Slump Down In Your Chair & Tell Us About It.....

Have you ever thought about receiving professional help? I tried to make an appointment for PA, Plant Addiction, but I never even got the opportunity to speak with a counselor. The appointment clerk asked, “are you a member of an online gardening website”. I truthfully answered, “yes, but only one, Dave’s”. Then she asked the average number of new plants I added per week, either by rooting, seed germination or purchasing. Doing my best to calculate quickly, I asked, if one of the dogs breaks off a limb and I stick it in dirt, does it counted? She promptly replied, "according to our new Plant Addiction Profile Software, you can't be helped" and the phone went silent.

With this new profile software in place, we have no choice but to try to “help” each other, so slump down in your chair, relax all parts of your body except your fingers and tell me all about it

……. maybe we can work a Trade!!!

Judy




5/2005 I started a thread with the above words, it was a hoot so I thought I would 'play it again'

Well, I for one do not need any help! I never get additional plants unless, of course, 1.) they are on sale, 2.) they are not being properly cared for, or 3.) they speak to me in a southern drawl, "Yawl just take me home and I'll be good to you, ya hear?"

lol lol They don't have to speak to me with a Southern Drawl, or speak at all, just look pretty.

Judy

Rebel, there for a minute before I opened the picture, I thought you had a head on that passion flower! ROFLOL!

LOL
Yup, I'll fit in just fine around here. Heard my neighbor chuckling today. Looked up to find she was laughing at me. Apparently, I threaten the weeds and bugs just before I attack them. I figured I wouldn't worry too much....at least not until I heard them talking back to me....
;-)

I most certainly AM NOT addicted to plants! I only add a new plant almost EVERY day because our Lowes has at least one 25-cent to one dollar rack of plants every day.

I get there at 7am, making me almost the first person to shop in the garden center, and therefore I get the pick of the 'good' stuff. Last week I picked up five one-gallon Brunnera 'Jack Frost' plants for a dollar each, in gorgeous shape. They are now thriving in my perennial garden.

The garden center manager sees me coming and starts pulling plants and marking them down. He can see a sucker - errrrr, I mean sale, a mile away!

I am not responsible for the fact that he willingly marks plants a dime or twenty five cents 'just for you' - of course, I must admit that I bake brownies and banana bread for the garden center crew. I wouldn't think a big, strong manager-man would be influenced by this simple kindness - what do you think? After all, I am just being nice and friendly. LOL

I don't think I have ever paid full price for a plant at this Lowes!

Kay,
Now I don't feel so bad. Maybe, just maybe I'm closer to normal than I thought. But then, I'm not sure I want to lose my rep as an excentric.
Does it mean something when you are wondering how you can afford your daughter's wedding, pulling your hair out because she changed the date (earlier) AGAIN and yet when you walk through a garden department and there is a plant on sale for $1 (that is normally $10) - all of your worries leave your mind, you forget that you are broke, or that your daughter is waiting on you in a town 90 miles away so you can help her with arrangements and you fill your car with even MORE plants???? Just asking

msfarmergirl - just remember:

The key to living a good life is to be able to recognize our needs, not wants, but NEEDS as in.... "I needs more plants". lol

judy,
LOL. Really

Then there is the challenge when you see a dried out rose bush about to be thrown out-- can it be saved? Should I spend 99 cents just to see if it will bloom? And if it blooms will it make my day? Hmmmm? OF COURSE!

So here's a Tequila Sunrise!

Ok, I'm officially "sick" - well past eccentric and right into "not right in the head"! I just spent an delightful hour or so standing in the heat (95+) talking with the owner of a local nursery (whom I had never met) about everything from crape myrtles to herbs and made a list of things to purchase as soon as we get some measurable rain! Didn't realize I was near dehydration until I was on my way home. Made a new friend and so it was worth every minute. The hummingbirds were swooping over our heads and the butterflies were flitting here and there and as we talked, I kept eyeing other plants I would like to add to my garden (can't keep the ones alive I have now!)
Her nursery is tucked away down a gravel road off of Hwy 15S - I never knew it was there! I know I'm sheltered - but I had never seen the variegated St John's wort and she has them along with lots of other perennials, shrubs and trees. God Bless people with green thumbs! We talked long enough to discover friends in common in far off places - talk about the Six Degree theory! Sorry folks - I'm rambling again. Need much therapy.

