I know that I really, really depend on the serenty I find in the time I dedicate to propagating, planting, growing (even weeding) and being rewarded with these perfectly imperfect little green things I have sprouting all over the place. Could we have a vote? How many of us woud survive without this obsession. Give me your feedback. Let me know that I'm not the only addict!!! Tell me the best part of your "green" experience!!
Personal Survival
tootsiepotts,
I couldn't agree with you more. The garden is my sanity sometimes, and certainly my favorite place to be. By the way, when I saw your name, it brought back some really nice memories. When I was in the first grade, I proposed to a cute little blonde haired girl named Tootsie who was also in the first grade lol! And she said yes, but we didn't seal it with a kiss! And we never got married lol!
I would be as looney as a toon without my plants, and being able to enjoy nature.
Hey at least I am honest. LOL
Patti
I have a business in a competitive market and by day's end I'm ready for my garden. What really unwinds me is working on my (bonsai) trees. I can often start on a tree around 4-5 and be startled when, at 9:30 or 10, my wife reminds me, "It's dark; how can you see; and you haven't eaten; are you coming in or are you sleeping on the lawn?"
When I put on good music while gardening or working on trees, I'm able to "go to another place" with friends like Schubert, Bach, Mendelssohn, well-secluded from the hassled parts of my self. So, I know just what you mean, TP.
Al
Guess what? Strange as it may seem, your plants love the classical music too! Most people don't think of them as living responsive things, but they surely are? There have been all sorts of experiments done on plants, including their reaction to living in zero-gravity environments. One of those tests have proved that they grow better when seranaded with the lovely intricate melodies by Bach (him I know a little, because I play piano and some of his works were my lessons, very simplified, of course) et.al. In fact, I find MYSELF calmer when exposed to the same music.
And I don't care what anyone says, they like being talked to and patted. Everyone raves about my green thumb. Touch is only part of it. The rest is my run-away mouth...
Yesterday was the day after the "day from hell." I woke up and thought, "I have to retire. How can I do it now??" DH got up, saw I was fried, and suggested I pot up the ivies I bought a week or so ago. I put the phone on "Off," shut down my home office, ignored my email, looked up what to do with a staghorn fern and played in the dirt for several hours. When I was finished with everything the blood pressure was back to normal and I had hope again!
Plants and gardening are completely indespensible for a balanced life. I must have PLANTS!!!
Can't WAIT till March (February's the longest month of the year!) when I can plant pansies on my Denver balcony!
Here's another tidbit you might consider. Almost all of our seemingly unexplainable behavior really is explainable. It's in our DNA. Plants take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. Hence our survival. We take in oxyen and give off carbon dioxide. Therefore, their survival. Is it any wonder that some of us (at least the ones among us who can dig down deep enough, pun intended, to somehow touch our own roots) become so intent on seed sowing, propagation, hybridizing, watering, saving seeds, (and the list goes on!) ? Sorry about the punctuation marks, but sometimes there just aren't anough of them.
For some reason this thought train brought the Australian Aborigines to mind: They call it the "Dream Time." Popular science sometimes tries to "phoo phoo" these connections, but they are undeniable. We are so closely intertwined with the plant world that neither one could survive without the other.
No wonder I depend upon the quiet introspection that I feel when talking to my plants. And I do. Really. They love it!!!
P.S. Wait til March? I've got seedlings poking their heads up NOW and it's the greatest boost any February could have. Start a couple seeds indoors. Then spring won't seem so far away.
1. I agree it is the most stress-relieving activity there is. I'm literally surprised and amazed what we have to do and how many hours a week we have to do it. I realize that life used to be hard but I kinda suspect the old-time pioneers and farmers didn't have quite the rate of depression we have despite the grueling hours they put in because they were so in touch we nature.
2. Which brings me to another, slightly different idea. I think agriculture and the observance of nature (be it corn or ivies--lol) is ingrained into our DNA from hunter/gatherers (key word--gatherers) to perhaps a yearning deep in our psyche (perhaps past lives?) to get back where we "need" to be....
I am completely addicted to my horticultural endeavors! From the first warm day in spring through
the last cool day of fall, I get completely engrossed working outside. In the winter, if there's a warmish
day, I love clearing out the invasives from an area I want to eventually plant. Thank goodness for
seed starting or I'd go nuts during the cold winter days! There is absolutely no better way to bring up
the spirits and reinvigorate the love of life like playing in the dirt!
Most likely, this is a common thread that links us to each and every DGer.... winter for me is difficult, not because of snow but because of the short days. I leave for work in the dark, I come home in the dark, and sometimes it's a full week before I can get outside and look at anything. But from about now until the end of daylight savings time, every day after work includes a "garden walk". It calms me down from a rough day at work - it's a time for introspection and contemplation. I wouldn't want to not have that time.... and each weekend, I spend as much time as physically possible outside. (Sometimes I have to force myself to do a few chores, and then reward myself with the outdoor time.) That's my gardening life...
