Gardening?

[londonteatime]

Does anyone like to garden? I find it very therapeutic! I can't do any of the heavy stuff, of course, but I love to pick out the plants and figure out where to put everything. My son has to do the big digging and turn over the earth for me.

I bought some starter kits, soil and seeds at the dollar store a few days ago for pots and a little vegetable/herb patch. I planted tomato, green pepper, eggplant, zinnia and forget-me-not seeds. I hope they work! My son is coming home this weekend for Spring Break and I'm going to have him cultivate the areas so I can treat them for weeds in preparation for planting.

I did plant some rose bushes this week, though! I watered the area well two days before i planted so the dirt was really soft and easy to dig up. It worked!!! I hope the roses do well!

Puttering around with my plants for about an hour every day really lifts my spirits! I'd love to hear from y'all about your gardens and any good ideas you might have!

Julie

[Tom]

Hi Julie,

Every year my wife does the same thing. She picks out plants, trees, etc. and then I have to plant them! :rolleyes:

Then springtime when everything blooms, it's all worth it. :)

[rwb200]

I love my Graden and dearly miss it in the winter when all I can do is set and plan for the next season.
Every year it gets a little bigger and I find more and more to do.
We have had Potaoesand Onions all winter that I grew in my garden last year. We can tomatoes, freeze peas, corn, green beans, carrots and other items.A little work saves us a bunch and is great stress relief for me.

Last year I had a 20'X40' vegtable garden and the flower areas grow and change yearly as well.
This year I would like to redo alot of the landscaping around the house. May not get it all done but it is a goal.
Just to keep in the spirit I'm attaching a picture I hope to see soon here in Ohio

[Lily]

I love my garden, it's very therapeutic. I am getting read to mulch everything here once the autumn leaves start falling, its less work in spring/summer for me then.

I also have pots and bulbs on my verandah, I plant according to season and that way I can enjoy them and not have to get outside in the heat. The plants outside in the garden are well established so there's less work there now.

Theres a section at the back of the house which is part natural rainforest with a few added rainforesty things like ferns in there from me :) I have a table and chairs out there so I can sit in the shade and cool in summer. I also have a big old oak tree out the front surrounded by rhodendrons and I sit in there during the summer months. Lots of shade here now our garden has grown up. A lupies paradise :) :)

I reintroduced my love of houseplants too and there's a sunny corner in the dining room choc a bloc with palms and other plants............dd says its a jungle in there :lol: but hey I feel at home :p

love
Lily



love
Lily

[londonteatime]

You be careful, Tom!! Don't overdo!! I hope you have lots of lovely flowers this spring!

rwb, your flowers are really pretty!!! That's a nice photo!!! This is my first veggie garden and I hope it works out! Growing my own will help stretch my SSD!

Lily, your rainforest retreat sounds like a piece of heaven!!! And I'll bet your houseplants are beautiful! Seeing a little bit of work grow and bloom is so wonderful!

Julie

[ALWIN]

Hi all,
I love gardening too.

I love the way new plants arrive and old ones 'move' as they self-seed. My garden is more or less North facing on a steep slope with established trees that cast a lot of shade in summer! Not the best site in the chilly north of England.

When we moved in 3 years ago there were no flowers - just lots of neglected trees, a tangle of gnarled shrubs, saplings, some poorly rhododendrons, a few ferns and old discarded branches littering the area. It was dark and dank, but in spring I found there were bluebells under a copper beech and some snow drops in the 'lawn' (large patch of moss).

After 3 years of swapping, buying, splitting and scrounging plants, today my garden is sporting a variety Hellebores in full bloom, thousands of clumps of snowdrops scattered randomly, crocuses, daffodils, narcissi, and tulips - and the bluebells are coming up where ever I transplanted them.

I had to cut down a few trees which were diseased, & paid a tree surgeon to crown lift the established trees (with the proper consent) and now get some light coming through under the branches in summer. This means I can grow my favorite cottage garden type plants in some areas.

Unfortunately the rain made a wall collapse a couple of months ago - the area I planted last year is under a big pile of stone, so I'll have to start again. The insurance company are playing silly beggars about paying up for it to be repaired. They have a shorter measuring tape than us, so think it'll be ok to pay for a shorter wall than the one that collapsed! Fortunately my husband is a dab hand at 'persuasion' and heavy duty letter-writing, so each week their tape measure is 'growing.'

I planted redcurrants, blackcurrants, rhubarb and gooseberries as soon as we moved in and was able to make many pounds of jam & jelly last year which I gave out in Kilner jar packs of 3 for Christmas presents with homemade labels and cloth lids. Still have some Rowan berries in the freezer. I have a cooking apple and a damson waiting to go into the ground this year, but have not decided where best to put them yet.

HOT TIP:
When I reduce clumps of easy to grow/vigorous plants I put them at the side of the road with a sign saying 'free to collector' instead of putting them in the compost bin. As a result many people have come by with plants for me when they have done the same - I got lots of peony tubers, 2 roses, elephants ears and some fancy grasses last summer!

I often pick up plants at the pound shops, and nothing has died yet. I also find mail order plug plants good value for money, but I find other gardeners so generous I only need to buy special plants.

The garden keeps me motivated when I am ill - if I can't go out and do a job I can plan when, where and how so that when I am ill I can make best use of my time. In return the garden provides constant goals and rewards.

Happy gardening everybody.

Alwin

[Clare.T]

I would love to have a garden and be able to see 'my' plants growing.
It is a form of nurturing and represents future promise. This time of year is so hard for me- I would go wild buying everything in sight and feel thrilled as every day some plant started sprouting up again but I have no garden and can't garden now anyway because I am too stiff and fat - if I get down I can't get up again and bending down does a number on my back.

So I have to make do with house plants and cut flowers, other people's gardens the few that are left round here, and enjoying other people's accounts of their gardens, despite the pangs of envy.

I suppose I get some garden type pleasure from painting flowers too.
I tend the geraniums on a long window shelf on the staircase of our building and hope to get some containers with other sorts of heat enjoying plants. It faces west and with the increasingly warm summers it's like a glass house.

But the old fashioned cool climate plants really are the most delightful to my mind, aquilegia, solomon's seal, sweet peas the little plants that grow in stone walls ....... I am miserying myself so I'll stop.

I sold my little house in Northumberland and regret it now.
Cheers all the same
Clare

[ALWIN]

Londonteatime
You will never have to grow or plant forget-me-nots ever again if you get them going - they self-seed brilliantly! Good luck with all your 'babies'.

rwb200
I grew spuds last year and every single one was full of slugs or slug holes. Undetered I peeled and used them - until my son went puce and showed me a boiled slug in his mashed potato! Poor lad - I almost killed myself laughing because I was embarased, but he felt really poorly. Do your gnomes have names??