Oh, Ms. Farmer Girl, just chew on the St. John's wort leaves and skip the therapy! And remember, rambling is second nature to those of us that spend time in the garden talking to ourselves... Rambling is sooo much better than ranting!

You could start a Six Degree thread. (but not a first degree thread-- it's too hot)

There is one problem with bargain plants... sometimes you lose the label with the name.

msfarmergirl - Take heart, at least you didn't bring home a trunk full!!!

Rouser - if it ever had a label!! Most on the bargain table don't.

lol lol

Judy

The lady that takes care of my plants when I do get to go out of town, told me one day that

"I was sick" litterally sick , something wrong with me, She was serious as a heart attack and it made me a little mad LOL. I got over it. How can one think i'm sick, if I just love plants that much, so what, I could be addicted to drugs, boos, anything else , know what I mean,

who needs a shrink anyways!!!!!!!!!



kathy

My shrink is my garden, with DH beside me;
my church is my garden, with DH beside me;
my addiction is my garden, with my DH beside me;
my comfort is my family , with my DH beside me;
my joy is my wild critters greeting me every day, with my DH beside me.
What more could I want?

*More* of all of the above!!!


(ps - I *could* ask for a little less heat and a little more water, but I don't want to sound too greedy!)

God bless you
ginni

The butterfly counts not the months but the moments, and has time enough.
Rabindranath Tagore

I was told once that every decision and action we take is either one of love or hate. Decisions are that easy, just choose between love or hate. I don't see how anyone could think that nurturing plants and growing them is anything but a love (well, unless it's a venus fly trap and you're the fly) :-)

ginni -- you have the right idea. We have what matters, comfort and joy, and loved ones to share it all with.

Oh Lordy!!! This thread was meant to be a lark... to releive our frustration over high temps and no rain.

I never meant it to be serious. Sorry.

Judy

Judy,
Its hard to see the twinkle in the eye, or tounge in cheek, or the silly grin on my face in printed word! If I'm crazy that Thank heaven for Crazy! Still hot - humid. If I walk from the car to the house, I break out in a sweat. The poor dogwoods are just as wilted looking as they can be. We live on a gravel road and the dust clings to everything. You have to find something to laugh at to keep from mowing everything down just to put it out of its misery. The chickens are walking around panting (have you ever seen a chicken pant). These are definitely the dog days of summer - even the dogs are trying to find a cool place. The cat has given up and just sits in the porch swing. She looks at me like "catch your own mice! - its too hot to move". Thankfully, the butterflies and hummers don't mind the heat as long as they have a little treat.
Deb R

I'm repeating.... NO, NO. Then I turn the van around only to have a look, all the while reminding myself it's too doggone hot to be potting up plants. 4 pitiful unknown name or color Hibiscus are now waiting for me to get off this computer and put them in some luscious potting soil and give them a big drink of intoxicating Miracle Gro.

What else can you do when they are only $1 each?

Judy

Judy - I don't think anyone took it too serious, but as we all kept mentioning this dreadful heat, it was a nice reminder that things really could be worse. Sorry if people thought that it became too serious. I suppose I really just need to be far more careful what I post. I did enjoy the thought of raindances though. Definately caused a giggle or too...

well, serious or humorous, I enjoyed each and every comment. Just sat here thinking ..."now why can't I be witty like that???" then decided that it must be from an overdose of sun and Roundup. My medications say "should avoid exposure to hot temperatures as it may lead to heat stroke". Great ! A Mississippi gardener and I am suppose to avoid HEAT???? As soon as they hybridize daylilies that bloom in the winter months I will try to do that then.

We were very busy yesterday ... I had a list of projects I wanted to do since the high temp was only going to be 88F but I tripped and the impact started my gimpy foot to hurting every time I took a step so I asked Bob if he would go larking around with me. ...

