GardenArtist Posted September 2015
Gardening as therapy.
Follow
Share
Read More Close
3K Comments
Popular Questions
- I really want my grandmother to branch out--and to cut back the TV! Has anybody solved this problem?
- In the spirit of coping and adapting, let's share methods we've developed or read about to cope with sheltering in place.
- I feel soooo worn out and alone. What can I do to improve my non-existent life?
Related Questions
- Where to find a daycare program for someone that has Alzheimer's?
- Are there services/agencies for the elderly to have "outings' such as art classes or Sunday drives?
- Where can I buy large puzzles for my Dad that is blind in one eye and can barely see in the other?
- Do you have suggestions for interesting "books on tape" or CD's for a stroke survivor, former engineer and computer programmer?
Start a Discussion
In the American Southwest, there are numerous abandonded native settlements from hundreds of years ago, not enough water to live on.
If people really wanted to address climate change, then maybe they would invest in much better recycling programs. As well as removing the huge gyres of plastic in the oceans which I think certainly are severely underrated/studied influences on changing weather patterns.
They died.
Or you can plant early crops, let them mature, and plant a second crop in late summer or early fall, depending on the maturity time needed.
One of the male gardeners on the forum I visit grows most of his plants inside, but I really wouldn't want to do that b/c I think plants benefit from the real sun instead of just grow lights. However, some gardeners have a dedicated set of indoor gardening tools and equipment and grow entirely inside. To me, that eliminates much of the pleasure of being outdoors.
My mother and I used to start our plants inside; one year Mom had almost 1,000 tomato starts! Her grow cart had 3 levels of trays, with fluorescent lights above to enhance growing conditions. You can also get a grow cart for outdoor use; it's covered with a type of screen to keep critters away. (I don't know how effective that would be for some types of critters, though.)
I used to start geraniums in the standard green trays, on a small bookcase, until one day my cats decided to rearrange the seedlings, apparently thinking that some of the soil would look good on the floor.
As to how well a plant will do in an area, that too is changing b/c of the weather, and there are other factors as well, including amount of rainfall, how well the ground is prepped, sunlight, predatory insects, and sometimes animals, such as deer.
The animals in my area who dined at my garden were primarily racoons, who took over the pumpkin, mulberry, corn, and sometimes the gourd gardens. Unfortunately, they sampled more than a few pumpkins before deciding on their favorites. They also ruined the corn by using it for climbing.
Organic Gardening magazine used to be the best source for gardening and indoor starts, but it's changed a lot over the years.
Anyways, the third wave planting is really popular when growing lettuce greens. It works really well. Same for spinach. Folks in Philly used to plant fall spinach, as the Springtime temps went from about 60 to 80 in less than a week. Whereas the fall temps were far less brutal.
cwillie-how old are those zone guides? If over ten years, better check online how much they have changed. At one point, in my old Philly garden, had something in bloom nearly year round. I couldn't grow the big tulips any more-too warm and transistioned to the species forms-which are so lovely-and quite suited to warmer temperatures. I had a row of mature Rosemary bushes that bloomed in Feburary-they were so pretty and the aroma was wonderful-they were nearly three feet tall.
Glad I can write about plants here-been a very difficult couple of days-so this is much appreciated!
Of course I am not an expert, but I am researching how to plant our own food, still.
I think I remember reading that you can start a few veges, then a few more, then a third wave. Thus having a chance at something surviving.
Also, a crop that matures at different times, secures a continuous supply over the growing season.
But then, I think you already know this.
As far as gardening zones go, if the local nursery sells it, it better well grow in my area. Does that make sense? Or is there some 'magic' involved?
Have you thought about bartering? Manure is not always the easiest by-product to get rid of on a farm and perhaps instead of paying for the delievery, you could offer your peppers as a trade? Fresh manure does smell-can it go into a composting section? And what about composting? Great way to keep soil ammendments prices down. I generally don't rely on heavy fertilizing as it is. Is your soil that over worked it needs that much in ammendments? Or is the growing season short and the crops need to be grown quickly?
If you can, try a row or two of the expensive seed potatoes, as what you've been using isn't yielding the results you want. I have to do the same thing if I want top results when growing asiatic lilies-pay more for the bulbs and get better flowers.
I've had luck using Milky Spore powder for Japanese beetle control-when I used to grow roses. Won't use the bait traps, as that attracts more beetles into the garden.
Maintenance can be challenging. Have a mental running list of what needs to be done and get to it as I can. Today was light pruning, weeding at one point, tagging daffodil clumps to be moved, and so on.
Yeah, I'm not paying extra for the same thing they sell to my local store.
My problems all boil down to the fact I'm a lot more enthusiastic about the garden at planting time than I am about maintenance, plus mentally I have a hard time paying the exorbitant prices for the fertilizer that is marketed to gardeners. I wish I had a farmer willing to deliver some manure, but I don't think my neighbours would agree with that idea!
Years ago gardening was what poor people did as a necessity but seems it has now morphed into a hobby for the well to do and prices reflect that. I'm not willing to pay double or triple the price per pound for seed potatoes than I'm paying for the ones I eat, and I'm not willing to pay more for a lettuce plant from the greenhouse than I would pay for a head at the grocery store - KWIM?
I do grow lots of bell peppers here, they are one of the crops I have the most success with, plus when I freeze the bounty they are very much more economical that store bought ones in the winter. I'm also good at growing beans - green and yellow and pole beans.
