Tell about your best gardening helper

How about everyone sharing about who their best gardening helper is? Many of us have someone in the background that supports our passion, even if they don't share it.

My best gardening helper is my hubby Ed. He totes (Tennesse talk for hauling stuff)and tills for me. While he has been know to gumble on occasion, he is always a good sport when I decide I need another new bed put in, or if the cars have to sit outside in cold weather so that my plants can be stored in the garage. And he never asks how much I spend on gardening, nor does he complain when the summer water bill is out of the roof. He accepts that when the weather is mild, he has to come outside and follow me around if he wants to talk to me. But best of all, he has learned to take pride in OUR gardens. Nat

I would have to say that my Husband, Bob, has a lot in common with your Ed. He grumbles more (a lot) but he will dig, haul, pay the bills for me and follow me about to talk.
This morning he even took my latst batch of packages to be mailed out to the Post office for me. He brags to everyone about the garden and sometimes prints out photos to show to people I don't even know (which is embarrasing)

He will dig holes but will not plant a seedling. He enjoys watching me garden but doing gardening.

I would say that my DH and his brothers are my true heros. They brought in three pick up loads of soil for me. DH said that it was not only my BD present but aniversary too. Gotta love um. LOL

My DH is my best grumbler .. oops ... helper ;)
He is wonderful about building garden things for me! He will purchase and haul my needed gardening supplies from Lowe's or Home Depot. Most important - He is very patient with me and my plant addiction :) Humm .... must be a man thang about following wives around the yard and talking.

Zany - sounds like our husbands must be long lost brothers. That would make you my sister-in-law! nat

Nat, I understand your intent in this post. BUT, my best garden helper is my faithful Garden Cat who always sees to it I'm safe in the garden. (She really wouldn't be able to protect me if I wasn't safe, but she certainly considers it her self-appointed job.)

Definately my DH, Michael. Although I'm not quite sure if I'm his helper or he is mine - LOL!

My Garden Fairy!! She is the bestest helper but she does tend to get a bit muddy and has very expensive taste in plants. She is also no longer allowed to get any kind of fern. (she talked Grandpa into buying her an AAustralian tree fern) She plants and digs and will plant snoop for hours. She is only 11 so I have her for a few more years.

Darius, I expected different views on this subject. AND I remember your nice cat. My cats and dogs are either digging up my plants or trying to get me to throw the ball for the millionth time while I garden.

I think just having someone (animal or human) to share your gardening time is a form of support. Nat

My constant gardening companion is Calamity, my 9 month old Golden Retriever and she decides which plants go and which plants go. She cannot resist a blossom on any plant and tries to eat them all, and all my plastic plant tags I had to remember what was what has become wishful thinking.

I know she doesn't meet the normal definition of "helper" but she truly think's she's helping. She won't touch weeds because she knows I don't like them and besides, they're not yummy looking enough.

In conclusion my husband is my best friend because he alway's likes what I have done and he tries really hard not to laugh when I threaten to kill the dog and he doesn't turn me in. He is my hero.

This is sweet, that so many of you have said your hubbies. I wouldn't have expected these answers. But I must agree with , Leonard is my helper/grumbler sometimes too.

Purpleice, my helper is like Calamity.! Moka is about 6 months now-a miniature poodle. She loves to dispose of the "ugly" white garden tags-never mind that they mark my special plants, she dead-heads the blooms, she weeds out my ajuga and moss gardens and aerates the garden path, by using it as an oval race track with the younger helper-Pippen. I so do love their help, that I just wander around enjoying (and protecting) the plants. Weeding, planting and moving can be done when they take their naps.
My sister, Heidi, is also a helper, by sending great young Japanese maples from NJ and sharing other plant goodies,

My DH is a gem. He's very supportive and helpful in moving and hauling heavy stuff. And he never complains about the hours I am down the basement starting my plants from seed. But I also have to say that my boys are great helpers. They are very strong and so when I need any holes dug, or loads of soil moved, they come to my aid.

I garden solo, but with big jobs my Dad helps a lot. He has power tools and knows how to use them! LOL. He doesn't like to garden, but he does enjoy building things.

I'm way too ditzy and accident prone to actually handle a powerful electric saw or a chain saw, or the really huge drill thing.

Cheri'

I had to think hard to answer this. I have taken to introducing my hubby as my financial backer! LOL Well, he makes more money than I do. He also is a whiz at putting stuff together, cleaning and maintaining the tools and doing the jobs I don't like, other than getting in the pond. I haven't been able to get him in there yet. As far as motivation, my kids are responsible for that one! I think I am a better parent because I can and do start tons of seeds, get out and plant things, dig, till, plan, buy, etc. The reward of the whole thing, is the oooohs and aaaahs of hubby and the kids when they see the flowers come up and bloom. :) Occasionally, they all pull a weed too.

my dw never goes into the garden. she hates gardening but enjoys all the veggies that come out of it. my son helps me each year putting up the seven foot fence around the garden to keep the deer out.