Tom
Please will you be my husband? The one I've got thinks all gardens should be covered with a layer of concrete!

Lily
'Part natural rainforest' - it's a different world, it really is! If you ever get chance please, please send a picture - I can't even begin to imagine what that must look like.

So sorry Clare
I do know how you feel. I didn't have a garden anywhere I lived until the house before this. As a child I looked after my mum and dad's garden because they weren't interested.

I eventually got a rented house with a garden, but left it when I moved in with my husband. He refused to move into my house because it was only rented. He had a 2 up 2 down 'garden fronted' terraced house with a cat toilet for a back yard. The garden was almost exactly the same size as a coffin and I planted and tended it like it was an acre sized field. Put grow bags with tomatoes in back yard even though I knew we would never eat them because of the cats. I do like cats, but can't deal with cat poo everywhere.

My mother told my husband it would be a bad move to take me away from my garden and she was right. I always felt something was missing, but I immersed myself in work and sometimes read books about specific plants - especially the poisonous ones, how they came to be used in medicine, the uses of different herbs, etc. Now I have one again it will take an awful lot to make me leave. Since I began to struggle I have actually planned an extension from our freezing cellar so that if I cannot do the steps I can live on the ground floor and potter out to the flat bit nearest the house!

You are right about 'future promise' - that's exactly what I get from it - didn't realise until I read that.

I would love to be able to paint plants and flowers, but my past attempts at painting have seen me produce child-like blobs that are unrecognisable to anybody but myself.

If it's any consolation at all, I too am getting too fat and stiff to bend, and stooping cripples my back and gives me a headache. A few weeks ago I slipped and my head on a step broke my fall. I just sat there crying like a great big baby as if it was the end of the world, but it feels like that when I am asked to consider moving house again.

Big hug.

Alwin

[neongirl]

I love to garden:lol: I have several rose bushes, clematis, two types of ivy, many lillies (I have a few that I hybridized myself), 3 large patches of tulips, several hardy lavender bushes, bleeding hearts,daffodils,double holly hocks etc.. My favorite plant is a russian terragon, it smells incredible after a rain:) I try to water and weed in the morning and evening so as to avoid the strongest sun, it is great therapy.

[belladonna]

I like to garden too. :bigsmile: Most of my yard is shade. I have a wish list for this year started already. I would like more white flowers cause they look so nice at night when a moon is out. Right now there is still a ton of snow here… I don’t like snow, cause it means I can’t garden. :p
I wish I could grow a wider range and have rhododendrons and wisteria, but I’m zone 4 – not quite 5, and they just won’t make it over winter. :sad: I have a small veggie patch, but there is really too much shade for the tomatoes. I have to find a better place for them this year.
I have a wild flower garden as well, but no pictures of it yet. I did do a lot of work in it last year though, so it should look much better this year. Most of my garden is perennials and plants that self seed, but I have a few bulbs and tubers as well.

I have a few pictures…
First is a young hosta and fern garden with a small ‘frog pool’ I made from our old bathtub. The birds, chipmunks and squirrels like it too. I don’t care much for the squirrels, (hubby calls them ‘tree rats’), but the chipmunks are adorable!
Next is a bit of the back yard with a piece of our little swimming pool, and a tiny corner of veggie garden on the right.
Here is a close shot of a bit from the front yard,
Last is more of the front.

[ALWIN]

Good grief Belladonna!
Your garden looks magnificent!!!

I'm going to keep going back to your pics, because my garden is mainly shade, but my perennials are not as big as yours. It looks like you have cone flowers or similar growing in the shade - I thought they needed a lot of sun! I lost mine last year - perhaps soil too wet over winter. Your hostas look really healthy too. Mine get eaten alive by slugs.

Wonder what madonna lilies would do for your garden - white, after all ...

Neongirl
You have similar plants to me, but I can't grow lavendar here - it's just oo dark in summer and wet/cold in winter - I have a lot of clay. It is gradually breaking down with lots of mulching and winter digging, but I shan't be doing anymore of that.

I love clematis - stick 'em in where ever I can. Not too sure I'd get away with lilies here, but I might do a bit of research because I do like them.

I don't know what russian tarragon is like (another to look up), but I've got tonnes of bleeding heart - it thrives here and the leaves are beautiful. I have found aconite is happy in the shade, but I've put it at the back of a border becasue it's so poisonous.

Thanks for posting

Alwin

[londonteatime]

Beautiful, Belladonna!!!!! What a treasure your garden is!!! It must bring a huge smile to your face every morning when you look out at it!

Alwin, that is really good news about the forget-me-nots! I have a chalky white fountain featuring baby Poseidon riding on a dolphin and I am planting the forget-me-nots in a circle around the fountain. The funny part is I was looking for some white flowers to provide contrast and picked seed packets called Gypsophila Covent Garden. I had no idea that was the technical name for Baby's Breath, LOL! I'm delighted, though -- now I'll have roses and baby's breath in my garden!

Awwwww, Clare, I hope you can do some container gardening! Maybe a little herb garden in your kitchen, too? There are so many beautiful gardens and parks in London to enjoy, I'm envious there!!!!

I am really enjoying reading about everyone's gardens! This is fun!!! :p

Julie

[londonteatime]

I forgot to ask y'all about composting. I really don't want an unsightly bin or compost pile in my yard as I have dogs and, this being Texas, we do have a plethora of wildlife about, such as coyotes, feral pigs, etc. I live in the country, on the outskirts of the city.

Anyhoo, I'm trying an experiment of sorts. I put a layer of soil and bits of dried grass and straw in a rectangular plastic bin and I'm adding my kitchen scraps to it -- no meat, carbs or dairy but just tea bags, coffee grounds, crushed egg shells, and veggie scraps. The bin has a tight lid and I'm setting it next to the window in the sun. Do you think it will work?

I'm hoping the microbes in the soil will break it down. I don't want to put worms in the bin because I'm worried my dogs' curiosity might get the best of them someday, LOL. I really don't need rubbish and worms on my floor!!!

Julie

[ALWIN]

No idea Julie -
I have 5 conventional composting bins with tight lids & no bottoms set onto the soil. I put too much twiggy stuff in with same type of waste as you, plus grass clippings. Have not turned the contents, so they have not worked properly - intend to do same when next feel energetic - that means I'll do 1 per day with many tea breaks! That should finish them off in a couple of months.

