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

[Lillylane]

Hi EM,

I’m sorry to hear you’ve had a really difficult day too.

It was lovely reading about your surprise papaya in a pot and the wonderful memories you have of your loving Nana.

My Nana used to grow the most delicious tomatoes and veges. Her small yard seemed huge to me as a child and I remember the strong smell of chicken manure! Maybe that was her secret.

Have you picked out a spot to plant your papaya and pomegranate?

Yeah I’m struggling at the moment processing things both past and present.

I’ve used denial to ‘run away’ from scary and painful stuff for many years and it’s now catching up with me. I’m waking up with feelings of panic/dread/nausea.

When I was younger, I experienced a sudden, painful family break up that I didn’t see coming and never figured out. I lost my family connection and never got it back. (This is a short simplification of a long story - sorry it’s vague).

Fast forward to now... my husband is currently transitioning to being female. He hasn’t told anyone except for me, our kids and his parents yet.

There are days I enjoy helping him with makeup advice and seeing his self image improve etc. At the same time I feel lost about my own identity and frustrated with the path I took in life.

I was going to start a thread somewhere but not sure what category my feelings fall under.

Gardening is something I love, and can relate to with others. And it’s a little haven for the heart.

With thanks for your kindness, and for creating the space for us to share.
L.

[ecomama]

Darling Lillylane, hugest hugs in the world. I'm so sorry. You're talking about huge losses in anyone's language.

I started my thread in the Introduction section. You can start in the Intro if you want to? BB is supportive.

Okay house keeping out of the way.... it's pretty terrible when as children we "don't have answers"... I found those unanswered questions haunted me. (This happened to me too btw, break up with weirdness then estrangement).

I hope you start a thread, lots more people will reach out to support you there.

The situation you're in with your marriage must be extremely difficult. IDK how you manage all the feelings you have but you seem to be extending alot of loving support to your H... I'm wondering if anyone is supporting you?
This "change" isn't just about him.

Talk on here anytime at all... thinking of you.

Love EM

[ecomama]

Yes it would be nice to talk about a PAWPAW tree instead of lantana lol!

I have a spot to plant it, I think.... because we are heading into a long hot Summer, I think I will leave it in the pot and plant it in Autumn next year.

This may give me time to clear the JASMINE! LOL... oh from one issue to another.
All good.
At the moment the jasmine is holding our rickety old fence up lol!
My elderly neighbours on that side are almost 100yo!
I'm not talking to them about a new fence, that would be cruel.

I will also be planting a pomegranate tree in the same area OR I just realised...

The old pool I was going to turn into a Greenhouse cannot be done. It's too rusty. SO I guess next year I will be pulling the pool and pool fence down and have a gaping hole in my garden.
Easier said than done getting those things OUT of my garden, I dread having to hire a mini backhoe - seriously.

I know the pawpaw and pomegranate would much prefer that spot. Right below the water tank lol and a more "tropical" micro climate.

I won't be making an indoor "green wall" anymore as we are turning that porch into an indoor room. So I have two large pieces of steel reinforcement covered in chicken wire to use as barriers for those 2 young plants.

It may be 2y before I plant them there.
Next year to clear pool stuff.
Then leaf mould and compost the area.
Following year to plant.

What's everyone else up to in the garden?

EM

[Matchy69]

The gardens growing crazy at the moment with the warmer.Its really starting to get hot here.The vegie gardens full of life with sweet corn,silverbeet,water melons,pumpkins,tomatoes,egg plants,shalotts, and potatoes all growing well.
My grapevine has loads of bunches of grapes coming on.My nectarine has a few fruit maturing nicely.Put a fruit fly trap on the tree.Fruit fly is a big problem here.With all the talk about pawpaws It has made me want to plant one.I might plant one near my bananas.Has anyone ever grown Bababcos?They grow very similar to pawpaws but very juicy fruit.I use to grow them years ago.
This morning I pruned back a grevillea that was growing right on the fence and it just finished flowering.My neighbour is going to put up a new timber fence there.
It is very dry here and my tanks are getting empty and need rain badly here.Been using both tank and town water at the moment
Happy gardening ,
Mark.

[ecomama]

Hi Matchy your garden sounds bountiful as ever!!!

My nectarines are tiny atm but there are tons of them... around the time of ripening we have to get as many as possible because overnight the fruit bats swoop and eat the lot.
That's okay. They can't buy stuff at shops. We can.

Haven't heard of Bababcos, wow, very interesting lol.

I can't possibly think of planting more trees after the pawpaw and pomegranate, the blueberry bushes after the building work is done FOR SURE... then just more veg and herbs.

Still thrilled about finding the Nellie Kelly Passionfruit growing by accident. So happy.
And the baby mulberry, no doubt sprouted by birds from my old one, and an heirloom lemon tree that must've come from the neighbour's tree lol.