I drove and we went to several places; butcher shop for the best ever sausage, pork liver to cook up for the Bullies and a big sack of bones for the dogs that I baked for 3 hours in the middle of the night. Then we went to a salvage food store down the road, I love that place... lol Caviar 2/$1 small jars but none the less it was a great buy. Bob bought all they had around 18 jars. That should hold him for a while... I don't eat it, I think of it as salty, nasty little tough balls. Then we went to the bread store where I bought a bag of kinda smashed cupcakes, powdered donuts, etc for $1. Bob nibbled on some while traveling around, then I put the rest in the freezer. Some of the Bullies love them frozen. while others won't eat anything sweet. We saw a truck sitting in a parking lot with watermelons on the tailgate so we stopped and ending up getting 4 for $6. The 2 small ones with yellow blotches on them were only $1 each, have a very nice taste to them and are just the right size for use to eat and not have any left over to have to store in the frig. The other 2 are sugarbabies $2 each, Bob really likes those and we normally raise some but not this year.

You should have seen the Bullies' butts wiggling when I started unwrapping their frozen treats this morning, only the young adults got the bones, so to be fair the others got frozen treats. Gabby took it in her mouth then opened it wide and let the frozen powder sugar donut drop to the floor. She then looked at me like I tricked her. She's so picky ... she tip-toes around water puddles also while most of the others plow right through them. lol lol

The above does sound a bit like a comedy sketch out of "I love Lucy" doesn't it? It definitely was my Lucy Day and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Judy

This message was edited Jul 23, 2006 3:14 PM

Corgimon - I'm only witty half of the time, so I suppose that makes me a half-wit. ;-)

Judy - sounds like one of those wonderful afternoons that are fondly remembered. I used to dread those afternoon drives as a kid, it only goes to remind us that youth truly is wasted on the young. If only we knew then, what we know now... :-)

While the rain drizzled and the temps were pleasantly cool, I exiled another 20-30 cannas to "somebody elses" yard. LOL These things simply keep popping up everywhere. They were pushing out my ginger. It did provide good practice for how I'll bring things for fall round up though. Think I'm getting it down to a science.

My name is Podster and I'm a Plantaholica Incurablis... I think at those meetings everyone says 'Hi Pod'....

podster - ROTFLOL Cute, cute, cute

In unison.... "Hi Podster!" The first step is admitting that you have a problem. The second is completely committing to the problem .... er the solution....er no, that would be the problem.... LOL
:-)
Great name! :-)

Uh problem, what problem?
Podster is my gardening buddy. One of two canine companions. He was a charming stray with a bad limp. We called him Tripod but with four legs changed it to Pod or Podster. He gardens with me by digging where I must need to plant something, pruning what must have needed pruning. At least he's neutered so he leaves the watering to Ralph. Anyway, I used his name here because of his gardening attributes and I like seed Pods ~ so there! But I don't got no problems, don't need no professional help, I got Pod!

Hi Pod, you are beautiful!! Some of my best friends have been "strays that came to stay".

Judy

How cute. I like the name even more now. LOL. Taking a twist off of an old bumper sticker, "Gardening Problem? I garden, No problem!" :-)
So, where's Ralph? :-)

Ralph is RIGHT HERE under foot as always...

Awwww....how to resist? :-)

I need HELP!!! A very beautiful snow white, thin and malnurished cat showed up at my door wanting food about a month ago. "She" is deaf besides being beautiful (also afraid of men and runs away when DH comes home).

We have been feeding her and trying to make friends with her so that we can get her to the vet for some kind of treatment for her hearing. She has decided that I am her best friend and lets me pet her and has even let me try to doctor her ears some (lots of mites).

Since she is now a new member of our family we are searching for an appropriate name for her. DH and I are at a loss as what to name her. If she doesn't get her hearing back, she won't know when we call her anyway, will she?

Any suggestions for a name for our "baby"?

"A very beautiful snow white" : Snowball...

And as for the plant addiction, can anything be worse than REALLY not having any more room to plant things? My heart hurts over and over... I see (and hear) stuff calling my name that wants to go home with me, but I -- JUST -- DON'T -- HAVE -- ANY -- MORE -- ROOM!!! That reason is high on my list of why I want to move from a subdivision to the country!!! But, you know, I have visions of this house in the country that you can't figure out how to get to because all you see is flowers!!! LOL

I have DT's constantly, because I want more green around me!!!