I remember my mum using a normal plastic rubbish bin with its bottom intact and a tight lid in a warm part of her patio. It produced a foul smelling liquid and a bit of sludge, but she said it was a good fertilizer. Smelled abominable!
Locally, people put comfrey and even dandelion leaves in bins of water with a weight on top to keep the leaves under the water. This too produces a stinking brew that is a very good fertiliser.

Either way, the old fashioned build 'em yourself big enough to climb into to turn always seem to work best.

Your idea iwth the fountain and the forget-me-nots sounds great, and what could be more lovely than roses and gypsophilia? (another plant I can't grow)

Talking about dogs & wrigglies ...
One of my friends took in a pair of boxer dogs. One was deaf, & they didn't want the pair separated as the deaf one followed the other everywhere, and they were good buddies. Anyway, after 2 weeks the boxers were gone.

I asked her what happened and she said they were in the habit of running into the garden and racing back only to drop snails on the kitchen floor. When when they had amassed a small pile they both started to tuck in crunching and slobbering all over the place ... YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEUUUKKKKKKK!
I afraid she was too house proud to keep them.

I would have loved them.

Alwin

[belladonna]

Thanks Alwin and londonteatime. :)

Most of my shade is from trees not buildings, so some light gets threw, but the sunniest parts only get about 2 or, 2 and a half hrs. of sun a day. Many of my plants would do better if they had more sun, but I plant what ever will make it through the winter, or self seed. :wink2:

I had 15 years to work on my garden, and it was very nice. :) It started small, and expanded a bit more every year. Then I moved away for 6 years, and had to rent the place out. :sad: When I moved back, I found the garden had gone mostly to weed, and had been mostly mowed out. (Yes, with a lawn mower!) :eek: I sat and cried, and then I started over again. :shrug:

This time it was much easier in some ways, cause I new in advance what would grow where, and the soil I left was still there, I just had to turn it and add more manure. (When I first moved here it was 100% sand, (I live near a beach), with about 3 inches of very acidic oak, pine, and rotted maple leaves on top, so I brought in some soil and manure, and even some clay, a bit more every year till I had enough.) I was also able to bring some plants from my other garden back here, (yes I started another one when we moved), so I had a bit of a head start, and it’s beginning to take shape again. Bit by bit. :)

It’s harder in some ways though, because I cannot do as much as I use to, because of Lupus and CTD. I do all my gardening now after dark, (sometimes till morning). :hehe: I go slow, and I never, never, work in it more than once or twice a week or I risk getting to sick to move for days. :stretcher:

My hubby bought me a great garden lamp that I can move around with me, and last year, my sister in law gave me a huge box of Christmas lights that I put in the pines around the bathtub pond, (over the hostas in front yard).

It is so wonderful at night in the garden now because of all those soft lights, and the small bathtub pond and some wind chimes in the trees make lovely soft noises. It makes me very happy, just to sit out there with my radio. I think that I need my garden almost as much as I need to paint. Gardening, painting, and my super terrific family, keeps me going, and keeps me grateful. :calm: I really have everything I need right here, right now.

[belladonna]

I forgot to mention my favorite garden tool. It’s called, “The Garden Claw”. I can’t shovel anymore, (and no one else in the family is really into gardening), so Hubby bought me this garden claw thingy. With it, I can still turn dirt and loosen weeds. It’s tall, so you can lean on it as you go, and there is no lifting involved, just a turning motion. It’s much easier that trying to shovel, and way less strain.
:)

Here is a link so you can see what one looks like. (no, I don't work for these people, I just think it's a good product.)
:wink2:

http://www.gardenclaw.com/

[neongirl]

Gosh Belladonna that is awesome, and nice and shady too! Can I come to your house and play in your garden?:lol: :rotfl: :lol:
Alwin, My condolences on the clay soil, it is a bit much to dig around in. Snail dogs, Hillarious! If your neighbor would have videod them, she could have made a nice sum on one of those tv shows I'm sure:lol:
Question for all: Do any of you wear those rubber garden clog shoes, I think they are called "crocs". If so are they easy to clean, and do the soles, mainly the heel pick up all kinds of rocks and dirt clods etc. and become lodged in the shoes? I'm considering buying the brightes pair my eyes can stand to look at if they are functional. Also, I plant my garden in part to attract Humming birds, do any of you have feeders for them too? About what time of year do they show up where you are located? I expect to see some here late March to early April.8)

[SandraPat]

Belladonna,

Your yard is GORGEOUS!!!!!:) :) I live in hot sun Florida, so I am limited in planting. Lots of flowers require full sun, but very few pretty ones tolerate draught. We are limited on irrigation, so I don't plant a lot. I have a front fence lined with shrubs that produce yellow blooms for most of the year. I don't even know what they are. Hibiscus is a good one for here, and roses. Ferns and lilies do pretty well outside if they are in semi-shaded areas. I'm not a name remembering person, so I can't even give the names of most of what I have. The side fence is covered in a vine that has a super fragrance bloom all summer. Darn, I wish I could tell you the name of it. :sad: It's one of my favorites. Marigolds do really well here. I hate weeding, and I aggravate arthritis when I try. Thank goodness for mulch!

[SandraPat]

I remembered!:lol: -----Jasmine!

[ALWIN]

Hi Belladonna

My sis-in-law uses the garden claw here in the uk cos she has a very bad back and she likes it as much as you.

I do also indulge in plants that self seed, multiply fast, and survive a 'temperate' climate. Unfortunately, I also plant very close and mulch to reduce weeding, & worry that the claw might disturb the roots of my plants. Also, I struggle to use my hands/wrists sometimes and thought I would have to use a twisting motion with the claw, but perhaps you know better. Do you think it will be ok for me to use?

My garden shade is cast by trees too, but my house is a lot higher than my garden and is 3 storey at the back. Because my garden is built on a north facing slope (downwards), by lunch time the house casts a huge shaddow, but the sun shines brightly on the drive (!).

It's odd, because I have planted things I know will be unhappy and put up with sickly specimens of favourites (gardeners are so optimistic) but my roses don't seem to mind having fairly dappled sun even though the sun has gone completely by about 1pm.

It is reassuring to know how much time and effort you have put in to get your garden looking the way it does. To me, the best gardens look quite natural, and I find this look takes proper planning, but is rewarding in terms of reduced labour once established. I have a mixture of 'natural' and formalish areas, but all are in their infancy because I have only been here for 3 years and the whole plot was dead apart from neglected trees - like an empty forest floor (though 'forest' is far too grand a word - we don't tend to have massive gardens in the uk, because land is at such a premium - many have actually sold gardens to developers to put houses on - it is a great shame)
I think some of the sycamore trees might be around 80 - 100 years old.

