Extreme gardeners, 'fess up: have you ever?

I actually could have voted almost every choice.

I voted that I'm not an extreme gardener. But I would say that I am not an extreme gardener - yet! I'm sure that as I learn more and do more in my own gardens, I will be one or more of the types listed above.

I to could of done more then one of these....The only one i don't think i have ever done was scatter seeds, but i have done the others.

Char

I would have to say that I have done every one of the listed. However I have probably pulled weeds more than any of the others. So that is what I answered. Stopped to inquire about a shrub in someone's yard once and came home with a St. Bernard puppy. That will teach me to go knocking on stranger's doors. BTW I got a clipping from the shrub too.

All of the above except knock on a stranger's door to ask about a plant.

melsalz:

That's a riot of a story!!

I didn't vote because there was no way to select more than one. The only thing I haven't done from the list was "Played Johnny Appleseed and randomly scattered seeds". So many of these darn seed mixes have noxious weeds in them and even if I was using my own seed it would be somebody else's property so that to me is about the same as leaving my cats out to roam or taking my dogs for a walk and letting them do their thing on somebody else's property- somebody would have to clean up after me. Barring that, I had to laugh because so many of the options were things me and my gardening friends do on a regular basis.

A long time ago there was a thread on dumpster diving. Quite a few of us found out the days big box stores dumped plants that didn't look good enough to be sold and went and took from the dumpsters... after hours. I was surprised at how many people were doing this, myself included. Pretty widespread practice. Some admitted to it in the thread while others admitted to it at RoundUps. I guess the consensus was that none of us could let a plant that only needed a little TLC go to the big dump in the ground!

Although I've done most of these things, I voted other because the one I do most frequently is knock on a stranger's door to ask if I can collect seeds from a plant, not just to ask about it :-) Nothing ventured, nothing gained - right?

Lol .. All of the above? I always carry plastic bags in my glove compartment and have no reservations about knocking on someones door and asking if I can harvest some seeds. I've never received a no!

This is my favorite time of year .. I am known as the Greenhurst Leaf Bandit. I'll drive around neighborhoods and take peoples bagged leaves that are on the curb for pickup. If I see someone out raking and their house isn't too far from mine, I'll offer to get up all their leaves (again never heard a no .. even made money once) go grab my lawnmower with the bag and mulch em right up. All my booty gets poured into my composting corner.

X

This message was edited Oct 1, 2007 10:09 AM

Knocked on a strangers door to enquire about there beautiful Lantanna it is 6 feet tall and at least that wide I have admired this plant for 4 years. The owner of the house said he wondered what that thing was it came with the house and he allowed me to take cuttings. My husband and kids were laughing hysterically in the car while hiding.

McDevitt the best part is knocking on strangers doors, and Joan30150 thats just what husbands do - hide when you do something adventurous then tell you you shouldn't do it, but jump in when something good happens.

LOL ~ I too voted other in lieu of ALL OF THE ABOVE.
OTH, I have never consider myself to be an "extreme" gardener. More like "eccentric"!

Texas spreads wildflower seeds on all the roadway ditches. Then, before the blooms can set seed, the state contracts mowing crews to slice and dice. So, I assist Ladybird by spreading more wildflower seeds that seem to do well in this area.

Top this, X...
I too carry bags in the door pocket, a folding shovel, shears and a collapsible rake. Am I ready or what. Sadly I also use the rake if I find someones beloved pet run over on the road. I will at least move them to the ditch if I don't know whose it is. I have also used the rake and garbage bags to harvest pinestraw for mulch. Ever the enterprising gardener... pod

I've rescued plants that fell off a nursery truck onto the side of the road. In fact, one of my largest palm trees was a 3 gallon rescued specimen that was dried up and nearly dead. It's now taller than most of my others. Sadly, I lost a couple of these large rescuees to hurricane Andrew.

I got several nice variegated arboricola that way as well. And browsing the nursery areas in south Florida is a virtual treasure trove - once I saw a pile (!) of discarded Orchid plants - can you believe it? I guess if an Orchid is not perfect, out it goes!

A favorite place to browse is the trash piles people leave in front of their houses for pickup. I've found nursery pots, discarded plants, and other treasures. From one pile I got a poor foxtail palm that had one or two sorry leaves; now it's about 12 feet tall with beautiful dark green foxtail fronds.

Extreme? Yes! And proud. The plants appreciate it!
LariAnn

ALL OF THE ABOVE for me too. (Other)

all of the above would be my answer!!!
this summer at the great wolf lodge the boyz were climbing the rock wall and i was weeding the putt putt golf area! LOL

All of the above except for seed scattering. You have to be a willing garden participant, and I would hate to have flowers grow where someone didn't want them.

Nearly all of the above, too. There is a raised bed by the walkway into the adult day-care center, it always needs to be weeded. I personally think it is left that way to help me take out a little frustration as I come and go. I now travel with film cannisters for collecting seeds. My neighbor has 2 bags of grass clippings sitting by the fence for me, he stopped putting them out at the street to save me coming to get them, lol. I don't scatter seeds, but I do give them away. One great place is new subdivisions, they are BARE and I love to go by to see my seeds/cuttings blooming next spring. My deadheading is usually limited to parking lots.

I haven't done any of the things the question mentions, but I did get up in a restaurant and get a water pitcher and water all the shriveling geraniums in the windows. The owner was away for an extended period and the help had simply forgotten the geraniums in all the windows. They were deeply chagrined when they realized what I was doing and why. They asked, "Are they in need?" I replied in the affirmative.
So maybe this does make me an extreme gardener.
Now that I think about it, I once had a friend stop her car so I could run in and ask the owner what the beautiful flowering tree in the shop's yard was. It was a kwanzan cherry and I have one, too now.
Maybe I am more extreme than I at first realized. My husband would definitely say so.

