It's become clear to me through posts and PMs that there are some gardeners here just waiting for the chance to discuss gardening!
So, I was thinking... how do you use gardening, or how does it affect you if you need a break, need some respite, need to relax, need inspiration....how do you use it as a therapy tool in caregiving?
What are your activities: Do you go out and pull weeds, read a magazine, design new beds? Look through garden catalogues? Go to garden stores?
And what interests have you added to your gardening? Visit estate or garden displays? Do you go to garden shows?
Does anyone design and plant Knot Gardens? Raised bed planters? Assistive gardens? Pollinator gardens (and have you thought of ways to help the bees and butterflies?)
Are your gardens primarily for pleasure or food, or a mix of both? Do you grow plants for medicinal purposes? Which ones, how do you harvest and process them? Any suggestions?
Do you grow plants that can be used in crafts, such as grapevines for wreaths and lavender for lavender wands? Do you make herbal products such as creams, lotions, chapstick?
What else can you share about gardening and the means in which it nurtures your soul?
Our front veranda bees returned every year until my father rebuilt the porch. I've wondered since then why my father didn't do anything to get rid of them because all of us were stung occasionally - although now that I think of it I can't remember him ever being stung 🤔
The dog hated them, he made a sport out of chasing and killing bees 🐝
Bumblebee nests don't live for long, so the nest should die naturally within a few months. After that time, the new queens will have flown from the nest to hibernate in the soil elsewhere. It is possible that a different bumblebee queen will find and use the same hole next year.
But interesting bee behaviors.
Early spring we had a swarm of bees at the cape honeysuckle.
I was getting ready to panic (=means find a quick but maybe expensive solution) because dH is allergic to bee stings.
He said: Leave them alone, they are swarming, looking for a home, and will leave in a few days. They left.
So, I asked him what you should do about the more permanent bumblebees under your shed.
He said, leave them alone.
That means, I guess, don't go out to your shed, and stop composting for awhile?
Obviously, I don't have the answer!
Sis and BIL had a carpenter bee that decided their wooden windows were the perfect place for a nest, before I managed to capture it the tunnel got so deep I expected it to break through into the house.
I have a huge problem with carpenter bee damage. They look a lot like bumbles, but instead of having fuzzy butts, theirs look like black plastic.
You could try to grow the tree! That would be so very cool.
I am someone who does not like old, damaged, or fruit eaten by something else. And, I like to know the origin of the fruit.
My dH is the opposite.
I think it was Trader Joes or Whole Foods that might have started a market selling less than perfect fruits and veges.
I've joined the gardening group on reddit and it's crazy how so many people freak out about a little bit of insect damage or less than perfection on their fruits and veggies. When we were kids we ate the wormy apples, we'd spit out the scabby bits and if we encountered a worm we'd just toss it and get another.
Squirrel = bubonic plague
Mosquito = West Nile virus
Tick = Lyme disease
Grasshopper= maybe that's safe
Deer = carries ticks = Lyme disease
What else?
🐭 🐰 🐛 🐿 🐌 🐇 🐁 🦄 🦌🦡️
Were you sleepwalking last night?
I hung a squirrel-proof tube feeder about 40” off the ground and it was mysteriously empty in half its usual time. Turns out wild turkeys can reach the feeding holes. Gluttons.
Nowadays, there isn’t always a sense of community in certain neighborhoods.
New Orleans has an interesting mix of neighborhoods, all with their own history and personality.
I like hanging plants on my porch. Some flowering plants and some ferns.
I have a huge front porch with a porch swing but I mainly sit on my back patio.
Your beans are growing! You have a green thumb.
When I was sitting outside earlier, I was wishing fall could arrive sooner! I do enjoy seeing my plumbago plants in bloom.
I adore the light blue color of the flowers. The butterflies, hummingbirds and bees love my plumbago plants.
I made better then pizza and I thought about you and your boys because of the adventures in potatoes conversation a while ago. I modified mine from the original recipe and it was a hit with everyone, love recipes that work with our tastes.
It is worth checking it out and creating another new experience for your guys.
I love reading about how well they are doing under your love. Well done Mom!
I like blueberry muffins too but blueberry pancakes are my favorite! Do you ever make a cobbler? My youngest daughter loves cobbler.
I also like berries in my oatmeal.
Oh, and the shovelling, nobody likes the shovelling .
Or the winter driving🚗❄️