Gardening as therapy.
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?
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I agree that marigolds are super easy to grow. Lantana is too. It practically takes care of itself!
I love all of the colors. They are so pretty.
The zinnias, are just seedlings starting, we can't put much outside for a few more weeks here.. I like the zinas , cuz I can cut them put them inside, or give them to someone that needs a pick me up. I love sunflowers, also have some teddy bear sunflowers, never planted them before so will see. Marigolds, are just so darn easy to grow and a good filller
I usually see hummingbirds in my backyard. I love them. I am amazed at how fast their tiny wings can flutter in mid air!
Zinnias are so vivid and bright. What color tulips and zinnias do you have?
When my daughter was driving back home from Denver she said that she saw fields of gorgeous sunflowers in Kansas.
Nice on the peppers, I got some zinas, and sunflowers, under heat lamps. And marigolds
Tulips 🌷 are so pretty! I love watching birds and butterflies in my yard. The squirrels are fun to watch also.
My peppers are growing. I’m hoping they will produce lots of bell peppers 🫑! I want to plant green onions soon too.
My brother is going to plant lettuce too. He’s doing great with his hydroponic garden.
He has a beautiful aquarium with fish in it. He bought another tank to do his gardening.
I am jealous of his success! My green peppers are growing but at a much slower rate.
I know nothing about growing vegetables in water. Supposedly, they grow three times faster in water. He also has herbs planted in his aquarium. No fish in this aquarium, just plants!
My dH waters it-he is frugal.
I see it every day out there.
It is encouraging, and I remember the neighbor who gave the blue floral planter to me when they moved.
Anyways last year a starling built a nest on my porch. I put my Christmas cactus on the porch.
The cactus flourished , double in size and I ended up with the most beautiful Halloween cactus I've ever seen. One other house plant really grew too.
So that's where my house plants are going from now on , when the weather permits
I just bought new clay pots at the garden center for my porch and patio. Now I need to purchase the soil and plants!
I buy a lot of Bob’s Red Mill products. Love their oatmeal, polenta and cream of wheat.
Sounds delicious, plus it was a fun activity for your family to share together. I guess seeds have protein like nuts do. I love poppy seeds in muffins. I get those at the coffee shop sometimes.
My neighbor buys bird seed for the birds. He builds beautiful bird houses. He has a beautiful garden.
My grandma made homemade ice cream that was the best! Sometimes she made peach or strawberry ice cream too. She mostly made vanilla.
We loved doing that. Grandma had a fig tree in her backyard. She made preserves for us. The neighbor had a pecan tree and they swapped the figs for pecans. Grandpa made pralines with the pecans.
Fond childhood memories.
I buy the seeds but I think it would be a special treat as a kid if mom is doing it!
Bounce,
Buy some pumpkin seeds to enjoy even though they won’t be the same vibe as eating them the same way that your mom did them.
My mom, grandmother and aunt picked crabs to make stuffed crabs. They were amazing! Our moms had a lot of patience, didn’t they?
Pumpkin patches are fun to see this time of year. I still watch the Charlie Brown Halloween special on television every year like I did as a kid. The Christmas one too.
I love pumpkin seeds. So, do you buy a fresh pumpkin and remove the seeds to roast them? I just buy a bag of roasted pumpkin seeds. They are delicious.
I have been buying large bags of almonds and making my own almond butter. Super easy to do. I put a spoon of almond butter in my oatmeal with a spoon of maple syrup and a splash of almond milk.
It’s my favorite way to eat oatmeal.
Occasionally, I buy pumpkins for decorating. I have never bought one to cook. I wouldn’t have any idea what to do with it. I would need to do some research.
I buy canned pumpkin to make pumpkin bread. I have never made a pumpkin pie. There is an ice cream place near me that does seasonal ice creams. Oh my gosh, the pumpkin one tastes like frozen pumpkin pie. It’s delicious.
I never drink pumpkin spice lattes. I hate flavored coffees. In my opinion they are for people who don’t like the taste of coffee.
Once in awhile I buy pumpkin or sunflower seeds to sprinkle on top of salads.
i noticed this weekend I had lilies blooming that normally bloom in the spring.
Crazy