I have been toying with the idea of 'planting' some small ponds (using any recyled containers sunk into the ground because I like to recycle) to attract more frogs to eat my slugs - I love frogs.

l have been too defeatist for the last 6 months, and your pictures have filled me with renewed determination. l'm going to jolly well get on with it this year.

Thank you so much for reminding me what it is all about and helping me to 'buck up.'

I often garden 'till late in the summer by repeatedly returning to the security lights to trigger them.

What does everybody use to keep biting pests like midges at bay in the summer?

I put a jumbo sized citronella joss stick in the back of my sun visor last year and spent the evening swatting the midges off my shoulders. When I got inside I realised I had not been swatting any midges - the joss stick ashes had been burning tiny holes in my fleece!

My husband got me on film bodding about in the dark with a little orange glow bobbing about my head and me slapping my shoulders from time to time.

They just don't understand ...

Alwin

[ALWIN]

Neongirl

Humming birds ... humming birds - I would think I'd died and gone to heaven if we had humming birds in Lancashire! To feed a humming bird - WOW! (That was a shout - sorry)

Alwin

[ALWIN]

Neongirl

Sorry forgot to say ...

If you get some crocs, I would like to know if they are slippery on a wet surface.

I always slip and fall over if I go into my garden in wellies and assume that crocs will have similar soles. I use walking boots and they are a nuisance when I'm in and out all the time cos they take ages to relace, and as a consequence I keep filthying my carpets cos get fed up of taking them off.

Alwin

[belladonna]

Neongirl - Everyone is welcomed to come and play in my garden. I even have a section with a sweet playhouse, a tire swing, and a bonfire pit for roasting marshmallows and hot dogs.
I had a humming bird in the garden last year, but he was too fast to get a picture.
:o
SandraPat - We have plenty of water here, it’s our long cold winters that are the biggest problem. I would LOVE to be able to grow Jasmine!!! I can't get lavender to grow here either and it's a shame cause they small so nice!
:cloud9:
Alwin - The garden claw is more of a problem for my elbows than my hands, (I have thick leather garden gloves that help a lot). I just plant my feet, grip the handles, push the claw in with my foot, keep my back straight, and turn at the waist. I'm good for maybe an hour and a half if I go slow and take breaks. Clay can be tough though… I do have some trouble with just clay, cause I can’t push the claw down into it when it’s very hard and dry!
:sigh:
- I’m sure the frogs my little tub attracts do keep the slugs down cause I don’t see that many. I got a small pump for the tub as well to keep the water moving, and I put some flat stones down into it like steps so the critters can get in and out ok. The sides of the tub are very smooth.)
:worried:
- (I would be tempted to move the driveway.)

- I have been using, "Deep Woods Off", for the bugs, but I'm going to try Avon "Skin So Soft" this year. People have told me that it works, and it's way less toxic.
:wink2:
I had a humming bird in the garden last year, but he was too fast for me to get a picture.
:p

[belladonna]

Hi Belladonna
My husband got me on film bodding about in the dark with a little orange glow bobbing about my head and me slapping my shoulders from time to time.

They just don't understand ...
Alwin

That's great! :hehe:
Here's an old chinese proverb that might help them understand...

"If you want to be happy for an hour, get drunk.
If you want to be happy for 3 days, get married.
If you want to be happy for 8 days, kill your pig and eat it.
If you want to be happy forever, make a garden."
:bigsmile:

(P.S. I'll have to add Madona Lilies to my wish list. They would be truly beautiful in the moon light!)
:wiggle:

[Paulin46]

I have a few pictures…
First is a young hosta and fern garden with a small ‘frog pool’ I made from our old bathtub. The birds, chipmunks and squirrels like it too. I don’t care much for the squirrels, (hubby calls them ‘tree rats’), but the chipmunks are adorable!
Next is a bit of the back yard with a piece of our little swimming pool, and a tiny corner of veggie garden on the right.
Here is a close shot of a bit from the front yard,
Last is more of the front.


Bella, you have a nice peice of property. It looks very private, like a retreat. Very nice.

[Bemetrius]

My daughter and I plant mammoth sunflowers and allisium every year they are easily to look after and they grow fast.. her is pic of our garden..
Of course the hubby does the digging and soil for us...

We have plans for a memorial garden for my mother (199eight)and grandmother (1996)and our uncle who passed away sept 06.. It will be great to have a place to remember them by flowers and trees...We will put in a fountain...

http://www.geocities.com/breburey/001.jpg

B

[Lily]

:wink2: Hi everyone,

Your gardens are lovely :) A garden should be a place to retreat and feel calm, I know I use mine for that very purpose!

I'll have to hone my photography skills and take some pics, or better still get DD to take some ;)

We've had a very hot dry summer but we're finally getting some rain, so things are starting to look much better.

The best thing I've discovered for biting bugs is something called Neem Oil, it comes from the Neem tree :hehe: obviously :lol: and you can buy it commercially over here at some outlets. A friend introduced me to it recently and it works a treat to deter them, is totally non toxic. Not only that, if you have managed to get bitten it takes the itch and sting or annoyance out too.

We have lots of birds (living so close to the bush) and we have a lot of native plants to encourage them over here, it works :) Because of the recent rain we now have frogs back up here whereas before I could only hear them in the distance near the creek in the property next door. I thought about putting a pond in but I'm afraid it would encourage snakes when we have a dry spell. We actually had a frog in the kitchen the other night :lol: I think my place is so user friendly by the native wildlife they feel at home inside and out :lol:

Living in the country we get to see all sides of nature, good and not so good but I guess the snakes have to live somewhere :eek: As long as the grass is kept down I rarely see one. I do have some little geckos that inhabit my front garden and they sit on the verandah and I can feed them, and the occassional blue tongue lizard outside (they love snails - so consequently I love them) although not the time one got inside the house when the temp outside was too much for him :eek: everyone in chat knows about that episode :wink2:

We had a tawny frogmouth owl that was hurt and I nursed him for 24hrs but had to hand him over to the local wildlife refuge people...........they restored his health and brought him back and set him free here nearly two months later. He took off and we havent seen him since, I guess our yard holds bad memories for him :) ;) but there is another one that has moved in and I often hear him at night in the oak tree out front.

The autumn colours are starting up here, its one of my favourite times of year along with spring :)

love
Lily

[ALWIN]

Thanks to all ...

for advice about bug repellants. I'm going to get the Avon cream cos a lot of people in the uk have mentioned it to me, but I've never tried it. I will keep my eyes peeled (horrid saying when you really think about it) for the others too.

I am truly grateful that we don't have any snakes - I remember there were adders when we lived in the south of England because there was a brief article in the local newspaper about a lady picking one up to show her children (??). She then poked her tongue out at it so it bit her tongue and she had to be rushed to casualty! What a twit! Mind you - we've all done twitty things.