Oh, you just had to ask. ;-)
Personally, I like the names:
catastrophe
cataclysm
catmandu
catatonic
purrty
fido
spike
midnight (has a certain appeal for an all white cat)

I'm a cat lover, but my coworker is not (he says he loves cat....with a little catsup...) and he refers to cats as "Puppy Chow"
Here is a link for some cute cat names:

http://www.thecatgallery.com/funny_cat_names_page_1.html
http://www.cat-names.co.uk/cute-and-funny-cat-names.html
http://rulingcatsanddogs.com/funny-pet-stuff-funny-pet-names.htm

I'm real creative in the cat naming department... ours are Mr Cat & Miss Kitty. lol lol Bob named them something or the other that I couldn't remember so I took a shortcut.

Judy

flowrlady - alas, it is very common for white cats to be deaf. The earmites do need to be treated, but are most unlikely to be the cause of the hearing problem. However, with the mite problem cleared up, your little 'Garden Ghost' will still be a delightful addition to the family.

I do hope I didn't put a damper on the thread. My soul was soaring with joy as I typed that post. I have so much happiness in my life I just get down right giddy sometimes.

I'm struggling right now to balance the joy with the recent diagnosis on one of my cats - seems he is Diabetic. Not the worst thing in the world, and he is *so* laid back that treating him is no problem. It just makes me a 'clock watcher' again. He gets an insulin shot every 12 hours for now. There is a good possibility that he will go into remission and no longer need any medication, but meanwhile, he comes to me for his meds and doesn't give me any trouble about it - as long as he gets his treat!!

We still haven't gotten any rain, but the temp has been *so* much better. At least watering now gives a more longlasting relief to my plants.

The butterfly garden is seeing more use due to the lack of wildflowers. The hummers are going into frantic fight mode, all of them (well over a dozen of them) are working to fatten up for the fall migration. DH and I joke that we only have two seasons here - feed hummers, feed fireplace, feed hummers, feed fireplace,.......

At least my orchids are happy! I have at least 3 that are getting ready to bloom, 3 just finished. DH made 8 new baskets for me and I already have 5 of them in use. The next 2 I planned to re pot have put out bloom stems so will have to wait for a bit to reset them.

I am stuck inside this morning. We went to a nearby orchard yesterday and brought home 15 pounds of figs. I got them cleaned, stemmed and sugared yesterday afternoon, and this morning started cooking. DH likes heavy syrup, so the long cook down has me locked in for awhile. The cabin smells *wonderful*!!!!! I may pull some of the batch to mix with some strawberries just for a change. I do love strawberry-fig jam. ( I hope this keyboard survives the sticky aftermath! )

Life is good!

TGIF, sorry about your kitty being Diabetic but so glad giving the shots is not a problem. I believe, life is 10% what we make it and 90% how we take it. It seems you have found a happiness that many people will never know in their lifetime. Aren't you proud that you are able to see over the hill and down into the valley where the flowers grow. Some people never even THINK to lift their eyes from the rocky ground around them.

You are blessed.

Judy

Ginni, Thanks for the info on white cats. I had no idea that it is common for white cats to be deaf. I learn so much from you all. :-) and I thank you for your knowledge.

How does this sound for a name? Miss Midnight Snowball Garden Ghost Kitty? lol

I have always been a dog lover and have had people tell me I should be a "dog whisperer". But, this beautiful kitty has a very special place in my heart already.

That's a nice, long name! And after that, what are you going to call her ??

What cha wanna bet she will be Kitty?!

I'm relaxing here listening to the occasional ping and pop of 22 half pint jars of fig preserves sealing. My kitchen is clean and unsticky, thanks to DH, (he is *such* a keeper!) and I have no more plans, or ambition, to get into any other projects for the moment. Does anyone have a good *easy* recipe for Strawberry-Fig preserves? The trees at the orchard are still loaded and I do love that blend. I could be tempted to go for more figs since I have the strawberries in the freezer.

DH has gone in to town to pick up 2 new tires for the golf cart so that life around here can keep rolling. Can't function without that little rascal! Once he gets back we can get the tires on and I can quite worrying about getting more than 50 yards from the air hose!

All is well and I'm in love for the last time in my life,
ginni