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You'd think that as 'iffy' as gardening can sometimes be, there'd be little room for us 'perfectionists' out there.
In addition to not being able to use my nicely-maintained and working tools, if my poor husband chooses to help me in the yard, it does have to meet my exacting standards. Good thing he loves me. (At least I think he still does. Maybe I'd better ask -- but NOT when we're gardening together.)
I too like to get everything "just perfect" when I'd gardening .
Oh wow! I'm not alone! I dragged a poor Arborvitae all over the place yesterday before I found just the right spot, which of course was the first place I had originally put it!
You'd think that as 'iffy' as gardening can sometimes be, there'd be little room for us 'perfectionists' out there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tet tea
Oh wow! I'm not alone! I dragged a poor Arborvitae all over the place yesterday before I found just the right spot, which of course was the first place I had originally put it!
You should have seen my eyes light up when I saw the landscape guy on This Old House explain "good side out" when positioning a plant....now I really study each plant for it's "good side" before positioning it!
OK, I've got to be honest, and get real, here, too.
Aside from all of the personal reasons that I garden -- like to play in the dirt, relish in the fruits of my labors, instant gratification, enjoy the time outdoors and being there is less of a chore than being in the house . . . there is the 'competitive' side to me (and this is u-g-l-y).
But, I WANT the prettiest yard to be mine.
There, I said it.
Neighbors up and down my street have been just busy, busy, busy little gardeners, out in their yards in their hats and gloves, with their spades and trowels, and shovels, and weed-killers, and blowers, and mowers, and packets of seeds, and bedding plants, and mulch, and you think for one minute I'm not caught-up in ALL THAT?
The house across the street from me has a small beauty shop in the basement. I love to hear the older women when they get out of their cars. "Oh my, he has really turned that house around." It's a huge chore reclaiming a yard that was neglected for 20 years, but it's always rewarding to hear them gush.
Location: Moved to town. Miss 'my' woods and critters.
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Years ago I was an 'urban gardener'. For 30+ years I have been a rural gardener. I believe this instinct to stick my hands in the earth comes from my mother who once planted and nourished almost 2 acres of gardens in the suburbs of St. Louis county. Over the many years here in a place beyond the 'burbs, I have attempted to emulate her successes. However, more failures have been the results of my efforts. Even so, I consider Mother Earth and I as partners in maintaining any level of sanity that I now have.
Rabbits and squirrels and other wildlife appreciate my gardens. What they leave for us we do enjoy. I do have one great big problem tho'. I consistently order and purchase plants occasionally with no idea of where they may find a home. The I wander around our land way too often holding this prize before helping it put it's roots down.
I do this because I can and because I really do enjoy gardening. At one point in my life if you asked me to plant something I should have asked you where you wanted me to 'bury' it. A green thumb I did not have. It did not come very easy for me to do. Lots of trial and error. And advise from a wonderful, knowledgeable daughter-in-law.
There is so much satisfaction to be gleaned from gardening. Even when I am breaking my back, or down on my hands and knees, it feels good to see the fruits of your labor.
I had to learn on my own, too, and have lost a lot of poor plants as a result of trial-and-error, but unfortunately, it's how you learn. I suppose the plants over the years have forgiven me.
I'm now trying to decide what types of plants I want to kill in my window boxes. I haven't had a challenge like this in years.
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why do you garden?