I like the proverb, and will display it in my kitchen. It will probably convince my family I'm going screwy, but who cares? I prefer the word eccentric (?spelling)

Bemetrius: I loved the pictures of your garden and giant sunflowers. I have forced my youngest son to plant sunflowers for the last 2 years so that if they look weedy, I can just say my little boy planted them. He tries to enjoy it, but would honestly prefer to use them as goal posts. It was ok when he was under 9 years. My eldest two only like the garden when they can have friends over in a tent.

We have a garden festival every year in the village and if you choose to participate you get a sign to put up at your gate and visitors to the village get a map showing all the gardens that are open to visitors. There are many categories of garden, unusual planter, or themed scare crow competitions which you can enter and there are prizes for adult and child entries.

Last year the theme was music. Somebody made a scarecrow Adam, and fixed to their house wall were several 2 ft Ants made out of wire and black polythene. Another house had Mary Poppins clinging to the outside top floor. My memory is so poor, I can't remember the names, but I do remember somebody had made the crazy frog. Most had hidden tapes playing (in case you couldn't work out the theme!).

It makes even the messiest garden owners give their patch a bit of a tweek, and the village is buzzing with people selling plants or cups of tea and cake.
It is nice because it is a good excuse to get the whole family over with friends and just wander round the village entering everybody's world for a couple of days.

I only open my garden for 1 day, because I like to view the gardens myself on the second day. There are many different sizes of gardens - some people have patches that are only coffin sized, others no more than an assembly of pots on the road directly outside their front door. Every time, the most imaginative ones are the smallest.

Last year we had friends over from Liverpool and Manchester and they were amazed saying that they would never open their gardens for fear of people checking out what they had in order to steal it later. That does not appear to have happened so far, but I always leave a container full of seed heads (especially poppies) for people to help themselves to as they enter / leave - I'm less concerned about being burgled (nothing to burgle) than I am about people wrenching at my plants!

Oh well, it's bed time for me. My collapsed wall is to be repaired soon, so I have to dig up a whole load of plants that really won't like it in readiness for men with machines. 3 years of work to be scraped up and stuck goodness knows where, then shoved back in all over again.

I too, must learn about all this modern picture taking and sending through the ether business. It's a shame I can't do it now - I could send before, durning, and after shots, and you could all laugh at my waxy pallor and worried tear streaked face.

Poo.

Goodnight all

Alwin

[sheila1366]

I have my big hat,my long sleeves on and even long pants when I can stand it.Too much sun can make me sick.

But I have come up with an idea this year that will keep my gardens looking beuatiful without too much work.

I am planting wildflower gardens.Done my research and I have my dirt ready.can't wait.Spring is a little over a week away.I walk around the house and look at all my plants just sprouting up.My lilac will be the first to bloom.It always does and the blooms fade so fast.

I do have some seeds I need to get in some dirt.I have to make my own little indoor greenhouse.

But like most of you pain is a very real issue not to mention that sun.I have a messed up neck and rotator cuff so that adds even more joy to the whole exsperience.

I can't wait to share pictures.I have a beautiful wisteria with purple clusters.So I have my own Wisteria Lane.:rotfl:

Sheila

[ALWIN]

Sheila1366

Wildflower seeds are great because you never know just what you are going to get. I sprinkled some on a patch I could not afford to plant a couple of years ago, then picked out favourites for already planted areas. As a result of that one pack of seeds I now get heavily perfumed phlox and evening primrose self seeding in different places every year, and I have lots and lots of wild primroses which I divide and divide. The garden is covered with primroses and bulbs right now. I spent ages waiting to work out what some of the plants were and was horrified by a few really big ugly things, but waited and waited. In the end they were massive teasels.

Since the bug question produced fruit, I was wondering if anybody has tried spraying a garlic infusion on their plants to discourage pests such as black, green, white fly?

I am going to try it this year, but I am worried that it might taint my soft fruit. I imagine it would work well to discourage carrot fly, and garlic flavoured carrots might be ok. However, 'mixed fruit jams', are a different matter: raspberry and garlic? Blackcurrant or gooseberry and garlic? I'm hoping that if I only spray until the flower buds start to appear, the fruit will not be affected ...?

I assume I squash the garlic cloves, add hot water, leave to infuse for a day, then spray ...?

I tried planting marigolds around my beans last year, but the blackfly ignored the marigolds and settled on the beans anyway.

We've got a drizzle 'infused' grey spring morning outside, so I'm going to stay in and keep warm cos I'm 'half a bubble off' as the man said (was it Tom that invented the 'bubble off' term? Such an apt description), & I can feel my arms and everything upping the anti. A cup of tea and painkilller induced nap before tackling my big groceries shop is calling me.

Happy gardening, plotting and planning everybody.

PS A wisteria is on my wish list ...
I love to read about the different types of wildlife people have around their homes and gardens.

Geckos and lizards ... it is a wonderful world.

Alwin x

[Bemetrius]

I heard that Copper placed around your garden plants keeps away the slugs and snails..

I use pieces of cut up copper pipes..

B

http://www.wilsoninfo.com/flytrap.gifhttp://www.wilsoninfo.com/animati/flower_18_animated.gif

[rwb200]

We bought our house 4 years ago. When we got it the place was all old bushes uncared for, for many years and weeds. I have been working and slowly getting it to where i want it or think I want it anyway.

It is slowly improving and getting much better all of the time.

I have done a large garden each year with it growing about a foot or so each time I put a new one in. It has been great fun.

I compost some but mainly just the stuff from the garden at the end of the season and the leaves from our trees.
My nieghbor composts everything she just digs a hole and tosses her stuff in all year long. When she puts her garden in the next year it all gets tilled in with the rest of the garden and she always has a garden that makes mine look sick.
She is 85 years old and puts in a garden twice the size of mine and tends it every day by herself.
She shares stuff with everyone in the nieghborhood.

Does anyone have any tips on what I can plant under Walnut trees and it will live past one season ?
I have two and my nieghbors all have them on the property lines and I have not found anything that will return the next season.
What ever I plant does fine till fall when the nuts and leaves start to fall and then they die and will never return.
I hate just dumping money into the area each year to get no return in future years and would like to find something that will tolerate the Midwest conditions and the trees and return for me.

I have tried Mint, Black Eyed Susan, Purple Cone Flower, Daisey, Lily, Sage, CatMint, and none of it will tolerate what ever these trees put off in the fall.
Even grass and weeds don't like it.

