You know you are a gardener when:

I tell individuals that every time I let them go in front of me in line when I have a shopping cart full and they only have a few items. I always get a big smile and an "Of Course".

Good discussion. We need to go out there and make a difference in our daily interactions and maybe the two or three people will become engaged the same way.

Paying it forward is a great thing. There have been a few times when someone in line ahead of me is a dollar or two short of having enough for their purchase, and I covered the difference for them. People are so amazed and grateful, asking how they can pay me back- I tell them to pay it forward, and they always get this look like a light has just come on inside them... it's awesome.

Boy, we are either all clones or maybe gardeners are just nice people. I do the same. When I get change, I look for little kids that do not look like they have much. Do not have to look to far these days. I give them my change, tell them to share and enjoy. The parents smile, say thank you as I am walking away. Actually I feel better than they do.

It's a sad commentary that people are always so surprised and grateful when shown a little kindness. I let someone use my safeway club card yesterday because they didn't have one. You'd think I had bought them a car.
The other day I was crossing the narrows bridge and had my toll money ready. When I opened my window the money collector said that the guy in front of me had paid mine for me. Wow! I was just shocked. It made me feel good all day.

I've heard of people doing that- (paying tolls for the next person) that's so cool you were chosen! :)

I let somebody use my Safeway card once too, she didn't get all gushy about it, but she thanked me with a relieved smile.

And yes, it is sad- even common courtesies like holding a door open for someone seems to surprise people half the time.

Kindness is a pretty powerful thing. I pay for people behind me in line more and more often (coffee, lunch, usually) because it's a pick me up for me . . .

The young nurses I work with here are lovely! They bring me coffee from their late night runs to Tim Horton's without being asked and never ask me to pay. When I offer to pay for theirs, it's alway "thanks, but no!" Love that they do that.....Great bunch of young women!
I have loaned the use of Safeway cards and given lunches, coffee, etc. to people also but , honestly, you have all given me a wealth of other ways to "pay it forward" and for that and so much else, I thank you!

Going back to what skwinter said- I definitely do think that in general, gardeners are generous, caring people. Is it our connection to the earth that makes us more apt to have nurturing personalities? Tending to our plants and seeing how they respond to care and kindness makes us treat the world as if it were our garden?

It makes me wish *everyone* gardened.

I don't know... there are plenty of people on this forum who are generous gardeners, that is for sure. I'd like to think that being a gardener equaled being a loving, generous person, but I've met so many gardeners who are just the opposite: controlling, angry human beings who care about their gardens but care nothing for other people. I know, it's hard to imagine. But they are out there. I think they are just not attracted to this forum.

Today I am going to church and then down to Seattle to sit and watch the Christmas celebration. There are many joys that our minds give us such as memories, giving, smiles, and courtesies that we all are blessed back on ourselves. Paying forward for the bus is fun because you see the smiles on the faces of the people.

And I think it's a tremendous way for us to challenge those little expectations of getting paid back. The reason I like to extend generosity to strangers as a pick me up is that there's no way to expect anything in return. It is what it is and that's the beauty of it.

Enjoy your Seattle day today, Steve. The snowflake lane in Bellevue has just started and will be going all month. Last year was the first year I went and the snow machines didn't make much snow (I think it might have been too cold, LOL):

http://www.magicseason.com/events/snowflake.html

Thank goodness I have never met a mean gardener. The most fun I think have is when I am at the garden center and see an amateur gardener buying the wrong thing. Being Las Vegas, we have many families that have moved from Southern California. Therefore, many of our garden centers have plants for sell that will not grow here. I slide over their way with a smile on my face and softly tell them about the plant they are looking at. Mother Winter then takes them around the garden area and give them a 5 minute lesson on gardening in the desert. I have never run into anyone that was unhappy, unless it was the manager of the garden center. I tell them to always ask, "Does this grow here?" I actually have a Loews that tell their shoppers to ask me if I am there. Just another way to have fun helping our neighbors.

THat's the way. ^_^

I'm with you, skwinter! I love to help new gardeners choose the right plant for their needs.
The gardeners I've met who were not so nice generally regarded gardening as a contact sport - lots of competition and not a lot of having fun.

I just love taking over a neighbor landscape with their landscaper. I had 5 opportunities this year. Of course, I am free so why not. A very interesting outcome was just right next door. He had this sophisticated irrigation system that was designed to take care of each plant. Boy did they see him coming. He had just moved here from paradise Southern California. I asked if I could help trim his many multi branched strawberry tree. I noticed it because I take care of their cat when they are on business or pleasure trips. I first saw the tree, directly across the landscape, while washing the cat dish. He gave me full go ahead. I trimmed out a bunch of crossing limbs and dead limbs. The miracle cure was water. I took my little old fashioned sprinkler and put it on the hose and watered that tree slowly for three days. The first day, there was a lake around the tree. None of the water would soak into the ground. It was as hard as concrete. Well the second day the water finally started to soak into the soil. After three days of moving the hose and sprinkler around, I stopped deep watering.

He came over last week and wanted me to see the Strawberry Tree. What in the world did I do? I walked into the back landscape and there in the corner was the tree in full bloom and looking magnificent. I told him I deep watered the tree. The root ball had dried out and the water the irrigation was putting on the tree was just running some where else. I made a believer of him. Did the same thing with the roses in to different properties. The roses were deep watered for over 8 hours, slowly, before the water started to soak into the ground. The reason for this problem is during the winter we have watering of the landscape one day a week. When spring comes upon us, they start watering as usual. Well, the soil is so dry, like concrete, it will not accept the water. I should probably charge. You should have seen these Roses. They were beautiful. I did one back landscape and got sick half way through. I did half of the Roses. You would not believe the difference. Of course, all these plants and trees are planted in soil covered by rock. WRONG. That is another story. Sorry I was so long.

