My biggest garden challenge is too [ __what ?__ ]

Too little of a greenhouse. I'm in complete zone denial and each season I stuff my 16 x 24 greenhouse to the gills. Must build another one I suspect!!!

Begoniacrazii, It isn't zone denial. You are planting for global warming!

Too little land! Apartments are not terribly conducive to gardening.

Too many gophers! Or maybe it's just one really hungry one...either way there's too many!

Too much rain, cloudy days, mud from the October flood, too little time.....

Too many weeds, not enough time to get rid of them all.
Too much sun, not enough time to grow trees tall enough.
Too little $ to do what I'd like to in my yard.

Too little health and too little independence, too many BIG IDEAS and no grip on reality! LOL!

to much sun, not very good soil, many weeds and no time (have examenscoming up)
what a combination! LOL imagine how the arden looks like ;o))))

I voted the last choice........

too little good soil (have KY clay + poor drainage)

too many weeds (can't keep up with the 'little buggers')

too little time

too few beds

too hot (between Spring - Fall)

too humid

too muggy

not enough breeze/wind to cool me when I'm outside

not enough birds singing to keep me company when I'm gardening

not enough energy (myself)

not enough money (for plants and gardening supplies)

not enough Salvias to buy

not enough Agastaches to buy

not enough 'good' companies to offer those plants (locally or mailorder)

not long enough growing season for Salvias

health keeps me from doing more (and wanting to do more) gardening

lol, I'll have to think of more to add later......

Marilyn









This message was edited Apr 23, 2007 3:06 PM

Let's see...too much rain, too much shade, heavy clay soil, and not enough money (especially the last one!)

Too much bad and not enough of the good. Weeds, weeds, weeds, they are everywhere.

Bad soil? What soil. Actually, we grow very good rocks here in the Ozarks.

too little money

Since I like woodland type shrubs like azaleas, camellias, hydrangeas, etc, I'd say I have too much sun. Most of my large trees are on the east side of my yard (for now). I wished it were the other way around. I couldn't care less about a lawn, I'd get rid of all of the grass if I could.

too small of a yard and have power lines across it limiting tree size.

Too few beds (or space). I have a serious case of CHAD.

too little WATER! I pray for rain. I try watering but my water bill gets waay too high... I hve a tiny yard and over $150 per month is a lot for me. I also have trouble getting enough water to some areas without over watering others. Things dry out overnight.

I am in West TExas

Tammie

Other. Too much age, too little strength, too much ambition.

Ann

Clay Soil...too few beds, too many weeds, need more time and energy. I've been suffering 'withdrawal' because my beds are full and I don't have room for more.

What a topic!

I live on an island = sand, sand and more sand
One hugantic Live Oak in the front yard = too much shade
Not enough trees in back = too much sun
Drought - hurricanes - tropical storms = WooHooooo, flooding
Too H-O-T, Humid, Muggy and not enough breezes between April and October (could be as late as November or December depending on the year)

Did I mention sand? Oh and weeds, doesn't matter what you use/do. We have weeds. Lots of weeds.

Moles, even with cats, mole trails all over the lawn. Sand everywhere.

Sand, sand, sand sand sand sand sand

Too steep - the property that is. Add to that the clay soil = sore muscles and frustration. Why do I keep doing it????

too many darn squirrels and rabbits! It's a war every year to keep them out of my garden. Last year the squirrels destroyed my corn crop and I had over 60 ears of silver queen corn!!!!

I read all this and it makes me think i really don't have it too bad, i really am quite lucky.

I forgot to mention FIREANTS!!!!!!!!!

We have a few issues to work with....we moved into this house late last September so I did not have a chance to garden here last year.

We have a quarter acre that the past owner divided into 2 back sections straight across the middle parallel to the back of the house with a picket fence / open gate in the middle. The fence is awesome for glories and such and very cute.....but....he then placed two, too narrow 10 foot long planter boxes in the back half. Well, the lot is shaded by trees on 3 sides and the back half does NOT get enough sun where the boxes are so they are kind of useless. There is a monster of a fig tree and new orange, lemon and peach trees that will soon make the area even more shady. We don't want to chop too much because we are in the city and love the country feel of the trees.

We also have hard as a rock soil in some areas and the back of the house faces North so that whole stretch is very moist and shady...thank God for ferns and Hostas....

I have spent DAYS and HOURS trimming and thinning trees to give them shape and to allow more sun to filter through...we will see if it helps.

So, we are doing a lot of half wine barrel planting this year....luckily we are both around and have very flexible schedules to do a lot...but there is also never enough time.....we will see....

Too many rocks!!! Really BIG ones that you can't dig up, and even if you could, you can't lift 'em!

Hey, GiddyMoon, I used to live in Carmichael, on Marconi Avenue--I miss it!! Wanna trade places? LOL

This message was edited Apr 26, 2007 6:59 PM

I love the shade of the big trees but one of my biggest problems is the compacting and root competition that they give my other plants.

I choose "too much sun" because here in the Southwest, the sun kills. But the sun is not the only problem. Excessive heat in the summer is another major problem and also caliche in the soil. And oh yeah, desert = very dry. We only got about a quarter inch of rain so far this year.

too much rain too much snow too much cold

I am thinking too lazy. I have all these plans and plants and then....my follow through is not good.

Too much wisteria! Wisteria hysteria! It is everywhere.

I live in a garden apartment. Too little space and too many rules!

I have learned to deal with too much sun, shade, crummy soil, non-existant drainage, drought, rainy season, and most everything else. I found I can find something suitable that I like for just about every square inch in my yard. I just haven't figured out how to put more hours in the day or days in the week to get them all planted.

Too much wife.

If it were up to her,there would be no garden. I have to fight for every square inch of it.

Weather challenges probably.
Many do not have enough time. Before retirement it seemed the days were an hour too short. Now that I am retired [and older], it seems the days are an hour too long.!!

Too many ideas regarding flower gardening. They always look good on paper, but when it comes to taking them and making them my own, I can't do it. Now, ideas for someone else's garden is a bit easier.

I can't complain too much on the veggie garden side. Lots of compost and horse poop has really helped the soil. I get enought light during the day (as long as DH doesn't plant a tree too close to the garden! LOL), and I'm able to get about and work in it, which I wasn't able to do as well a few years ago.

Indy - you are saying you have too much time???? I sure wish I could borrow you!

I need more time. I'm so ready to retire so I can putter instead of sprint to get the
weeds pulled and grass mowed. So much to do I can hardly get to the fun stuff around
here!

Tam

My biggest challenge is TIME! Becoming a sahm vs working for a paycheck seems to leave me even LESS time than I had before. Plans are always in the works though. =)

Skaz, I'm with you...my DH hates the garden and throws a fit every time I cut out more lawn to make more garden. ;-) Tamara

Too little space for me... I live in an urban townhouse and my garden space is 18'x12' and half of that is a patio. At the family cottage, we have ten acres, but I'm not there during the week, and not even all weekends, and there are deer, rabbits, groundhogs, voles...

I do a lot of container gardening to solve both problems. And in town, I've volunteered to do 'some' landscaping/planting around the community centre near my dwelling. They have no idea what they're in for, as I gradually comandeer the whole space and go crazy with my own garden agenda. *evil grin*

Just realized I didn't even mention the Canadian winter! I love all of the four seasons and I just cope with what we get. Part of the challenge.