[Paulin46]

I would love to have a garden and be able to see 'my' plants growing.
It is a form of nurturing and represents future promise. This time of year is so hard for me- I would go wild buying everything in sight and feel thrilled as every day some plant started sprouting up again but I have no garden and can't garden now anyway because I am too stiff and fat - if I get down I can't get up again and bending down does a number on my back.

Clare

Clare what about getting some perrenials planted? They take care of themselves. :)

[Paulin46]

I love to garden, and tend to get carried away. I try not to be out at midday, and I wear all of my protective clothing and a hat.

I love gardening because it is creative and nurturing. I don't have much left to nurture anymore....lol:lol:, but myself and that can get boring!

I am constantly looking for new perrenials to plant so I don't really have too much to do. I am looking into bushes and trees for the backyard fence for more privacy too. Oh I have lots of ideas, but it is expensive and money is a little sparse right now. I find it so hard not to buy everything my little heart desires. I find such enjoyment in it. :)

I will post some pics once my garden is up and growing. I will be trying new things this year, that is what makes this so much fun. :rotfl:

[londonteatime]

Wow!!! So glad to see this thread thriving!!!! My settings were somehow changed and I was only getting the top four threads, grrrr. I fixed it!

Anyhoo, my neighbor told me today that marigolds keep the bugs away. I was planning to cultivate my veggie/herb garden tomorrow and thought maybe I'd plant a border of marigolds around the veggies.

Has anyone heard of this? What do y'all think?

Julie

[Paulin46]

londontime, yes marigolds help keep the bugs away! I use them in conjunction with tomato plants.:)

[Clare.T]

Hi Pauline

When I say no garden I mean no land to make into a garden. :)
Not even a balcony
Cheers
Clare

[Bemetrius]

http://www.geocities.com/breburey/AnRedRoses.gif

I haven't planted any roses in my garden Hope they are hardy up hear in the north.. Sunny and cold but im attempting a walk outback in the bush with the kids and camera at hand.... I manage that but out of breath...

BB

[ALWIN]

rwb200

I got really fed up of the 'birds' pinching my strawberries - the blighters waited until they were ripe, then grabbed them before I could - I didn't beat them once.

Anyway, I netted the things (the strawberries - I'm not fast enough for the birds). Irritatingly, next doors cat decided under the net on the straw was a good place to sleep, but I put up with him becasue he's a good ratter.

Anyway, I set about doing the same as your elderly friend. I dug a trench and put all my 'green' waste into it, covering each layer with soil.The idea was to rotate each part of the veg plot in this way.

I sat down with my cup of tea to admire my nice neat trench only to watch 2 little mice shoot out of the wall, grab a bit of apple and a bit of carrot, and shoot back into the wall.

Ha! Ha! - Not strawberry eating birds - strawberry eating mice ... and I'd just provided a great trough of food for them right outside their front door!

Not a cat grabbing a comfy spot - a big fat greedy cat waiting to eat mice!

I've put my compost bins miles away from my plants - wouldn't want the mice to get too fat to get back in the wall.

Alwin

[ALWIN]

rwb200

PS

Can you grow blue bells, snow drops, lily of the valley, or pulmonaria in your part of the world or is it too dry? These do ok under my trees, and each year they have multiplied. We do get an awful lot of rain at other times of year, but the ground under the trees in bone dry in summer.

Let us know how dry the ground is and at what time of the year - average temperatures across the seasons, etc. People will be better able to think of ideas. I am very ignorant about the states, but happy to learn, and like a plant choice challenge.

Alwin

[Pollyanna]

I suggest hostas. You're in the US, but I'm not sure what part. I only suggest hostas because we've found them to be darn near indestructable!

This is the greatest thread. I've always said that Southern Women have a thing about wanting to get their hands in the dirt along about May or so. But after reading most of these posts, it appears that it's not just women from the southern states of America!

The past two years, I haven't been able to withstand the heat to get out and garden and I truly missed it. It's my therapy. The only thing I tended to the last two years was my deck garden. I grow herbs on my deck (parsley, rosemary, sweet basil, mint) and tomatoes, green peppers and cucumbers. But even those were planted and watered faithfully by my dear husband.

Hoping this year is much better and that I can contribute. Our gardens really are spectacular, if I do say so myself, due mostly to my hubby. They would go to weed if left to me lately!

I'll go back another time and read all the posts. It's 3am now, so I'm off to bed.

Love, Pollyanna :love:

[Sage Hen]

Hi Fellow Gardeners,

I have enjoyed all the posts on this thread..I love any kind of plant. I love the feel of warm soil between my fingers..I don't wear gloves, so I can feel it better. Years ago, I attended the local agriculture college to learn plant biology and get deeper into gardening in all aspects.

I have grown about any and every kind of plant (both blooming and non) that I could get my dirty little hands on...lol. I am not real familiar with trees..however. Anyway, I earned my Master Gardener's certificate and worked as Manager of a Nursery/Greenhouse..mostly in the Annual section, but in the Perrenial's as well..I can't begin to tell you how much fun I had learning the botanical names of most of the annuals and growing them and watching each plant bear it's fruit or flowers..I still love to garden, but on a much smaller scale now.

Just some tips..

(1.) Save those coffee and tea grounds for your compost bins..
(2.) Gypsophilia (Baby's Breath) comes in both, Annual and perennial. You can get it in single, double, and pink in color too..

[londonteatime]

Three of my yellow roses opened today!!!! It was a treat seeing them cuz I'm feeling so poorly. About a DOZEN crocus blooms opened yesterday! I may get outside this evening and cut them for a vase since there's so many.

I'm so disappointed that I am not well enough to go plant my flowers and veggies. My son cultivated the beds two days ago, I put down the weed preventative and they're all just waiting to be planted, sigh. Maybe I'll take an extra painkiller and just do it this evening.

Julie

[hopefull1]

Julie,
Thanks for starting this post !!!! I have enjoyed reading it,and see all the pics that have been posted.I love to work in the yard I come alive with the plants :) It helps me alot . I have a few pics I would like to share to show you what it looks like now.I will post the garden again as time goes by to show you all the things that come back year after year.

I have been working in my yard over the past few days.I was shocked at everything that has bloomed already. The pink bushes are Azaleas they grow well here in the shade or sun. My hostas are coming up,in the updated pic's that I will post later you will see they line the beds. This is a good plant to use in the shade and under trees.You can split the plants as they grow and fill your area with them .

I plant things that come back every year,and if you plant the same annuals in the same spot they will seed them self after a couple years you will not have to plant them again. I have grown alot from seed I pick a spot to use then move them where I want them .

