You and gardening! What is the magnetism?

Cant remember a time when I wasn't into growing things, gardening is something different to me.
You can like growing plants, eg houseplants, greenhouse plants but that is not actually gardening, as such.
But I know the two are very similar and if you do one, you probably do the other.

 

Actually, a lot of truth in this. It was my Dad who inspired me. Not so much when I was young, although I knew he was into it. It was later when he was terminally ill that the penny dropped. I was lucky enough to spend a few years learning a bit from him (he was a great gardener) before he died. His big thing was growing veg, particularly growing big onions (Kelsae). He also loved to grow Chrysanths, hundreds of them. But there was nothing he couldn’t turn his hand to. He was the man that others turned to if they needed their gardens ‘doing’. No way I’ll ever be the gardener he was, but it’s nice to ‘garden’ as it feels like I’m keeping a bit of tradition going within the family, like a connection. Thirty years on, I still miss him greatly.

 

I had no choice..



Family of farmers, uncle inhereted the farm, i inhereted the need to grow stuuff, its in my roots you see.

 

Thanks Pattie. Nice experience.

Like you, once setting pen to paper. Ooops! typing to the forum, I could go on all night. "Oh NO" I hear someone say.

Back to basics. My first encounter with gardening was at the age of five (1945). I was helping or more like, hindering my Father with lifting the potatoes. The rest of my love and relationship to gardening, plants etc probably reads like my CV.

My life has consisted of being a slave of studying and research. Yes! I will anser to being. " Jack of all trades. Master of none."

Anything relating to plants has become my Elixir of life. Despite having earned my living in different vocations, horticulture has always been there for me. I have a tiny garden cose to Eltham Palace. Nothing spectacular. I tend to specialise in roses, fuchsias and lilies. Now as an oldie, my time continues to be taken up with studying. Having gone through most of todays groundwork etc. I now content myself with Studying the microscopic world of plants etc. I am a plant pathologist & to a degree a soil scientist. Much of todays interest is to keep the old grey matter working.

I have some interesting memories of the past.

 

I tell hubby that but then spend a fortune on compost, growbags and of course I'll need feed, possibly new pots, ..the hose is looking a bit weathered,..... I definitely need a new watering can,........those canes look past their best..............we need stronger string.... etc, etc,

 

"I don't recall being given a choice!"


Well, what's not to like?
"Lawn mowing"
Well ok, but aside from that?
"Digging allotment plots in the cold"
Well, ok, granted... But think of all the food!
"Battling with slugs, caterpillars, etc."
Well I'm sure you can't find fault with maintaining a lovely flower and shrub garden!
"Ripping yourself to shreds when pruning hawthorne hedges"
Umm...have you thought of taking up knitting?
Hey! how am I supposed to knit with paws? Besides - I'm busy guarding the compost bin!

 

That is a good point John.
But I sometimes wonder how much money we do save when you take into account fertilisers, seed, water, time and effort etc. etc.

I think if you were only doing it in order to save money it would become a chore.
I think we all do it mainly because we enjoy it.

 

... minimum wage ...

 

I'd use no fertilisers if I had access to manure, but even that stuff has a price tag.