A Garden Fairies Club

I've managed to find a few gardeners in or near my town, and we have kinda formed a Garden Fairies club. We've been taking turns meeting at each other's houses and working on projects. We've found it's a great way to get the big projects done that we either can't do by ourselves or can't find the motivation to do.

Last week, we met at Liz and Ed's house and put together a greenhouse they bought in kit form. It took all day (supposed to be a four hour job, according to instructions. HA!!)

Today was my turn to be the recipient of a garden fairies visit. We got an arbor built that I had been wanting, one "slummy" side of the house picked up, and a lot of weeding and thinning done. Of course the fairies got to take home some of what they thinned out.

We all need some soil and mulch hauled in, and a nursery has some great soil. My brother bought "us" a truck, but it's a stick shift and I can't drive it. So the other fairies drive the truck and we will haul them one load and then me one load.

My buddy Gail is also in this group. She helped us with the greenhouse last weekend. And she and I often get together and help each other weed or do other garden chores. I'm surprised at how much we can get done just working together for four hours. I hate weeding, but Gail and I get together frequently to weed. Then we spend quite a bit of time laughing as we weed, so it doesn't seem like such a chore.

Have any of y'all formed a group like this in your community? Have you found other gardeners in your community?

NancyAnn

Here's a picture of my new arbor that leads to what will one day be my wedding garden. Right now it is a huge area that holds my named daylilies, irises and cannas. I'll be movign these closer to the house and putting them in display gardens so I can one day completely redo the area. It will have a big pond and possibly a stream with a little bridge and lots of plants with a romance theme. I even have a Viagra lily to go in this wedding garden. LOL



This message was edited Jul 9, 2005 5:48 PM

Forgot the arbor! OOOPS.

The arbor is made of materials I got for free. The top is actually some metal shelving. And the posts were taken off a carport my neighbors had. They were going to throw them away. They're wrought iron and were black. I'm in the process of spraying them white. Next year, I'll grow some Rose Silk Morning glories on the arbor. If you havent' seen a rose silk mg, I'll attach a pic of one I grew last year. The blooms are about 5 or 6" in diameter and abuot the color of strawberry chocolate milk. The leaves are variegated. Very nice!

Hi! I think I like being a garden fairy. It's fun to go help somebody with a project, and it's especially fun when they come help you with one! Next time we all get together, we ought to have a cookout, like Ed and Liz did for us. Maybe we can do that at MY house... DH can cook while WE work!

If anyone has the chance to form a garden fairy group, go for it! The work goes a lot faster and is a lot more fun!!

Gail

Well, Gail, I guess we're in the elite. We seem to be the only gardeners here who have hooked up to help each other. How lucky we are to have teamed up with Liz and Ed so we can get all our projects done faster. Liz said our group reminds her of the old fashioned "barn raisings" where neighbors got together to help build someone's barn and had a big dinner and party afterwards. That's what being "neighbors" is all about--people helping people.

Wonderful idea ladies! Very inspiring..................

Marc

It's a lot of fun, too, Marc! Not only can you get twice the work done in the same time (as doing it alone) you've got someone to talk to and bounce ideas of off, and it's been really helpful for me!! Plus, you can share plants! We give each other divisions of our stuff and only spend 1/2 the money.... well... we still spend the same amount of money but we get twice as much stuff for it! LOL
Gail

So, B'flyChaser, when can the Garden Fairies come help me install my new water garden? You know I just can't wait!! I've moved all the plants except for the ageratum. The only plants there now are the ones that will just be rearranged around the pond. Don't forget... I promised you all the dirt!! You know, my good, fertile, sandy loam??? So whadda 'ya say?

You know this fairy will return the favor!
Gail

Patience my dear. The garden fairies, Liz and Ed, are coming to my house tomorrow morning to do some weeding and other projects. Then tomorrow afternoon, I'm going to Liz and Ed's house to help level a foundation.

But I'll come and help you dig out for the pond. Maybe on Sunday? If Terry doesn't take the truck to the mountains, I MIGHT just drive it over to load the soil up in the back.

You gotta come and see my new stream and my new arbor. The garden fairies have been so busy here!

