Do you 'garden' yourself or...

Weezin' I'm ROFLMAO ''...the trend waned.'' Pity we don't have the same choice down here.

I suppose growth is inevitable and the bad always tags along with the good. Dinu makes a good point about gardening with whatever you have. True gardeners admire the planters made from old rusty pots, just as they admire the grander displays. I think most gardeners place more value to the personal efforts made than to the results.

We've got several showplaces in Seward. One family has completely tiled their back yard in... now they sweep or vacuum it. They have long, beautiful raised beds made of those expensive landscaping bricks, and they have a lovely octagonal heated greenhouse, as well. Each spring, hundreds of new plants are brought in... the expensive ones that we all eye at the nurseries, but hesitate to spend the money on. This house is often on the garden tour list because it is so lovely and awe inspiring. We all enjoy seeing it.

On the other hand, we have old time Alaska gardeners that couldn't tell you the botanical name of any of their plants, but everything they grow is healthy and productive. Many of their perennials were given to them by old timers long since dead, and each one has a story. You can't get back to your car without receiving starts, cuttings, and new plants in pots. There are always a few weeds in the beds, or the old dog is taking a snooze in them... that's my favorite garden tour.

Garden with what you have - should be the catch phrase. There are so many old proverbs to prove the point. Those who stretch beyond limits land in to some trouble or other.

Another point you make is a pretty good one, really true. Yes, we all eye on the expensive ones in nurseries but hesitate to buy for various reasons. We should simply stop there - the pleasure of looking at it, not possessing it.

The trend waned- car jackers? That is so heartening to hear! Because, crimes seldom wane! Do they? Is the Police effective and non-corrupt there? That should be a very strong point. Here, the politicians interfere in Police matters and the cases go haywire usually in favour of the perpetrator. That is the most annoying situation. I experienced it myself from the Petty Thefts that I reported in another thread, I caught the thief and handed him over to the Police. You know what happens next? The local area youth congress leader turns up in my house to 'compromise' with the thief!!! Lucky for you such nonsense is not there. So when such is the trend, crime can only rise, not wane.

So glad to know that in Alaska there are so many generous people that give away the things like that. True to the fact to coincide with our philosophy, first give (without expecting returns) and then receive. Hope you get the point.

Dinu, I think corruption occurs whenever any community organizes to police itself. Sadly enough, it is probably human nature to exploit for our own personal agenda. Advocates for the wayward youths are more concerned with the ultimate impact on the perpetrator or the theft or vandalism than they are concerned with your safety or property. In some ways, it is good to have special interest groups to keep things balanced, but we human beings seem to have trouble balancing... we sway too far one way or the other.

Many years ago, when I had lost someone very close to me, I wondered why I wasn't taken, as well, and I decided that I had some remaining lessons to learn. I've decided that one of these is the ability to receive with grace, as well as give. I think it is sometimes easier to give with no expectation to receive than it is to receive with no expectation or ability to give. Does this make sense to you?

I would love to see the streets and homes of your town. I'll bet is teeming with activity and the smells of dinners cooking and the sounds of many conversations. I live in the country, four miles outside a town that has a steady population of about 3,500 people. I have never lived in a 'city'. I find the concept of neighborhoods quite fascinating.

Our tradition is based on society and so neighbourhoods had healthy relationships between them. This aspect is waning. When people gather with similar intentions, there will be a positive flow of energy and things go the way one desires. It's called as 'Satsang'. Or group living.

Yes I agree with your thought on giving and receiving. Even receiving with grace is an art! As much as giving. Even though my inner self is clear, my external actions don't match them - when it comes to formalities and protocols. I somehow don't like them (I think I had started a thread on this subject way back). So, that leads people to think otherwise. That is a little problem.

So, when will you be touring this side to visit our place?

I am not a world traveler, Dinu. I haven't been 30 miles from town since May, and I haven't been outside Alaska in about 6 years. Being self-employed, it is difficult to leave and our finances don't allow for it. I think my husband has visited India, but it was many, many years ago when he was a young man working on ships as a steward.

We do all our own digging, planting, mulching, weeding ohhh , you know, you all do it yourselves for the most part....Those people who "Hire" help remind me of my ex. After I did all the bull work, he would proudly show visitors "his" garden (Standing with the hose and giving it a daily shower apparently gave him bragging rights) while I simmered in silence. Since this was near the end of that marriage, I was getting a little nasty, and the next time he did that, I managed to say cooly, "And what kinds of beans and tomatoes did you plant this year?" and watched him stutter and stammer out a lame and obviously fabricated answer. This might work nicely to deflate some of those pseudo-gardeners since they aren't likely to have a ready reply!!

I'm fortunate to have a husband who helps with the heavy work in the garden. When I began filling up the kitchen table with my seedlings each spring, he built my little greenhouse, and now I grow thousands of plants each spring. He's built raised, hooped beds all over the yard, taken over the composting, sifts and mixes my potting soil, and mows the lawn. When our tired old bones begin to ache, we sometimes hire help for the compost sifting, leaf raking, etc.

I really don't mind the 'show gardeners', since I get to enjoy the view, and I've been known to collect a bit of seeds from them... usually with permission! LOL! I'm particularly appreciative if they leave the tags in the pots so that I can I.D. them for the PDB! I've discovered I don't have to own every cultivar... I just want to see it and photograph it!