This is a good tip to cut down on weeding I use newspapers in layers around the plants to keep down the weeds.(so I don't have to work so hard LOL) All you do is overlap the paper I use about 3 to 5 layers then cover it with pine straw or some kind of bark. You can poke holes in it to plant annuals.It will break down in the soil and after it gets wet so you will have to do this every year .( but it will last thru the season)

We have a very large front yard,and a lot of trees. In the fall I fill the beds with leaves to protect my plant,close to spring I start cleaning them out.Some we till some in to the ground,we also burn them in a pit then use the ashes for the garden.The front yard has a lot of shade so I can work out there more than the back.

Dan built a pit in the backyard it is at the edge of the woods.He has had to cut down over 250 trees due to pine beetles killing them .So we have lots of wood to burn . That is the best thing he has done for our family. All 4 kids love to sit by the fire with there friends and cook hot dogs and marshmellows.My 24yo son lives over an hour from here and he still comes home with friend in tow to enjoy . It brings use all together as a family.
My post is getting long as you can see I love to garden and watching things grow.I hope you all enjoy your garden as much as I do. Remeber to use sun block all the time and a hat. I will update as it grows and is in full bloom.

[hopefull1]

I couldn't get them all on the last post so this is the rest of the front garden. The cat's name is fatty ,she enjoys laying under the bushes.
We changed her name from slider to fatty because she eats all the time and weighs about 26lbs.

[ALWIN]

Hi Pam

It looks like you have a lot of work on your hands with all that land!

My pc is ancient and rubbish so I could not make out the picture of your cat and I'm very disappointed because I love cats. My neighbour's is absolutely massive so he can't use his Kat flap any more. Please exkuse the k's but my see has just desided to stay stuk down on my keyboard.

Your Azalea looks great.

I kan't imagine what it must be like having to kut down 250 trees - what a mamouth job!

Take kare

Alwin.

[londonteatime]

I am so excited!!! I got my first Princess Diana rose!!!! It was super-windy and the stem was sagging badly so I cut it and brought the rosebud inside, hoping it would open. It did!!! Here it is:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b247/londonteatime/PrincessDirose.jpg

I put it in on my nightstand to enjoy! The fragrance is lovely! The rose is ivory with a pink blush inside.

Julie

[hopefull1]

These are new pictures of my yard as it is now in bloom . I have a lot of shade in my front yard,so I can work in the flower beds there. I feel better knowing that I can still do some of the things I enjoy. I have always loved to plant flowers ,it has taken me a few years here to get things growing due to the lupus . This year it is paying off all the work we have done over the years . Hope you all enjoy !!!!!!
I will do a post later when everything is up and blooming .

[neongirl]

Note on garden clogs- I finally bought a pair, and I absolutely love them! They are not at all slippery, and you really can just rinse the dirt off of them :)

[ALWIN]

Excellent!

Might grab a pair myself if I see some.

What colour did you get?

Alwin

[neongirl]

They are a light blue, I think baby boy blue is a good way to describe them:)

[hopefull1]

Belladonna ,
I love the pictures you have posted . I have alot of the same plants in my yard. I was trying to tell my sister who is visting from Fla what the green hostas look like in bloom and there was your pics.

I love to walk the yard everyday at this time of the year and see what is coming up. You can tell you have spent alot of time planting (years of work ) lol I miss my old house it took me about 6 years to landscape the yard then I sold it and moved in with Dan. I have spent 3 years working on this one , I just don't have the energy to do as much here. But a day outside I can forget everything else that is going on .8)

I need to get back in to trading plants. I use to give plants to everyone in return they would bring me lots of plants to plant . I have a lady not far from me that I will be trading with this year. She has a yellow trumpet plant that I would love to have .It is about 5 1/2 feet tall with yellow trumpet flowers that are about 10inch long. She said she would give me a plant in the fall. I can't wait :)

I look forward to seeing everyones garden.
Happy Planting

[mom of 2]

maybe because of mudpies as a kid, i still love the feel of planting (playing in the dirt) I start the plants in the house & have the family replant outside. I love finding ways to side step the "rules " of what we can &cant do with lupus (sun). :lol:

[nicky00]

Not sure if this works, I have uploaded the attachment in the pop up window but no link is in the text?.

[nicky00]

2nd piccy

[nicky00]

3rd piccy

[ALWIN]

Thanks for posting pics Nicky!

I love your planting! Lovely colours.

Am going to learn how to do the same myself soon - still await new computer, and my new digital camera is already broken!!!

I keep trying to get pics of my mashed up garden - the mini digger has rutted and churned my lawn and there are several tonnes of stone on it. Flower beds are empty and plants stuffed in veg plot for re-planting after collapsed wall is re-built.

Seeing complete gardens inspires me to keep my spitirts up!

Alwin

[ALWIN]

Sorry - I haven't got any spitirts - I meant spirits!

[nicky00]

Spitirts dont come up till later in the year in my garden:lol: .

The garden keeps me focused. I can get lost away from everything, snatched times all add up. Doing anything and keeping at it keeps me sane.

Love doing it in the rain even,away from the sunshine. Im must look such a mad ugger but I dont care.
Even went out in one of those orange florescent pvc poncho things you buy from the pound shop. Now you have to be a little eccentric to do that in my road:wink2: .

I have a few raised beds made from the casing timber of huge solar panels (like velux windows in roof) from up the road.
Paid nothing and the good will of the builder walked them round to my back garden with the help of a few other buff men:) .

Took me ages to fill them ( with help8) ) with top soil begged and borrowed.

Now they look great all planted up with sweetpeas and statice inbetween.

Im really proud of finally finishing after blood sweat and yes tears and stubborn determination to see it all through.

I have all sorts of projects on the go. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by how much there is go do and how I feel.
It can be great effort and it can be pure creativity.

Keeps me sane.

Start small
Think big:) Nicky

[belladonna]

Thanks Paulin46, I do have a great spot. I have neighbours, but not right on my door step. I bought the property next to mine as well to make sure I had some room to stretch out in.
:wink2:
Hopefull1, I’m in zone 4A, but sometimes I push it, or try to. I LOVE Georgia! I have only driven threw it, but it is a beautiful state. I want your weather!
:love2:
It’s spring up here in Ontario and the tulips, daffodils and bleeding hearts etc., are blooming. I’ve been out in the dirt a few nights now and loving it. I’ve tried the “avon skin so soft” and it works, but I had to reapply cause it sweats off easy. There are also citronella bracelets good for 100 hrs or more. Hubby got me a couple but I haven’t tried them yet. Hubby also got me 3 small trailer loads of manure!
:woohoo:
Here’s a few more picts... The first 2 pics are of “the other yard”. I haven’t planted in there cause right now I’m just trying for grass! Hubby did get more seed down just before all this rain started so it will be a bit greener soon, (I hope!) It’s a mess just now, but it’s very kid and dog friendly!
:bigsmile:
The third is of the playhouse at night in winter. I use to make a skating rink for the kids when they were small in front of this little play house and the lights would be reflected in the rink. It was lovely. The 4th pic is the part of the front garden in spring, and the 5th is more tulips in with the gooseberries in the veggie garden area.