This message was edited Oct 1, 2007 8:17 AM

All of the above! Although I have rarely done the "Johnny Appleseed" style of sowing.
~*~ Suenell

All of the above! and more! Some of my fellow gardeners in South Florida have taught me the "art" of pruning and propagation to expand my growing garden. It's amazing how many plants you can find that would look better without a small clipping or a few seeds!
My father lived in Louisiana on Toledo Bend many years ago, and he was always complaining about not having any wild flowers on his property when the man across the lake from him had so many. My son and I bought a huge bag of wildflower seeds, stuffed them in our pockets and walked all over the property near the water dropping seeds as we walked. A couple of months later, he sent me pictures of the gorgeous flowers he had growing. He said the seeds must have blown over from his neighbor. To the day he died, it was a secret that made my son and me grin every time we saw flowers growing in strange places.

I have done almost all of those. Actually used to keep a sharshooter shovel and a roll of black trash bags in the truck all of the time.

I have a neighbor who never weeds. When her various weeds get too close to my yard, I take my dandelion digger and pry them out.

Donna

Bocaginger ~ GOOD for you and your son! 8 )

I am a compulsive deadheader. Can't seem to help myself. It must be in my blood, just like digging in the dirt and making things that are planted look as best they can.

Maggie

I've done all, except tracking down a person I have to admit.
(and it's been fun!)
My husband has actually gotten used to me doing these things.

I've done most everything except knock on doors. (Too shy)). For seed scattering, though, nothing beats standing in the middle of a field (or parking lot) on a windy, sunny day in fall and having a milkweed seed pod release. The seeds with their fringed "hairs" look like little ballerinas - and sometimes go off into the big wide world holding "hands". I have to confess that long ago I would liven up my boring fall drive home from work by wedging a split milkweed pod under my wind shield wiper and see how long it took the little guys and girls inside to find their way out while I was driving.

i have done all of this and more. policemen have been involved with some of my plant escapades.

I've never knocked on a strangers door to inquire about a plant, but have had it happen to me many times...and I hate it!
I have a very large dog who thinks his sole purpose in life is to keep the rest of the world away from me, so when he sees these inquiring strangers, he goes nuts!
What worse is to look out the window and find strangers roaming your gardens, stepping through flower beds, etc...



This message was edited Oct 1, 2007 11:45 AM

Not extreme gardening, but walking home from the bus stop, I had to chat with the elderly lady who was tending her magnificent daylily garden. She was so happy to find a young gardener to share her plants, and I was the recipient of MANY for the three years that I lived in that neighborhood. God bless Mrs. Rosenbaum!

Well, again, there needed to be 'all of the above, or 'other'. I have done all of the above except try to contact the homestead owner.

Once I stopped on the side of the state highway to dig up some wild phlox. The State Trooper came by going the other way. My mom started telling me I better get in the car... Just as I was pulling away, he came over the hill, and followed me all the way to the interstate, which was about 20 miles..... and, yes, my heart was in my throat!!!

Yes, all of the above would have been my choice.

All of the above here, as well. Only I must admit to misdemeanor theft for taking cuttings from properties for sell -- only once, and it turned out for the best. A house near my home was up for sale. I had greatly admired the Cherokee Roses that completely covered the fence and bloomed gloriously in the Spring. I came in at dusk one evening to get some cuttings. I was met by some people on the way out that were interested in buying the house. I managed to mumble some excuse as to why I was there taking plants but otherwise had no connection with the house.

When the house sold, the new owners ripped out all the Cherokee Roses.

A few years later, I ran into a friend that I hadn't seen in many years in a local grocery store. As it turned out, he had been the former owner of the house with the Cherokee Roses. He told the story of how he had climbed to the top of a tall oak tree to get some cuttings from the rose when he had found it in the wild. He was very sad that the roses had been chopped down and never returned. "Never mind," I was able to tell him. "I have some of your roses and can get you some cuttings started." Several of the rooted Cherokee Roses now sit in pots in my backyard. This note reminds me I need to go around the corner and reunite them with their progenitor.

So, was it theft, or just the "mysterious ways of wonders?"

This survey comes at a very coincidental time as well because I was up to 4 AM last night cranking out an article titled "True Confessions of a Gardening Addict" for the new articles feature on DG. Some of your stories above make me wonder if there are not enough of us to form a 12th Step Recovery Program for plantaholics. My problem is, "if there is a cure for this, I don't want it!"

Jeremy

You mean you're supposed to pick just one? Ha!

Jeremy, interesting comments. I like to read posts where someone tells how they rescued something!

And I can tell you, many of us in here could use a 12-step program for our plantalcoholicism. But I don't think even a 12-step could help us.

all of the above here too......

Yeah, Dave. Where's the "All of the above!" choice in your survey?
I'm guilty of everything in that list!!!

How bout stopping on the roadside in the middle of nowhere to dig up indiegnious flowers? I'm alwys being teased about my 'plant napping' habits. Before DH passed away, my cousin used to call him my get-way driver because he alwsy drove me everywhere...especialy out in the middle of nowhere!

Similar to the story of the rose plant napping, I went to the house where my dad was raised as a boy and 'rescued' some plants that were being killed by other bushes. Several months ago, the old homestead burned down. Now I have the only tangible reminders left from my dad's boyhood home...some of the amaryllis (of progeny thereof) that his mother planted some 60+ years ago.

I had a hard time voting - I have done ALL of the above too LOL

BamaBelle yes to the flower poaching here... http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/754387/
My getaway driver won't stop so I go back later.