See ya sometime this weekend.

N.

NancyAnn, what a great idea! If I stay here another year, I think I will contact some folks and try to put one together here. I think the idea of camaradarie in the garden can make any project less tedious.

Darius, since forming the group, we have all gotten more stuff done than we imagined. It's really easy for me to put off weeding because I hate it. But when I see that a bed is half weeded, thanks to a fairy, it's not so daunting then and I can dive in and tackle the weeds.

Also, we've been able to get projects done that we couldn't do alone. That's really nice. Ed and Liz couldn't have put their greenhouse together by themselves. But Gail and I helped and had it done by the end of the day. I could have put up my arbor months ago, but I was motivated in a different direction. With Ed's help, my beautiful new arbor is now standing tall and proud and I've gotten wonderful comments on it already.

Why wait a year? Get some friends together and start your own group now. You always have projects. And it's really a great way to commune with other gardeners. Sometimes we dont' get together because we feel we must stop what we're doing and sit and chat. All the while we're anxious, worrying over projects we should be doing instead of sitting around. So this way, we work AND visit at the same. And there's no guilt. We also push each other. Sometimes it's hard to start a project until someone else dives in. And OMG, the brainstorming we do! It's incredible! Such great ideas come out of our little group. It's amazing!

NancyAnn

NancyAnn, I'm looking for a place to move, hopefully by Oct-Nov. and have lots of sorting and selling to do first. I rent, and only have a tiny area of my own to garden.

Darius,

I know that feeling. I rented for YEARS during my first marriage and while I was single (15 years all together). I usually had a few annuals, but was reluctant to do much in the yard since it wasn't "mine". Now that I've got a home, I can plant, and plant, and plant!!

But some things are just too much for one person to tackle! DH would help but he doesn't have much patience for my picky-ness! Our garden fairies just stand back and say "how do you want to do this?" and once the "recipient" makes the decision, we all proceed to do it their way. Sometimes, we know there's a better way and we'll discuss different ideas, and it's great to have others around to bounce ideas off of, like Nancy said.

Once you get your own place and can "go crazy" you'll have to get some friends together and try it... it's a lot of fun!! When they come to help me with the water garden, I'll have DH fire up the grill and we'll cook out!

Gail

Nancy,
I meant to "speak" to you and then forgot... Sunday afternoon I'm going to Judy's for the irises, so we can't do it then. Did you want me to take her some plants for you? I can come by tomorrow, either before or after Emily's birthday party, and it's at 2:00. Don't have anything else on the docket tomorrow, unless it's cool enough to work in the yard.

Can't wait to see what all you've done, and you've got to come over and see mine! Those 2 days I spent this week (while I was home "sick") really show! The false sunflower I moved is already recovered from the transplant (it drooped for a day or two), and the crocosmias didn't even pout! Lord Baltimore is doing well, but Lady B. is pouting pretty bad. I may need to prune her back and give her some relief until her roots get over the move. It's been too wet to round-up around that tree stump where they were being smothered with crabgrass. I think once I get that cleaned up, it will make a good spot for my gnomes' home! Now, I just need to get me some more gnomes to keep the one you gave me company. LOL

Gail

I'll be too busy tomorrow to dig any plants for Judy. So she and I can do some trading later. I may go over there this fall. Tomorrow morning, Liz and Ed and I will be working in my garden and tomorrow about noon, we're all going to their place to work. I might just go to the Midsouth plant swap and trade with Judy there. Thanks for the offer though.

Yep, I gotta get over there and see your place. I started to come over tonight but I knew you were busy with family. I'll drop by one day next week. Can't wait to see what you've done.

N.

Wow what a neat idea a Fairy Garden club. There arent enough people around us that are really interested in gardening like my hubby and I are. I love the arbor.

Mary

Maybe a nursery or other local plant place would know of other gardeners you could hook up with. Tout it as a "garden club" or "garden cooperative" that does labor for each other instead of making flower arrangements! lol

ButterflyChaser was just here at my house last night, and I fed her supper and she helped me plant a bunch of "clearance sale" plants I'd bought!! That's just too fun!! I consider myself VERY lucky to have and know garden obsessions like me!!

Gail