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We never finished our fall cleanup either. We have a huge garden/landscape that is really too much for me. I got my landscape design certification and became a Master Gardener for our county, and I thought I was superwoman when we chose an undeveloped 3-acre place. I am very happy not gardening right now! I am thoroughly enjoying cooking, sitting by the fire with a good book and playing with our puppy. We have a pretty long gardening season here in Kansas, so this is a nice break. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=3&theater
CONGRATULATIONS! That's so cool. I am still looking at your pictures, and I love them. Honestly, I prefer the terrain we have on the East Coast heh heh, but I adore adore your garden. The variety of plants, the pond, the dry stream-bed, the native plants. Niiice.
Personally I think being superwoman was a good idea...as long as you're not too beat up. Plants can take a long time to settle in. Now you've gotten the design and planting done, hopefully you can enjoy the gorgeousness as everything matures.
How is it possible that I'm ALREADY thinking about spring gardening?
Winter just started, Spring is MONTHS away. AND I don't have any place left to put anything new anyway!
But QVC did a couple Roberta's Gardening Show hours, and that pricked my latent gardener's virus OMG they showed some GORGEOUS delphiniums! I don't know what I'm going to do when the weather REALLY starts to get warm....
I've taken a break for the winter, didn't even plant any pansies this year. But I'm thinking! In a couple of months it will be time for seed potatoes in Texas. I did them in my raised bed last year, but I really think they did better when I did a large container 2 years back, so I'm going to try that again. Way too early to think about things like the cosmos I throw out every year. Sigh.
We never finished our fall cleanup either. We have a huge garden/landscape that is really too much for me. I got my landscape design certification and became a Master Gardener for our county, and I thought I was superwoman when we chose an undeveloped 3-acre place. I am very happy not gardening right now! I am thoroughly enjoying cooking, sitting by the fire with a good book and playing with our puppy. We have a pretty long gardening season here in Kansas, so this is a nice break. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=3&theater
Congratulations on all your certifications and welcome from another Master Gardener. I really enjoyed seeing many familiar plants from my garden in a different setting. I don't think I can do a whole 3 acres anymore and envy the energy you must have.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TXNGL
I've taken a break for the winter, didn't even plant any pansies this year. But I'm thinking! In a couple of months it will be time for seed potatoes in Texas. I did them in my raised bed last year, but I really think they did better when I did a large container 2 years back, so I'm going to try that again. Way too early to think about things like the cosmos I throw out every year. Sigh.
I planted the pansies but they haven't been very happy this winter season with the tons of rain we have had so maybe you did the right thing. Until this last cold front there were still perennials hanging on and blooming though so i don't feel like I can take that break. While we may not be able to do much yet it's never to early to think about it. I know several older gardeners who have scaled back recently and have begun using more containers and raised beds to make arthritic limbs suffer less. So far they seem to be doing really well with it. When you love gardening a garden is a garden no matter how it is "contained". Good luck with your gardens.
Yall on the front range have been in tshirts and shorts while we've been in the deep freeze on the western slope. Planting time here is always Memorial Day.
I guess I haven't paid attention to the other side of the state! It's been a very nice week here, considering it's January! I don't plant anything other than pansies until mid May.
Congratulations on all your certifications and welcome from another Master Gardener. I really enjoyed seeing many familiar plants from my garden in a different setting. I don't think I can do a whole 3 acres anymore and envy the energy you must have.
I planted the pansies but they haven't been very happy this winter season with the tons of rain we have had so maybe you did the right thing. Until this last cold front there were still perennials hanging on and blooming though so i don't feel like I can take that break. While we may not be able to do much yet it's never to early to think about it. I know several older gardeners who have scaled back recently and have begun using more containers and raised beds to make arthritic limbs suffer less. So far they seem to be doing really well with it. When you love gardening a garden is a garden no matter how it is "contained". Good luck with your gardens.
Even raised beds can play havic on our old knees, but I sure hope I can give it a try. yes, we are doing more container gardening as well. I wonder how sweet potatoes would work in containers, anyone have any ideas?
I have old knees, and a bout or two of Lyme Disease sure made sure they were arthritic, so I really understand how you feel. I'm still stubbornly gardening the old fashioned way but who knows how long before I can't no matter how much I want to.
The raised beds I had in mind is not a standard on the ground kind but rather are boxes completely off of the ground.Some are solid and raised pretty high and others appear to look like tables. Many weredesigned for wheelchairs but their height makes them great for those who cannot kneel or do a lot of bending because of hip problems. Their big draw back, from what I have seen, is the shallow depth for the roots on some of the table-like versions and difficulty reaching the center in others. The shallower ones will need more frequent watering, and others may not have the best drainage, pretty much the same kind of problems anyone doing container gardening would have.
You can find many ideas by looking for handicapped or wheelchair gardening. Here's a few to give you a start:
My garden is behind our garage and missing a faucet back there. Fortunately there is a half bath in this garage, but no ulility sink in either of our garages...or even in the laundry room in the house.
So hubby started ripping out the vanity in the garage bathroom and will double whammy the project with a utility sink inside and plumbing to the outside for the garden. A little more progress towards a successful garden.
After a long soaking rain yesterday with almost a whole inch, today sunshine and 50 degrees. I spend some time looking at my garden, and mentally planning..."tomatoes there, squash there..." *sigh*. Come on Memorial Day!
After a long soaking rain yesterday with almost a whole inch, today sunshine and 50 degrees. I spend some time looking at my garden, and mentally planning..."tomatoes there, squash there..." *sigh*. Come on Memorial Day!
In the neighborhood today, there was a magnolia tree in bloom, and the Carolina Jessamine climbing up my mailbox is covered with pretty yellow flowers. The bottle brush bushes are about to bloom too. Love winter in the south....not as fond of the summer.
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I am still looking at your pictures, and I love them. Honestly, I prefer the terrain we have on the East Coast heh heh, but I adore adore your garden. The variety of plants, the pond, the dry stream-bed, the native plants. Niiice. 
In a couple of months it will be time for seed potatoes in Texas. I did them in my raised bed last year, but I really think they did better when I did a large container 2 years back, so I'm going to try that again. Way too early to think about things like the cosmos I throw out every year. Sigh.
I know several older gardeners who have scaled back recently and have begun using more containers and raised beds to make arthritic limbs suffer less. So far they seem to be doing really well with it. When you love gardening a garden is a garden no matter how it is "contained". Good luck with your gardens.