[belladonna]

(Continued from pg 6) Pic 6 is part of the side yard. It’s very shady there and has an odd assortment of what ever will grow. Lots of wild things. Right now columbines, silver dollars, and some daffodils.

The 7th is me in the garden at night. I have about 12 strings of lights in the front. It’s very pretty. I also have 2 tall standing lamps that I can move around the back or over to the side yard when I need to, and I have a little radio to keep me company.
Yey Spring!:love:

[belladonna]

Well it's rained a bunch, so we're finally getting little baby green fuzzes to grow in the infamous "other lot".
:rolleyes:
This makes me very happy cause the soil is mainly sand in this pic. The sand attaches itself to the dog, (specially when it rains), who then brings in all into the house just for me, presumably so I can do the "old soft shoe" in the kitchen! I'm hoping that some grass will solve the problem.
:bigsmile:

[neongirl]

BellaDonna, I love the lights in your garden! Thanks for sharing your pictures with us:)

[jude mack]

Belladonna my property looks very much like yours, except I have a mountain behind me. Thanks for sharing.:)

[nicky00]

That wouldnt be Grouse Mountain by any chance?

Nicky

[belladonna]

Thanks neongirl. It’s hard to get a good picture of all the lights I have out there, but it is nice. I wouldn’t get anything done out there if it wasn’t for them. I really like to spend the night puttering and fussing in the garden when I can. All the neighbors that can’t sleep, (or get up early), know that I’m up and outside when they are on, so sometimes I even get some company.
:)
Jude, we are very very lucky to have such places. This is my first house, and it will probably be my last. I had to move around for a bit there, but I couldn’t part with the place, so I rented it out while I was away. (I’m sooooo glad I didn’t sell it, cause there’s no way that I couldn’t afford a new mortgage today!)
:eek:

[jude mack]

Hi Nikki
The mountain behind me is Church Mt, not to far from Grouse though. We can see the lights on Grouse on a clear night.

Belladonna, yes we are very lucky, I love having all this space This will be my last house as well I hope. We have a rageing river it the back as well, that could take us right out one of these days. But that's okay, I'll enjoy while I can.

[nicky00]

Wave to my dad as he lives at the bottom of Grouse.

:) Nicky

[jude mack]

Will do.

Jude:)

[ALWIN]

Ok, okay

Another boastful 5 minutes from moi!

Gave up on the horse riding thing cos just not fit enough and don't like pain. Sad, but that's life.

I have enrolled on a horticultural course. I'll be on week 3 next week. Go 2 days per week, so can still earn a few bob doing other people's gardens when I am well. I think I'm still quite well, only a few aches and pains, am less tired, so fingers crossed for now.

It is WONDERFUL. You must all enrol on one immediately or as soon as your life permits. You spend all day surrounded by all manner of creepy crawlies and flying beasties. You get to spend time in proper glasshouses, with all manner of plants and people, and nobody cares about your grubby finger nails or lack of dress sense.

Then you want to look up all the creepy crawlies you've been told about on the internet and you get stuck on the thing all night.

I could spend hours and hours telling you about this place and how wonderful it is, but I won't - I'll show a little mercy (for noow)

Hope everybody is still as fired up by growing as ever.

Take care all and keep posting pictures. I've given up on it cos I'm a duffer.

:love:

[marymackay]

Hi Alwyn
thanks a lot. I've been on the site for 7 months and did not know about this post. How wonderful!:lol: That will get me going with my photography, have to admit that with so many drs/specialists/test/xrays that has had to wait until now, along with the painting, but kept up with my poetry and writing.
The photos of all your gardens are so diverse, and of course I live in north Queensland. Used to live in Victoria(Aussie) with the colder plants such as polyanthus, pelargoniums, ranunculas, daffodils,snowflakes,etc.

Now of course I have gerberas, orchids,many hibiscus. but a trip to Green Card Park in London showed me the beautiful pink cyclamens :wink2: with squirrels alongside ! Just started on plaquenil, after a lifetime of not knowing re lupus. Tis a shock:hehe: but had to find out myself.
My problem is the photosensitivity, the brilliant sun most time, bad eyes, laser and cataract treatment. I live in a retirement resort, with a small backyard and high fence and beautiful 3 BR villa, with front done by gardeners, but we can put in ownplants too. So I've had 2 1/2 years of working out. I've kept a back lawn, though my sister/hubbie who moved next street have not, but her's looks pretty too. I put in a garden seat that is an arch, with climbing roses and passionfruit.But a more northern nursery comes to Mackay every 2 months with his mini fruit trees, since last year, so this spring 3 weeks ago, my nectarine tree, mango, lemonade tree, jaboticaba and mulberry have all blossomed in big pots on my back patio. What joy!:rolleyes: Nectarines are growing very well. So I am keeping out of the sun, and watering after sunset, gardening when sun is not at back, early morning, electric mowing back at sunset. So such a big change in my old habits. Have a lovely Eiffel Tower rose out at the moment, grown from a cutting from parent plant. I've always been a gardener, love it, as do all my 4 children.

Like you too Alwyn I did a gardening course but by correspondence at TAFEcapital city, and then the advanced too. My daughter also did the first course, and I still have markers in my gardening books where she borrowed.
So lovely to meet all you gardeners from aound the world- happy growing
Cheers mary in mackay:lol:

[ALWIN]

How lovely to hear from you marymac.

I would love to grow the sort of plants and fruit trees you listed. Looking forward to your picture postings in the future.

There are totem poles made of partially felled trees at the gardening site where we are studying (playing!) and I'm hoping to copy the idea.

One tree has had it's top removed (it was dead), then it has been carved into a needle with the eye of the needle lying on the ground behind it so it looks as if somebody just punched it out - like lightening or such like. Then the bark has been removed from all of the tree except for the bottom 3 foot or so, and the wood polished. It looks stunning, despite being so simple.

How lovely to have used the same books as your daughter and have the markers record. Better than a diary, eh?

I look around my garden some days and each plant reminds me of the person who gave it to me, or where I pinched the cutting from, etc. Even though my garden appears semi derelict to others right nows, all I can see is the promise of things to come.

It is funny how jealous we can get with our plants.

I once nearly skewered my mother in law with my garden fork because she was wrenching out some of my favourite irises!

I don't mind getting help in the garden, but NOBODY is allowed to touch my plants!!!