Sanna
Ahhh! That wonderful garden walk! Add to it a nice comfy place to sit for a few minutes and you're about as close to serene as it gets.
My favorite thing is when I see the little rosettes of my sedums peeking under the snow at me! Yay! Let there be life!
i find starting my veggies from seeds to be the most rewarding part of gardening. i have "stuff" all over the table, seeds, marking pens, tape, paper, drawings of what goes where etc.
Sounds like my place! I have the same stuff all over my dining room table, (include seed catalogs, printouts of the stuff on my wish list,) plus bags of soil, perlite, vermiculite, and pots that need scrubbed out blocking my access to the kitchen sink. Wish I had a utility sink in the basement, but that's on the wish list also!
My neighbor/handyman across the street says I'm so easy to please. Mostly he does carpentry on the interior of "this ole house" but occasionaly I ask him for help planting. There's a lot of sandstone under the first level of soil and he can dig through it much faster than I. We'll go on garden walks together when I've set pots out where I want the contents planted, and he gets such a kick out of me when I find something new and green or blooming. If that means "easy to please," guess I am!
PrarieGirl, my sedums have started their pretty little rosebud plants. I'm so excited to see them! They are one of my (millions of) favorite things!
tootsiepotts, what part of PA are you in? I live in Western Pa. I'm a lot like all of you, I love gardening. I have several coleus wintering over in my basement and some daylily seeds sprouting. I can't wait until spring, I miss my time spent in the garden. Last summer was terrible, hubby wrecked his quad on July 15th and that pretty much put a halt to my fun in the garden. He broke 5 bones. I am so looking forward to this season coming. I have a swimming pool that I put many plants around and I am always out there and play the radio or some cds and the plants seem to love the music as much as I do. I aslo play a radio round the clock in one of my hosta gardens, helps keep the deer at bay, I keep the sound low so it won't bother anyone.
Last week I was checking plants in the garden and my sedum was also popping up, I hope this snow won't hurt them.
cbrandenburg...think Zelienople. Harmony is next door.
I haven't been outdoors much except for one of those 60-degree days we had earlier this winter. Just gave it a short survey. Mostly I saw branches and black wlanuts that need raked up. I've left a lot of the grasses, etc. from last year for winter interest, and it'll be a bit of work to clean them up but at least it doesn't look so barren when I look out the back door. I'd rather defer cleanup time (and plant survival search) until I can get out there without the mittens and snowshoes. In the meantime, I'm keeping my sanity by hovering over little green things popping out of my indoor pot menagerie.
Cathy, hi there! Didn't expect to see you on this thread. I hope Ross is doing much better this spring so you can have him lug stuff around. You're way too little to do it yourself! LOL
I'm back into garden mode after all the stuff that went on last year. But I have a sad tale. Most of my perennials, yes hostas, dried out when I was too sick to care for them and DH was caring for me. So it could very well be time to start all over. I'm way sad, and part excited to start anew. I've pretty much decided to buy every coleu I can find, a few grasses, a few hostas and that'll be it this year.
Good to hear from you!
Judith
tootsiepotts, how wonderful, you are very close. I live in New Sewickley, behind Freedom, PA. I am going to host a plant swap early summer, this will be my 3rd one, we have lots of fun and trade so many plants. The swap will probably be early June, I'll email if your interested.
Judith, so nice to hear from you, Ross is doing great, back to work full time and he's healed up great. I wish I could go coleus shopping with you. I had so much fun in Denver looking for coleus. I kept a lot of my coleus this winter under grow lights so if you wants some let me know. I'll get a list together and send it to you. And Hosta, let me know what your looking for and I'll check my gardens and see what I can divide.
Good to hear from you,
Cathy
Cathy, I don't have any idea what I want. Any coleus, I loved the Sedona, and the reverse of my Golden Tiara, I don't remember now what it was. I think it was Emerald Tiara. I still have the little tag, but it's outside and it's 20 degrees out there! I'm hoping to find some Rustic Orange. I had Alabama Sunset and Glennis last year and am looking for a change, another large coleus, but I haven't found one yet. You sent me Veronica Lake, which I loved, and Ross sent Blue Cadet, which I loved too. Guess it isn't true that I don't know what I want. I want what I had! Now if you could replace my Social Climber rose, that would be fabulous ;-) Just kidding!
Keep on hoping for spring!