We have a Community Garden a few houses away and another one near my work, so I'll be getting some veg and herbs from those over the warmer months.
I take my chook poo laden straw for the garden beds and do a "silent trade" lol.

I have to stay busy to deal with sad things here, it's a sanctuary in the garden so I'm very grateful to have it.

Love EM

[Lillylane]

Dear EM, It meant so much to receive your response. It’s freeing to share here. Thank you.

Yes, those unanswered questions really take a toll. I’ve always felt an uneasy restlessness - like I’m never ‘at home’ anywhere, even though I do now have a young family and a roof over my head.

Out in the garden today... our grapevine and passionfruit (that just popped up by itself) are growing fast at the moment, covering up our fence and making our garden look a lot more lush than it really is.

We really need that rain soon too...

We benefit from our neighbour’s grevillias growing behind our back fence - they have flowered beautifully this year. Amazing to watch the birds collect nectar from the flowers on a windy day. They get flung all over the place and upside down, but they still manage to hold on.

Saw many beautiful plants at a nursery today. Didn’t buy anything, but my mind is spinning with a few ideas now. I’d like to slowly add some more bee-attracting plants.

Thank you again

[Matchy69]

Hi Em I woke up this morning with a bit of drizzly rain with forecast of possibly a storm later.I can only hope for some decent falls here.
I struggle everyday to get out of bed and do something.I rather see just stay in bed crying and let the world go by.I know it is like for you Em when you say you are struggling .It's a really hard effort for me to get outside and do some gardening.It is amazing how much I have achieved by forcing my self.
Today I might see if I can do some cleaning and go through my son's clothes and toys.
I haven't had and problems with fruit bats only birds but they are welcome in my garden and in a drought need a feed.
Babaco is a hybrid from Ecuador and is in the Carica family.
Happy gardening,
Mark.

[ecomama]

Dear Mark, I'm so sorry I missed your last post!

We had a psychological tornado here for a while with my son up and leaving to go live down South, and he's still at school!
I really didn't know which way was up for a good 10 days after he left. I was so upset.

I'm feeling more settled now.

I'm sorry you've felt so sad Mark!! HUGEST HUGS!

When you speak of your garden it brings such joy to us all here.

What's been going on for you?

Tonight I happened to come across a great find in the supermarket by complete accident.
I passed some liriopes on my way out. They had $10 on EACH plant, yeah right... no way lol.
Then I saw underneath it said $4... so I took one to the checkout and asked them to check the price.
OMG TWO DOLLARS EACH... and in some pots there were FOUR plants!
So last Sunday it would've cost me $20 for 2 pots of liriopes (which I wouldn't have paid - so I didn't lol).
Today I got 8 pots of them for $16!

I get really excited when I get a garden bargain lol.

I hope you feel better soon Mark.

Love EM

[Matchy69]

Hi Em I am sorry about your son moving out it is really heart breaking for you.I also struggling with my daughter as her mental health isn' really good with her depression and anxiety.I can' get her to go to school half the time as she will be in her bed just crying.She got an academic award monday so she is pretty bright.She only has next year to go for school.

The liruopes sound like a good find and you can subdivide them.Good for filling in and grow fast and very hardy.

My vegie garden is growing crazy now with a bit of rain I had.The corn is starting to come into flower now and potatoes have all come up now.The melons are starting to spread.My grape vines are growing crazy with so many bunches coming on.I might try and cover some over as the birds seem to get most of them usually.My Nectarine has a few fruit on it half grown.My orange rose has come out in flower that I planted in winter and it is such a pretty colour.

More rain forecast here for the coming days so hopefully I can get my tanks close to full.I am off to the dentist soon to get my lose tooth looked at after being knocked lose in surgery and then the following friday I am back at the hospital for more test.

Happy gardening,

Mark.

[ecomama]

Hi Mark

YES I CAN divide up the liriopes, so exciting!

And getting your tooth fixed, omg it was knocked loose in surgery.... grrrr pretty angry about that for your Mark. Sorry that happened.

We have similar problems with our daughters. My daughter doesn't want to go to school all the time... she goes about half the time too. She has major friendship issues (dramas) all the time and gets very hurt by it all.

This week I told her she needs to "ditch education altogether and do it later if she wants".
I thought she could find out about a Traineeship where she has a PT job and she loves working there.

I decided outright that her MH is far more important than any "standards" that are set for the entire age group. She's very bright too but

Then today she went to school without any prodding. IDK things are difficult for kids and harder for those with MH issues.

Hugs!

SO HAPPY to hear your vege patch is bursting lol!

I am loving the small amount of rain we're getting, I'll take anything lol.

We have town water but it's expensive to use for the garden too. So I put in 2 water tanks ages ago and I use that for all my gardening (except when they run dry!)..

Love EM