Changing the world one strawberry tree at a time. That's a wonderful story!!

I like these tree watering rings . . .

http://www.gemplers.com/product/RTG100/Tree-Watering-Ring

Pixy, I am glad that I have only met the kind of gardeners I have found here on DG and not the cutthroat kind!

I too love the idea of "pay it forward. Like Kathy says, it makes you feel so good in a way that not much else can....how can you put a price on that? I know that I inherited my nature from both of my parents, but my Father was one of the most generous souls you could ever meet. It was strange after we lost him... so many people would come up to us and tell us how sorry they were for our loss... then they would tell us stories (a lot that I had never heard) about a great act of kindness that he had shown them far in the past that had marked their lives forever. Nothing crazy... simple things like buying a pair of new shoes for an employee who had holes in the soles of the ones that he was wearing, or trusting someone to prove themselves when no one else would give them a chance. Simple things that were remembered 40 years later... things that showed that there is true kindness in the world. If I think back to things that have transpired over the last year, I know that I have been angry and frustrated several times, but don't remember specifics. On the other hand, I remember the cookies that a customer brought me in January to say thank you for taking good care of her car, or the flowers and the button that another brought me for going out of my way to make things easier for her in a bad time. An act of kindness makes a very lasting memory...

How come I'm the only one who has met these quarterback gardeners? Not that they aren't in the considerable minority,, but still, how can I be the only one?

Maybe we are to scary looking. It could my shirt I wear that states, "Don't Go There". Or, "You do not want to mess with me".

I know I'm scary looking. LOL!

I did come across the "quarterback gardener" types once, when I made the mistake of going to a nursery's parking lot sale. It was ferocious. I picked up one day lily and quickly got out of there (I did pay for the plant first). There was a woman who had set aside 20 trees and shrubs, darted away to get more and snarled rudely at newcomers who did not know her stash, which was starting to look like a whole section of the sale, was spoken for.

Those are the ones! I knew I couldn't be alone! They should wear elbow and knee pads!

You know that you are a PNW gardener when the weather (hot, cold, wet, dry) doesn't determine if you will be out in the garden, but merely what clothes you will be wearing and what project you will be working on. Have the day off today, and have been happily shredding leaves and topping my garden. Had to come in for a few minutes so I can see if I can feel my feet again......

Sounds wonderful!

Time to break out the hand and foot warmers. I have tomorrow off. The dahlias are blackened, it's time to protect the bananas. You know you are a gardener when you consider how to protect tender plants before you consider what to make for dinner. Dinner? What dinner? Isn't that why I have a husband?

Hooray for husbands who cook dinner!! Though I will say that in my house the food prepared by my significant other is often kind of heavy on the grease, salt, and spicy hot stuff..

If I don't have to cook it, I don't care. I'll eat it if I'm hungry. Just don't make me stop and come inside for something as mundane as dinner.

Ditto. "OR". Why don't you come in and Relax. Duh, I am relaxing, in the garden....Non gardeners just do not get it.

No, I admit they do not.

You know you are a gardener when you combine protecting plants for winter with decorating for Christmas,, because the only way you'll get to the decorating is if you combine it with plant protection.

This is a banana tree, all wrapped up and cozy for the winter. I have several of these kinds of things, but I have to get more extension cords so I can get them all lit up. How about a star for the top?

LOL.

Okay, so are you laughing at me or with me?? LOL!

Caught me . . . both, really. :-p

I am sure we are laughing with you. I think it is a great idea. I am going in to the garden tomorrow and determine if I can do that to two different plants. Great idea. Oh ya, I already said that..

I am now considering planting a banana tree for the express purpose of saving some leaves for teaching children about the festival of Loi Krathong which is celebrated in Thailand. They float candles on decorated flower and banana leaf boats out onto the rivers and lakes. Would this work, or would the banana leaves be all spent by this time of year?

Pixy, your banana tree wrap Christmas decor looks lovely.

This message was edited Dec 4, 2009 8:52 PM

So there, Kathy! BBBBLLLLP! People like my banana decor! I have plans for a plant out front. I'm going to wrap it tomorrow and I'll make it a cone shape like a Christmas tree. I bought special lights just so it will be pretty.

HOlly, it depends on where the banana is located. My leaves bit the dust last night because the frost finally got them. If the tree was well protected, it would be fine. Also, I have a really nice red banana in the greenhouse that has huge leaves. It's going to be leafing out all winter. I've seen photos of the festival you are talking about. It is beautiful to see all the floats with candles on the water.

Maybe your kids could use a hardier kind of leaf? Or maybe you could do it earlier in the year when the bananas are still leafing out.

Loi Krathong is so beautiful. I would love to see it in person someday.

We made a sort of krathong out of green construction paper with tissue paper flowers, but the kids were somewhat disillusioned when I said we couldn't really float them on the water.

Hmm. I concur. I think I would be disillusioned as well. The floating is the coolest part. Perhaps making banana leaves out of waterproof?

I think your banana wrap is ingenious. I love that it's multipurpose. That's what I find so cool.