Judith
Judith, I think I have rustic orange and sedona, I'll check on the hosta. I'll take pictures of my coleus when I get them back into the greenhouse, some look terrible now, but they are alive. Sorry can't help you with the climbing rose, I have one, not sure what her name is anymore, I guess I'm not into roses. We are supposed to have 3 days of snow, I guess winter finally arrived. I was hoping for a warm Feb. like January was, but it's going to be cold.
Have a great day,
Cathy
Thank you, Cathy!!
Speaking of cold, before I went to bed last night I looked out and it was a raging blizzard! Just the day before it was 60. Today it was in the teens, but by Monday they say it'll be back up in the 50's. This has been a very warm winter, and I really have been spoiled. The older I get, the more I want to move someplace warm!
Judith
Happy Birthday... Cathy!!
Thank you for the Birthday Wish, I love that picture, I have 3 cats of my own, well I call them my babies.
I guess we are going to miss the snow storm, it's east of us, although I wouldn't mind one snowstorm this season. We are supposed to get 3 inches by tomorrow night. It's been a pretty warm winter here also, except for the last week and next week, then it supposed to warm up again, can't really complain this year.
I suffer from depression a lot (I am bipolar) and even though I take all of my many meds, there are days when they just don't work. So my only sanity is in my plants, especially my little AVs that I have just gotten into. So without my plants, I would be in the looney bin. They help so much. They take my mind off of the bad things going on in the world. They listen to me and don't argue back. They need me to take care of them and that helps a lot too. I can only look at them drawing up from lack of water for just so long and then I have to get up and water them. Without them, I think I would be long gone by now. So here's to all the plants of the world. We need you.
JesseK
JesseK: Been there. I bought a light box last year thinking it would help. I'm sure it did, but who has time to sit in front of one for an hour or two a day? This year, I've been trying to find inexpensive ways to grow more plants with a eye toward learning more about propagation. Found a nice looking shelving unit - white wire, 48"w x 18"d x 78"h - attractive enough to sit in my living room. $67. Lighting became the problem. Call it a grow light and the price spirals. Call it a shop light and they're more reasonable, but look like they belong in a garage. Remember the light box and lay it down on the top shelf so it shines down throught all the shelves, and you have happy plants. And happy me. The box puts out so much light that it lights up the whole room. Then I began to wonder if my lighted plant stands have been part of the reason I feel better this winter. Not bipolar but perhaps SAD?
Keep on talking to those green lovelies. It's an exchange between living things that could fill volumes of discussion about how and why. But we know, don't we?
Cathy (cbrandenburg?):
Please let me know when you'll be ths hostess of a plant swap. I may not have much to offer yet, but I sure would like to meet you and your other guests. What fun to tell everyone that I fell asleep last night browsing through a plant catalog without anyone looking at me strangely!
Which brings me to a new thread...
How many times have you had people say, "Oh, I just kill every plant I take home. Nothing grows for me!"
Hi Tootsiepotts,
I too enjoy the serenity of my garden. I live on the edge of a tiny town, a bedroom community, so it's pretty quiet here. Being a bit of a loner I enjoy my thoughts while I'm weeding. I walk around my yard every day, recording what's blooming, and where it's planted. I never get tired of seeing what I've done.
Hey billyporter, how are ya? Aren't bedroom communities usually on the out-outskirts of major cities? Not being familiar with the weather in IA, I'm wondering if you're patrolling the garden at this time of year? Frankly, it's still spitting snow here, and the outdoors garden I'm enjoying through the windows...I left the most attractive of the dried stuff out there for the winter so it so it doesn't look too barren. But indoors...that's another story. Decided to start seedlings indoors and began Jan 22nd. The tribe is increasing from a couple trays on windowsills to three lighted plants stands, trays on all the windowsills and trays on tables in front of the windowsills! So, instead of wandering through my outdoor garden in March, I'm writing notes in my journal about my indoor one.
If your'e into propagation, I could use a hint. I'd like to start using a rooting stimulant but don't know which would be best. I posted this question in the Propagation Forum but got no help. If you've tried any, let me know how they worked?
Happy Gardening!
Tootsiepotts, I'll dmail you some information about the plant swap. It will be held on June 10.
Cathy
Hi Tootsiepotts,
I grew up in this town, as did my dad, his dad, his dad ,etc. We've always had a population of 375 more or less. The closest big cities are Iowa City with 62,220 and Muscatine with 22,697 people. I could never live in a big city. The outer edge of our town is almost a mile around. A good walk. I know almost everyone in town. A lot of them probably told on me when I was little and into mischief.
Weatherwise, we're all mixed up sometimes. Looks like an early spring this year. The ground barely froze all winter. Yesterday and this morning, it rained! We need rain! I did walk the yard. My daffodils, blue flag and crocus are just poking thru the ground. I need to think about starting tomato plants. Problem is, I have cats and they devour all greenery, as i found out last year. Mine do so much better than the store bought tho. I've used rooting powder with limited success. I don't have room to do too much indoor planting.