If I have any bone to pick with 'show gardeners', it is that they often pull all their perennials when they no longer look 'showy', replacing them with something more acceptible. If they would donate these plants or sell them at a reasonable price, the perennials would continue to give folks pleasure all over town. It's a bit more effort, but at least that is akin to gardening.

I have loved reading all the posts in this thread!

Dinu, I ache for your overgrowth and what it is doing to your city.

Weezingreens, Maybe I want to come and be adopted by you... except for the cold!

Myself, I think I could NEVER claim a garden as MINE if I hired it out! However this year, for the first time I hired someone to help me with the heavy stuff even though I am only 63.

If a garden is put in by a landscaper, I would probably prefer to walk through it by myself, since the owner could offer me little more than a cup of ice tea... certainly no information. If they've chosen the plants, decided on the placement... then I would still consider them 'gardeners'. Some folks are more 'hands on' because they truly love that part of the process, other because they can't afford help. Either way, it is admirable. On the other hand, some people can afford help or must have help because they are physically unable to do the laborous parts.

I guess it all boils down to this... if you plant flower to impress or compete with your neighbor... if you chose your cat because it matched your sofa... if you have a landscaper on speed dial and a man comes to skim the leaves off your pool, I probably won't be visiting, and I probably wouldn't be invited! LOL!

Everything in my yard I have done, to the biggest mistakes to the biggest accomplishments. Killing the bugs,avoiding the spiders, all the footprints, picking up and laying down mulch. Mine might not be the most beautiful garden around but its mine. Everything I have hand picked or been given means something to me, either because its something Ive wanted for so long, was given from the heart or its just plain wierd. LOL
No one else helps me dig or plan, DH wont even dig a hole, but his passion is not the garden so I get to do whatever i want-almost. Trading what I have is another passion to the point of exess. I have to try and remmeber to keep at least one piece for me.LOL

To be able to tell "My Garden" is with that special pride, however it looks. That is something inexplicable. I don't consider myself of my garden as beautiful, but others say so! That is something. I can differentiate between those who genuinely appreciate and those who superficially do so.

Yes, beautifully made gardens are a sight to the eye. There is no doubt about it. Not for nothing they say that the world is made up of all kinds of people - those who do themselves and those who get things done.

Because of my steep terrain, I could never have the gardens I want without my spousal unit constructing the rock garden and terraces. Because of him, I now have gardens that I would never have had if I had to do this hard labor on my own.
I do all the planting and fertilizing, he takes care of pulling weeds with me. One of the weeds we have since moving all this dirt is poke. We have cooked up several pots of it and it is delicious if you know what you're doing.....

Poke???? And you can cook it up and eat it? Tell me more. I'm ordering a book called "God's free harvest" today . It tells about alot of weeds you can harvet to eat and their nutritional value. Is a weed really a weed if it has nutritional value? If anyone knows of any other books like this please let me know. Thanks.
GG

GG, Stalking the Wild Asparagus http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0911469036/qid=1090423374/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-0085132-9655976?v=glance&s=books is a long-time classic.
Here's a link to a page of similar books on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0910042594/qid=1090423374/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-0085132-9655976?v=glance&s=books

Plus, Here's a web site you might find interesting; http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/

Poke is that tall weed that branches and puts on blue berries. The birds eat it and leave blue stains on your clothes on the line. Of course, not many of us dry clothes on the line anymore.
The berries and the roots are supposed to be poisonous. However, I think it must be mildly poisonous. My MIL used to put 1 or 2 to color her white grape and apple jam.
I used to have an old friend that sliced up the root and fried it in bacon drippings and fed it to his dogs to de-worm them. I don't recommend this as I don't know how much to feed dogs of varying weight. His dogs were very healthy and had extremely shiny coats.
I cook the leaves and tender stems in a little water and pour that off. Then I brown some ham pieces in a frying pan, add water and boil and scrap it to get all the flavorful little pieces off the bottom of the pan. I pour this into the poke, ham pieces and all and finish cooking the poke. This is a flavorful but mild and delicious vegetable.

There is MUCH controversy about eating poke... here in the mountains they call it "poke salat". Frankly, I'd be afraid of not getting it young enough to be safe.

http://www.geocities.com/KindlyRat/PokeSalad.html
http://www.aces.edu/dept/extcomm/newspaper/june21b02.html
http://www.grits.com/polk_egg.htm

My husband's grandmother (precious, precious lady) had an interesting way to telling one how to cook "poke salet". "You got to rench it n' bile it (rinse and boil) three times a'fore ya can eat it." I don't know that it is really necessary to go to that length, but the more you boil it and rinse it, the less likely there will be any poisons left in it. One word of warning though.........don't eat too much at first. They used poke to "clean out the pipes" in the springtime, if you know what I mean.

She then cooked it with eggs and bacon, or ham. Delicious!

I got spring-cleaned once before I learned to boil it twice, lol. I really love ramps with eggs but will try the poke with eggs.

Dinu, there is a question for you on the Parking Lot forum. You can't miss it.

Thanks all for the info on poke. Now I need to see if it grows anywhere out here in Illinois.
GG