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?
A few days ago we went on a carpacking tour - down roads my sister, brother and neighbor friends used to explore on our bikes when we were growing up, on routes that are much too long for us to navigate these days (especially with oxygen equipment).
There's been some change in the road configurations, but the major change from what I remember is that the trees now all grow right down to the edge of the dirt roads, often with overhanging branches providing complete cover from the hot summer sun. It was almost dark enough to turn on the headlights.
As I frequently do when in this kind of heavily forested environment, I thought of Evangeline. Despite human made roads, these forests still appear to be "the forest primaeval."
We meandered along these old roads, remembering bike rides of long ago, places we explored, swamps that are still there, new swamps that have appeared, an old barn we used to explore that is gone, replaced by houses, searched for the apple orchard that used to be a destination in fall when we picked apples from what used to be a cultivated orchard.
Some portions of our route took us by one of the local lakes, populated well with pontoon boats, motor boats and a few rowboats. The summer spirit captured us - were it not for the oxygen equipment, we might have gone wading, but we knew the parks and the local private beach would be packed.
The trees were everywhere, lovely green trees, some with massive trunks and long graceful branches.
Queen Anne's lace was blooming in a few spots, reminding me that these lovely flowers appear so regularly during summer, and lend a graceful touch to the otherwise masses of wild things some people call weeds growing freely along the roadside.
I looked for that perennial vine with its masses of white flowers but saw none in bloom yet. Silver Lace Vine, or Polygonum Aubertii, has always been one of my favorites, even if some consider it invasive. It's gracefully beautiful, light and frothy, so perfect for summer decoration. Sometimes it reminds me of the froth on a fresh vanilla milk shake.
So try to save your tree as you've planned; it'll be a happy tree if you do!
Love, from Send
Hubby will remove the grass around the tree that only migrated there since Feb. when all the grass was dying-I think I knew better-but at that point, green was green! But I kept silent.
All the suggestions will be explored and I will treat the wound with Melaleuca Oil.
Then, check for bugs, disease, close the gopher hole and send it packing! This I know how to do. Then, if needed, the scrape (wound) will be sealed with a special sealant for trees that I have from when Osh Hardware closed it's doors-looks like tar-which was what my Father used and he was a tree surgeon. I was too young to be taught much of what he knew, but remember how he had flushed out gophers with water down each hole. My summer project, hoping hubby helps willingly.
FUN.
But I'm wondering if there are insects inside that hole, and you wouldn't want to seal them in. Animal holes can open pathways for unwanted insects.
I wouldn't feed the tree anything but water or compost. You can also water around the drip line, the edge of the extent of the tree branches.
Putting rocks close to a tree would allow the rocks to heat up and retain that heat, perhaps also heating up the soil depending on the size of the rocks. Not a good move if they want to save the tree. Tree trunks need breathing room; that's another reason why mulch shouldn't be piled up around the tree trunk, as I've seen in so many "professionally" planted trees - their lower branches could literally smother in mulch.
and just before this bloom, my husband left the hose dripping overnight.
Maybe I should feed it and patch up the bark damage. Or, just let nature take it's course? I see that some neighbors have put their decorative rocks right up to the base of their little trees-I know that won't work in this heat. But we have about a two foot patch of St. Augustine grass and bark surrounding the tree. Gotta go out and talk to the tree now-it just has to survive-how else will it be able to clap it's hands when the time comes?
GA, it was always my ambition to try to espalier some fruit trees. My brother had planted large apple trees that mostly went to waste as it was impossible to keep them insect and disease free, ultra dwarfs and espaliers are the only sensible option for the home grower.
But I'm wondering about a few other things besides a damaged tap root: soil, drought in California, and pollinators. Any one of these could affect setting blossoms and developing fruit.
AKDaughter is an expert on growing fruit trees; she probably would know more than I. I've been thinking more and more about getting some dwarf trees to grow, though, so at least I could have some pesticide free fruit. But I'm not sure the raccoons or the nosy neighbors would even leave the fruit for ME to harvest!
Yesterday, I saw this little flower bloom on one branch. It is one little flower! It looks like my avatar photo, but smaller-only one magical bloomin white flower.
My garden grows itself, no matter what I do. I am so over-joyed over this one little flower.
Sad to say there are some who would kill a bunny on purpose, once I was out with a group and a bunny didn't know enough to get off the road, the driver (a young man of course) stepped on the gas to see how fast the bunny could go. Fortunately for the bunny there were women in the car!
Has anyone experienced, after removing the grass and replacing with decorative rocks, the sound comes inside the house more? Every loud voice, every car door slam-is this my imagination?
It would not work at all to let him stay outside-maybe I would get called out for neglect of a vulnerable adult!
The strawberry moon (time to pick remaining fruits) is even more rare than blue!
The strawberry moon has other names, too. As do all of the full moons. The Farmers Almanac will tell you.
and yayy for the solstice, strawberry moon. wonder what the others are called..
113° is not normal! Very heat sensitive here, 75° indoors is too warm for me.
Enjoy the Summer Solstice (first day of summer) coinciding with the rare strawberry full moon (last one was 1948!-also the year In-N-Out was started; that year Israel became a Nation, and-not so important, I was born.
Hope everyone can stay cool!
Guess I'm glad I didn't get a Spring garden in because the plants would either now be drying out or bolting.
I'm thinking next year I might plan to create more pea an bean tents and plant bolting crops under the tent to help protect them from the sun.
38.33° CELSIUS.
Nice visual, thanks.
If we didn't live so far away, you could have some of my ostrich ferns. They grow easily, multiply easily and are beautiful. Some volunteered next to the garage, where they're in sun, which isn't the best location as they're shade lovers.
Despite periodic location, more still sprout. I suspect they grew wild in that area before this house was built.
They are stunning in August though as they begin turning color earlier than their friends in the shade. As they lose vigor, their fractal balance and shapes are more apparent. They'll turn a golden to rusty brown but some fronds will remain green. Just lovely - I peek out the window several times a day because they're just so pretty at that time of the year.
One limitation is that they don't do well with cut bouquets. I used to add them to flowers to create a green contrast, but they just never held up even if cut, put in water and kept in water until mixed with flowers.
I also tried drying them once, to use with violets in hand made cards. I don't recall if it was the violets or the ferns, but that effort wasn't very successful.
Yesterday I was out scouting for freebies and came across some ferns (ostrich?) growing in the ditch. People clean out their gardens and just dump the extras by the woods, so I figured since they are not native and growing in the ditch and not private land they were mine... always carry a shovel in the car!