If you're a coffee drinker, those used grounds sprinkled around your flower beds about once a week (or whenever you spot any damage) will keep the kitties away. I know because the neighborhood cats love to use my mulch as a litter box. Then I started the coffe grounds thing, and the little lovelies are no longer a nuisance. Safe, effective, and you don't have to be angry at them for messing up your garden...
If you're not a coffee drinker, ask friends or neighbors to save the grounds for you. They may think you're nuts, but tell them it's because the azaleas and rhodies love acid soil. That give you a good reason for collecting the grounds and it happens to be true!
At least out here, Starbucks will save grounds for people like us.... every once in awhile I can grab a large bag of grounds for sprinkling around the yard. And I save the grounds from every day's coffee pot. I'm not sure if I've seen any kind of difference, but hey, doesn't seem to be hurting!
Sanna
I am a coffee drinker, but I've never heard of that. My cats are indoor, but we still have a few feral ones around.
By the way, is Harmony harmonic or big and bustling ?
I agree with the coffee grounds, I use them in all my pots, my Brugs love it, and in the ground. I didn't know it kept cats out of the garden, my cats are always in my gardens, but they seem to behave themselfs. They do follow me around when I'm out there so that's probably why. I have a large moonbeam coreopsis that has a hole in the middle of it, my one cat has made a bed in that plant for about 6 years, she ambushes butterflys when they come. I love it when I see her all curled up sleeping in the middle of that plant, they go good together.
You're right Sanna. Think of it as recycling...if we all found some use for just 10% of the stuff we put out on the curb for collection, we might eliminate a couple of those gas-hog garbage trucks!
Cathy, you need to get a picture of your cat snoozing in the coreopsis and post it. Just shows that not all critters are detrimental to our gardening attempts. Do you plant anything just for them, like catnip, etc.? I don't have any pets right now - my schedule is too nuts and it would be unfair to them...they need time and attention too. But when I was growing up, we had Tinkerbell, the dog, named for the sheep's bell we had hung around his neck so we could keep track of him. He lived 15 years. Died while my Bro was in Nam. 'Course we didn't tell G.W.
til he got home, but it was such a loss. I remember being sad or upset and there Tinker would be, nosing at me almost like like he knew. And Thomas J. Wellington Pussycat Boots was our cat. A little more aloof, but just the same, a wonderful companion. I'll be able to quit working the 9 to 5 scene soon (I hope) and will again have pets. But I'll still shoot 'em if they mess with my plants. ;-)
Historic Harmony. Small town right now, but rapidly being engulfed by the suburban sprawl coming north from Cranberry Township, the intersection of US Route 19, Interstate 79, and the PA turnpike. Luckily (or some days not) I live in a historic district, and change is by law a no-no. But then it also makes adding a wrap-around porch to your house a pain in the neck because of all the red tape and permits and approval stamps from the historical review board that are required. So far I haven't been turned down, but it's time comsuming. Thank the stars that anything not attached to the house counts as "garden decor" and my freestanding deck and all the landscaping have been exempt.
How I rattle on! Sorry, but one the fingers get on the keyboard, they just try to keep up with the thoughts...
Not rattling, interesting. Iowa city, Iowa has historic areas too. How big is your yard? I love wrap around porches! What kind of trees do you have? Was your yard established when you bought the place? Questions questions.
Following my husband's quadruple by-pass and slight stroke, he
needed to be seen by a psychologist. Needless to say, she asked
me if I were depressed. Of course not, I garden. "What do you
think about when you're gardening?" was her question. Nothing
but which plant to move, should this be trimmed back, etc. was
my answer. Your care go far away for that bit of time and you
come in rested and happy. Sure have saved a lot of money not
paying for their advice. Of course, have spent it on flowers which
is much better.
Oh yes, I have catnip in every garden, they love it. My cats don't bother much in my gardens. They have there catnip and coreoposis and leave my other plants alone. In the house I grow them cat grass for winter, it keeps them out of my seedling except for one of my cats that has a taste for my daylily seedlings, but it dosen't seem to bother the seedlings if they get a hair cut. Now the chickens are another story. When we first got them we let them free range until they wouldn't stay out of my neighbors driveway. So we penned them up, but they did remove my garden markers from a lot of my daylilies, but Thank God I have a map of all of them and I no what daylily they are. Hubby wants to let them out again this spring, we shall see what happens then.
I do agree that gardening is the best medicine, I only think about plants and dirt, watering and so on, makes life a lot easier. I have been trying to get my sister into gardening, she's by polar, but she has no interest. I can't imagine my life with out a garden.
I will get pictures this summer of Molly in the coreopsis.
yes, there is no life without gardening....
Sanna