Tomatoes are not my thing but I do grow a few just because it's almost expected. Cucumbers and zucchini, but I have problems with borers killing them off by mid summer.
I've been experimenting with parsnips because they are a ridiculous price at the grocery store.
Zinnias are a favourite of mine too, especially since you can save seed easily. But unfortunately I have to battle Japanese beetles every year.
Had my soil tested awhile ago, too high in lead-this is an old neighborhood and besides the paint, there are old lead pipes. Contacted a soil specialist for a second opinion on the results, they even ruled against raised planters, as there would be splashing from the rain off the soil up on to the vegetables or herbs. Soil remediation would very costly. So, flowers it is, and will be planting zinnias again, they do well here, easy to grow. Especially important now, as a good deal of my time and energy is as a caregiver to my husband.
Now, there's a good garden topic-super easy plants to grow, which a caregiver could enjoy with minimal effort. I nominate zinnias as the first on the list. Seeds can be bought at the dollar store, once the last frost is done, sprinkle on lightly raked, soil, pat into the earth. Water very gently. Wait about 7-10 days and there should be sprouts. Put a bit of chicken wire around the spot-keep the bunnies/critters out, and enjoy very colorful flowering, hardy zinnias. When the first frost of Winter comes, leave the flowers/buds on the stems, wintering birds will find the seeds and great fun to watch them eating the seeds.
I think that the seed potatoes are key. I cannot grow rudders but, purple, red, golden and fingerlings in those have worked well. My biggest thing was only watering once a week, it took me years to figure out the right water.
We would starve to dear if we had to live on the garden but, it sure is entertaining to garden and enjoy what does produce.
I have watermelon and cucumbers coming on now, so I am hopeful for those and my swiss chard. Fingers crossed for sure!
Thank you for your comments about the birds!
Trying not to take myself too seriously.
I don't think the birds need an intervention or my help.
But my husband does.
Yea! Potatoes are so unpredictable to grow, actually getting a harvest is reason to celebrate at our home :-)
The robin that was pecking on a bedroom window earlier this spring made a halfhearted nest on my office window and then move on to make a real nest on the bathroom window, I guess the frosted glass and lack of much activity in there made that window ledge more appealing. I cracked open the window to peek and there are babies!
On another note, anyone have weeping cherry trees? I put them in about three years ago and am quite disappointed in them. My dad’s voice is echoing in my head, he’d always say about something more trouble than it was worth “fertilize it with Roundup!” Haven’t gone there, but if anyone has them happily I’d like to hear about it.
There is a box now-even though they do not want a nest box, prefer a shallow ledge. I put the plant in it, up high. It has open slats, so maybe they will like it-if they are desperate. Hoping they will like the box more than the plant.
Stepping out onto the porch, two squirrels were digging just near the bottom of the stairs. Not scared away at all. I no longer feed the squirrels.
It felt like all of nature was at my door this morning. Lol. An exaggeration.
I burned the eggs I was cooking for breakfast. Did not have my coffee yet.
Dh and I are already arguing about the plant they trampled. I said we would need to sacrifice the plant for the birds if they make a nest in it, because we could not water it. He says he will still water it. Feels like last time, and maybe should discourage the birds from staying at all. Giving dH his way, because he wants it his way.
🐇🐇🐇🐇
Waiting for the grass to dry out to mow, then some pruning. It's a small space so not too hard to keep up with. Last Summer a huge branch fell off of a 60+ foot tall Gum tree, sheared the sides of some lovely hemlocks, crushed a rhododendron, bruised azeleas. So, I'm hoping that now there's a nice big open hole in the tree canopy with that branch gone and professionally pruned back hard, other plants will thrive. The pink dog wood, once heavily shaded by that Gum tree, looks wonderful this year.
Fired up the sprinkler system yesterday. Ran it for the first time last night, should have done it while I was up to keep track of what was going on. The valve on the last station did not close, so it ran all night. I did get it fixed today. I am sure there is plenty of water in that area, but with the wind, it will dry out quickly.
I was really hoping to get the house sold before summer maintenance needs. No such luck. Now with rising interest rates, and increasing home prices, would like to stay where I am for the forseeable future. Maybe employer will allow me to continue to work remotely two days a week. There is just no place to live down there.
I have/had a contract on a home down there, but, the more I look at it, the more I think it is not a good idea, in spite of losing a $5K earnest money deposit. I have a 4.5% mortgage now with equity of 2/3 of the home value.
Ummmmm.
Yes, I would use 4 x 4's, good idea.
Cutting them to 6' would save money. Dh is no longer good at cutting.
Pricing 6'.
A patio guy I used over a thousand years ago used a 2 x 4 in between
two 2x 6's to make the posts look like 6 x 6 ! Not necessary for this project, but a good idea if you want/need a 6 x 6 post.
Pricing redwood because I heard you cannot use pressure-treated wood in a planter-it would kill the plants?
Thanks for the link to that exact privacy planter-we will be making that a.s.a.p.!
Really what I need also, we have several perfect places for it.
So happy you found that!
When I awakened this morning (avoiding the use of the word "woke" lol);
in my head I was designing a privacy lattice thinking it could be closer to the house (4-6 ft.) and bring more shade in closer for keeping it cooler near my windows. Yes!
The perfect privacy planter. Maybe I will put the planter box on both sides of the lattice. Maybe use cedar lattice if we can afford it.