DH of course is a help; he does all the things that are too hard for me. But really my best helper is my dear friend Torch, who happens to be a cat. He lives outside because he was an adult when he adopted us, so he continues to spray even though we had him neutered. He is very loving and stays near me when I'm gardening. Every now and then he sings to me and comes close to gaze into my eyes and be petted. Each time I go outside, even if it's only a few minutes since the last time, he comes over to greet me.

Awww, Jenn....that's beautiful. I have two cats who must stay indoors, due to the fact that we live in the city and I wouldn't want anything to happen to them. (cars, other cats, dogs, etc.) But they watch me through the windows and they sit up on our 'moon roof' and survey the 'land'. I know they want to be out there with me, but we have to be satisfied with petting and treats whenever I come back in the house.

My best gardening helper was our fawn colored Boxer named "Ms. Penny". She was always at my side whenever I was outside gardening. Her job was to chase away every squirrel that came into our yard! She did an excellent job by either chasing them up into the trees or into our neighbors yards. However, SIGH....she passed away last May, at the age of 9 yrs., after being my loyal companion, faithful friend, and gardening "buddy". We miss her terribly and she has left a void in our lives. My gardening helper will be very hard to replace! However, we are considering getting another dog soon, but it will be difficult to fill Ms. Penny's "shoes".

My Goodness, it seems that whether our best gardening helpers are pets or human, it really just proves to all of us that gardening is most enjoyable when we share it with someone we love. As mad as I may get at Callie, our dog, for destroying things I can't stay angry for long. Like my hubby say's, things will grow back and survive. Callie's a puppy and she'll grow old someday and I know I'll desperately miss her silliness and energy.

So, like you, MarciaGeiger, I just try to protect what plants I can and try and seize the moments because they never last long enough.

My Dad helps me with the large stuff that I can't do. He's a retired auto mechanic and I swear he can do most anything. He and my Mom are on their way back to Florida for the winter. If I need help while he's in the sun, I turn to my big brother.

I wish I could garden with my cat Ginger. That would be a blast. I live on a very busy highway and she cannot go outside.

I try to take my JR, Moose, out with me in the back yard gardening, but he doesn't like it. He sits on the porch steps staring at the door looking at me sideways willing me to let him back in the house! He is the ultimate couch potato, or in his case, bed potato! LOL I do most of my gardening alone, but I spend lots of time talking gardening with one of my friends and of course, all you DGers!

LimeyLisa Kay

Linda Helps me most even though I have to go behind her and replant some things because she is in to much of a hurry to suit me.

I have some physical problems that are starting to make it hard to do alone so her help is really appreciated she really likes her flowers but thinks I have lost my mind when it comes to the greenhouse and veg garden.

I probably have but thats ok at least I can be crazy at peace.

Now in terms of time put in the award has to go to Sugar and Mary the welfair cats so named because I got them from the homeless cat place. One or the other of them is never far.

Second place is shared by Gabby and Pete a pair of golden retrivers who have been known to beg for berries as they are being picked. Ernie.

PurpleiceI will teach your Golden to not destroy your garden if you will teach the weeds to stay outta mine.


I have had two to three Goldens for over twenty five years and they are really easy to train. They just want to please.Ernie.

Hi Ernie...

Actually my sweet baby girl is too interesting now to want to change her a whole lot
and the weeds in your garden can't possibly be as trainable as her.
So, I'll train my puppy and you can train your weeds but I'll still have better luck because when I tell her not to do something, eventually she learns. I have yet to see a weed listen to anybody's command. But if I find a way to train weeds I will come to your garden and gladly help.

Happy gardening and thank you for your post, it would be nice to have you as a neighbor!

My best helper is my little dog, Blue. She is just now four years old, a Lhaso Apso. She is never far from my side. I do have one problem, I have now four banties, one young one this summer. Their house and yard is at the edge almost into my new woodland garden. Blue cannot understand why she isn't supposed to chase the chickens. She knows she is not supposed to but her instincts tell her that she should. I mostly keep the chickens in their yard until late afternoon, then let them out and come back into the house with Blue. I also have a very handy man who has worked for me part time for about 15 years. i have mentioned him before. With my hip and foot problems I couldn't take care of this large yard by myself. Donna

Purpleice I am jealous you have a puppy and I don't. I have wanted a new little girl since Sarah died last Nov at seventeen, but the boss says no. News flash when the time is right I will get another one and once she sees her it will be like it was her idea all along. Then again there is always her birthday.

Talk nice to baby and she will get it Goldens respond to gentle I have never had a bad one. In the mean time please study up on weed training. Ernie