected family" hits home!! I console myself with the proverb that if there's no pain, there's no gain. So sometimes I neglect the garden to balance things.....

Thanks, Foxy. I'll check it out.

stormyla - I use chopped oak leaves for mulch around/on my ferns and around the azaleas....sometimes, I get lucky and find some pine needles for this...otherwise, I use the leaves around and on most everything, being careful that I don't bury things too much. I also use the chopped leaves pretty thick between my daylilies as a weed barrier - does a great job and helps the soil at the same time. I have several marginal plants, ie the musa basjo and some colacasia - they get the really big pile on them.

jrwbirds, good ideas all.

You know you're a gardener when you beg everyone to bring you gifts of garbage, manure, coffee grinds, egg shells, grass cuttings and rotting leaves!!!

YKYAGW you go to a complete stranger's door and ask if you can have their bagged leaves they have at the curb....
did that twice today while I was running errands....came home with the back of my vehicl crammed with bagged leaves......26 bags !!!

one thing forgot to mention about using leaves for mulch....where it is possible, I put several layers of paper under the chopped leaves.......double barrier !!

Purple Tiger - I think it is beautiful

jrwbirds, lovely gardens you've got there.
And here I was ready to buy an expensive pair of Atlas gloves...lol

You know you're a gardener when you've worn your favorite pair of Crocs all Summer and have suntanned "holes" on top of your feet to prove it.

FruitOfTheVine - I absolutely love the Atlas gloves....not terribly expensive.....I have ordered them directly from the company - used to have them on my plant sales and all I had to do was get someone to try them on and the sale was made.......I always had a pair marked "Sample" so that only one pair was being tried on - then I'd use them at home...on day, a neighbor kid was in the yard with me and he asked my why my gloves were marked "Sample" - when I gave him my explanation, he just said, "Yeah, keeps people from stealing them, too." He was pretty well on target LOL

thanks for the complement - hopefully, I will get them back in shape over the Fall and mild Winter days - having been unable to really do anything for almost 2 years has taken its toll but the palnts are tough and friends have helped me so very much.

I'll bet those tan spots are attractive .... LOL

Bletilla - hardy orchid - have them in pink/white, purple, white.

Fruit--lovely feet to a fellow gardener! Gardener version of truckers tan (left arm)
Related to last few comments--...when you like the stinky stuff, like blackstrap molasses
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1051780/

jfleming--thanks for the newspaper reminder. I am going to try to pile or keep bagged (by the nice neighbors! I scored a new source last night. "the heavy half-bags are chopped" ) my chopped leaves, until ready to finally clean the bed and put down paper first. This may not happen till March...

I've never used paper too. Do you think bulbs would still be able to poke through it?

Sally, I have a sticky BS Molasses bottle on a tray in my garage. Does yours bubble up and over?

You know you're a gardener when you joyfully spend hours working at your computer on your plant files. No drudgery there!

No I think paper would be a hindrance to bulbs. I will use it in areas that don't have bulbs, and where I don't want the self sowing to happen. (What is an "area without bulbs?" asks stormyla)

I have never gotten the molasses yet. But I have seen doc mention that.

...you can always find something garden- related to waste time on occupy your mind or body.

Oh by the way Lowes was clearanceing all summer plants, getting ready for Xmas. Five bucks might get you loads of sweet williams ( 80 cents per pot of four) or snapdragons, or a large summer planter from which you reap a big plastic pot, maybe some seeds or cuttings, and some dirt. also some bushes and trees. Mine was pretty picked over but others may have better luck.

I'm on a quest for Peat Moss. Lowes & HD were out. Have to try a garden center. LOL on the wasting time. I do it while DSO is watching the tube.

The feed grade BS molasses is not easy to find unless you live in the country. I had to have a feed and seed store order it for me, but it was cheap from them as opposed to over the internet.

You know you're a gardener when you can spend all morning yakking on DG instead of doing your chores!!!

Gita, I remember you recommending some sort of vac or shredder or blower last year, said it was reasonably priced at HD... but they ran out of them... Is that the Toro vac/shredder you mentioned above? I have to get one, but first I have to remember what it is, LOL!

Sorry to go O/T... enjoying this thread!!

And yes, I was in the middle of pointing and saying "look how well my peonies did this year!" when I realized that to any but a group of fellow gardeners, they looked pretty dreadful! (They were big enough this year to form the blooming "hedge" I'd envisioned when planting them.)

I agree, the paper would not be good where there are bulbs.......

YKYAGW the rainy days are spent plotting out the next new flower bed.....

Oh heck Jrwbirds..........

You know you're a gardener when the chance to get out in a drizzel in your rain gear is going to be your easiest weed pull of the season!!

Like last week when Ida hit. We had rain for four straight days, drove me crazy being stuck inside. Sunday afternoon I started lifting my Cannas.......talk about easy digging.

LOL sallyg, I wore holes in the bottoms too. Guess I need to officially retire those shoes.

You know you're a gardener when you can't resist pinching off seed heads. (especially when they're not your plants)

You know you're a gardener when hubby says you're becoming obsessed. Then you justify yourself by saying "Well you should see (insert DG member name).

LOL... I surely don't know whose name you'd be using, there.

Critter, I think they are pretty much interchangable!! I got all sorts of nifty leftover food containers to use for garden projects. A Thanksgiving gardening bonanze. Pretty soon there will be a fair amount to add to the compost!!!

LOL, Bobbie!! and Buongiorno~~

rcn--maybe you should make the nursery an outlet for artists--display it for them. Have your cake and eat it too!! Maybe I am glad I am not too organized cuz it would just lead to problems like 25 page wish lists!

You know ...when...Black Friday makes you think not of shopping, but of wondering about the condition of those Datura pods that have been out in all the rain..



This message was edited Nov 27, 2009 9:26 AM

You know your a gardener when: Black Friday rolls around and you wonder what deals you might find in the local garden centers. LOL Ric