Any Gardners on the Forum?

[danaf]

I am from NY and was never able to garden because I never had a backyard. Now I live in a warm climate and can and I'm stoked about it.

Right now I've got brussel sprouts, spinach, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, artichokes, a strawberry patch, a fig tree, orange tree - all growing and doing good. And a few of the tomatoes have matured and I'll tell ya, there is nothing like the taste of home grown tomatoes!!! (if you like tomatoes)

And last night I planted rasberry plants. I ordered them from a nursery in Georgia and it was only $2 a plant. Shoot, it costs about $5 a container at the store so why not try to grow my own? They will start producing next summer/fall.

I can't wait for spring for all the spring veggies I want to plant and grow.

I probably sound like a freak but I've always wanted to do this stuff.

[Bandit]

I am more into shrubs, trees, bulbs & perennials. I do tomatoes, corn, peppers, strawberries, some leafy lettuce, a little squash. There is only time for one crop and right now there is nothing left but evergreen trees & a few grass plumes. I do have mulberry trees, walnuts, wild raspberries, wild onions & things like that, that are no care & plentiful.

I am big into horticulture & studying the varieties, dividing, growing from seed more so than buying the plants, except for woody plants & maybe annuals. I have a lot of wildlife that likes to visit. That is always a challenge.

Gardening is a lot of work. It has to be a labor of love more so than a hobby to fully succeed but in many ways it pays off & you get a much better crop than what most stores offer. Every year the crop will be different.
I also have a pond, water gardens & fountains that I care for. Thank God all this stuff is 'planted deep' & the trustee will have to dig it out himself if he wants it.

A lot of things were given to me & I made trades for.
I have some experience with tropical plants & palms too.

[Minnymouth]

Am and avid gardner when it comes to food...... not flowers. I can't keep a flower alive.....(good thing - I'm allergic to most of them).. BUT I can grow tomatoes, green peppers, cukes, corn, watermelons, green onions, lettuce, cabbage etc........
I also "can" produce..... I learned by helping my mom from the time I was little girl. We had "huge" gardens and canned everything.... like 200 jars of green beans, 200 jars of tomatoes. We also canned fruits, made jams/jellies, and if it could be canned or frozen - WE DID IT growing up..............

There's a lot of satisfaction is knowing you grew it and it also saves money, plus it taste GREAT...... no chemicals, no hidden stuff in it......

HAT'S OFF to all the gardners!!!

[whatamess]

Minny, we use to can too while growing up. I was the last of six kids of an aoto mechanic/minister dad. We never had any money, but we were industrious. Our garden took up half the backyard and produced enough to freeze/can for the winter. MMMM. I have a smaller 12' by 15' garden now where I grow the basics. I grow bunches of Asia veggies its hard to find for the hubby and I am a grape tomato addict!!!

Now, my mother has the greenest thumb in the world. Her garden is HUGE and full of every flower, tree & shrub known to grow in the mid atlantic.

In the abode I have a two bonzai, three orchids, a clivia, four soon to bloom amerilis (sp??) and about ten Christmas cactus all in full bloom. I love Christmas cactus.
WAM

[Minnymouth]

I envy ANYONE who can grow flowers....... I can grow weeds!!!!
But guess its just as well since I'm allergic to most of them...... Only flower in my yard are roses, and they are far away from the house.....

But I can grow various yard and potted trees and vines. Grow GREAT sweet potato vines......

Any other flowers in my yard or garden are SILK.............. LOL...
Looks good from the road!!!

PS... I still have my garden in the backyard each year...... growing up our gardens covered acres!!! We canned fruits/veggie from July to September.

[One Half Full]

I have raspberrys and grapes and I want to put in Dwarf (not miniature) apple trees. I do tomatoes and peppers, but not much "Brussels sprouts" and so on. I have also a big herb boarder with sage and such. I put the sage and herbs in because I needed a border and they were cheaper than regular plants-- plus they also do things for you. Sage has velvety grey leaves and is a charming border plant. I have a variety of variegated types. It is really hardy and needs little water and care (my type of a plant). Oh, I also have a whole side of ornamental bunch grass. I did it because I am tired of Mowing! Yuk! I hate to mow. Any time I can fill up 10 feet with sage or grass is well worth my time. I want to get some pink grass that stands about 4 foot high for a background.

[Bandit]

I tried to grow variegated hardy sage three times but it never came back. That is a nice looking plant though and I used it the years I grew it in stuffing & soup.

The only thing about not having grass & ornamental plants instead is then you have to weed more. A real nice grass to get if you don't have it is the zebra white/green variegated. It goes up to about 8 feet tall & has nice plumes all the way from Sept. through December and even after the ice knocks them down, they will stand back up when it melts.

The only red one I know about 4 feet is a tropical grass & wont handle sub zero, the shorter ones willcome back but I never had luck with the tall red ones.

[Bandit]

I envy ANYONE who can grow flowers....... I can grow weeds!!!!
But guess its just as well since I'm allergic to most of them...... Only flower in my yard are roses, and they are far away from the house.....

But I can grow various yard and potted trees and vines. Grow GREAT sweet potato vines......

Any other flowers in my yard or garden are SILK.............. LOL...
Looks good from the road!!!

PS... I still have my garden in the backyard each year...... growing up our gardens covered acres!!! We canned fruits/veggie from July to September.

How about Poison Ivy? I am deathly allergic to that urish oil & found out the hard way- had it all over my eyes, face, arms, legs, belly, ankles & back- that was awful. Clemantis is nice & easy. Virginia creeper goes crazy all over, just have to control that one & it can make people itch too.

You are lucky to have roses that you don't have to watch over. I lose them all the time & kind of gave up because they need so much work, then I only get like a few roses after all the work. I have luck with one called peace rose- that thing goes crazy all summer to frost. I can't even get the hedge roses to grow much.

Silk roses! That is the ticket, like I Love Lucy when she put wax tulips in her garden & at the contest they all started melting.