Who else likes gardening?

[ecomama]

Hi everyone

I hope you're staying well today.

Who else likes gardening? I would love to connect with people here who are happy to share their gardening adventures.

For me I know that gardening helped heal my soul during tough times. I hope it will again.
Then with other things going on, it became a jungle.
I'm part way into rediscovering it again and doing A LOT of hard yakka atm, when I am motivated.

I have new dreams and ideas to put into the many bare places, as I remove thickets of lantana etc. This will all be on a tight budget and I'm ok with that.

I want to create a peaceful place where I can be.
I would like to grow food again (tell 'er she's dreamin' atm lol).
I would like to re-establish my worm farms and compost heaps.
Autumn is such a beautiful time of the year in the garden.

I'm 'alone' in my gardening journey and would love to share and hear about other's gardening antics. Hopefully we can troubleshoot any issues in our gardens and talk about any healing we're feeling too. There's a lot of knowledge we can share. I hope this thread can brighten your day!

Love Ecomama

Please

[Gambit87]

Thank you Jstar49 and EM

I have been bitten by the bug haha. I always thought that because I rented and lived in a small apartment I couldnt have a garden - so much to catch up on now haha

I live around the corner from the community garden! they usually have open days and things like that - will have to check it out.

my partner said i should get a second garden bed... if my partner says so right? hahaha

[Matchy69]

Those community gardens are great .I lived 2 minutes from one and regularly went for walks to it a d had a look at what different fruits and veggies they were growing.I never got involved in it and only had a look but it was nice to look.I have since moved and have nothing like that in this little town.

[Matchy69]

Hi my garden has gone crazy with a bit of rain.Plenty of vegies to pick.

[Lillylane]

We’ve had soft rain over the last couple of days and I’m so glad for the plants and trees. I got to plant out a few cheery Garzanias for ground cover which was nice. Good to have some lower temperatures as well.

[ecomama]

Hey Gambit! OH YEAH if your partner says get another garden bed then I would! lolol.

It's great she's on board with your gardening adventures.

Our local Community Gardens are open 24/7 so we can go visit any time we like.
We're also welcome to pick anything and even take some worms for our worm farms for free too.

I hope YOURS are the same!

I used to "volunteer" or be involved with one near my current workplace.
The workshops were so fun and I gave a few myself, plus had open gardens in my own garden lots... back in the day.
Then I was offered a PAID job there, wow. But right at the same time I got a permanent job at my work and the pay was a great deal more. SO I grew food at work lol.

There are episodes on growing food on apartment balconies in Gardening Australia.
My fiancee has TRIED but our apartment in Seattle is ummmm FREEZING. He got grow lights and automatic waterers but I asked him to give up... it's been too difficult for him. Not much grew at all.

That's another lesson - plant selection to suit climate and position. The more suited these are the better our yields.

Hey Mark I BET your garden has loved the rain! It's so nice to have a rest from watering when it rains lol... and not be panicking our plants are dehydrating. Prayers work lol.

I took a photo of our "snow" frosted Christmas Tree for my fiancee and he said the weather looked like Seattle's weather! And he was right... the rain is lighter though and the mist is so beautiful.

But I'm sure the mozzies will be bountiful too soon ugh!

Lillylane, we're getting nice gentle soaking rain too.

Apparently we get more rainfall in Spring / Summer than other seasons. Much unlike England as we often compare our gardening exploits to.

We certainly did LAST Summer oh boy! My insurance claim came through 7 months later.
What a year.

If we get lightning from now on, I'm sure I'll lose some branches they're so HIGH up. But not near the house, so that's okay.
Still I'll be hiring a different tree lopper next year. They need a robust TRIMMING.

So will I after Christmas lol!

HO HO HO with a belly like Santa...

EMxxxx

[Lillylane]

A friend asked me to water their garden while they’re away. But haven’t had to water yet with all this rain. I’d like an excuse to go visit it though - it’s like a fairy garden with layers of rocks and succulents and colourful bromeliads.

Struggling at the moment. Heavy heart. Troubled mind. Getting iron levels checked. I sound so flippin’ upbeat speaking to my GP - why do I keep doing that when it’s not really how I’m feeling?!

[Matchy69]

Hi Liilylane a fairy garden sounds lovely.My mum had one out the front and everyone who visited commented how beautiful it was.My mum had a Brom named after her.I have few here.It is always good to get rain to do the watering for you.
When I use to see my pyschologist she use to ask me how I was and I use to say I am fine and then she would say Ok what's really going on.She new me so well.I know how hard it is for you to say how you really are feeling.

Take care,
Mark.

[ecomama]

Dear Lillylane (hi Mark and everyone too!)

I think we all do that with our GP and even my psych this year lol.... but then, when we've lost our need to cloak ourselves with that protective armour... we can let it all out over time.

It took years and many of them very desperate years through Courts and fears of losing my children, before I could be the most honest I've ever been with my Counsellor.

It's also their "care level"... if you really FEEL they care about you and will be non-judgemental and helpful, kind and compassionate THEN we can open up more.
Trust needs to be built.

We put ourselves in a vulnerable place when we disclose our innermost feelings.
Those feelings we usually hide to get on with our lives.

But this time of year is reflective. I call it melancholic and poignant actually.
We'll never lose our memories but I can surely lose my mind remembering ALL the time.

So grounding ourselves in the garden, I find my memories are now more faint and fleeting when I'm gardening, that's what I want lol!

You're not alone Lillylane. We're with you, as we are with you all.

Fairy gardens are so SWEET!
We used to make them all over the place when my children were little lol... sweet memories.
They'd take out their miniature toys for the fairies to play with and I'd move the toys around so the children would think the fairies had been riding in their cars etc lol.. oh the things I've done!

At Christmastime I would begin "The Road to Bethlehem" from the front door with jewels and a road from materials... then as Advent progressed I would move a pregnant Mary on her donkey and Joseph closer to the stable.. awww sweet lol.

One Christmas morning my little children woke up and ran to the stable and found a little baby Jesus in his manger and yelled out to everyone "Baby Jesus is BORN!" and what made me so happy is that they all ran past their Santa sacks full of presents to find Him.

It's the people we miss that make us sad at this time of year IME.

Being grateful is what remedies this.

I'm so grateful for you all here.
Love EM

[Matchy69]

Just looking at my herb garden in the front and admiring how amazing everything has grown.From a bare patch of earth to the most amazing flavoursome garden.

[Lillylane]

Thanks Mark and EM. It’s hard to admit to ‘covering up’ inner struggles. But comforting to know others here understand.

Reading up about bromeliads - so impressed with how many colours they come in. They really do look ‘other-worldly’ when planted in large numbers. Can see why my friend is kind of addicted to them.
How cute EM - putting out miniature toys and moving them around etc for the kids. Kids (and adults) would love it.

What kinds of herbs have you got growing Mark? Sounds like a wonderful transformation from a once bare patch of earth!

Who else likes watching Gardening Australia and seeing the ‘before and after’ photos of gardens and pot plants?

Warm wishes to you all