Older gardeners!!!

My pleasure Pirl! LOL Thank you for the link also, just what I needed...more eye candy!

Hey Pirl - I followed your lead to the DLs, and find you over here surreptitiously sneaking into Iris!! I love Iris; my mom told me a story of an elderly lady back in Missouri where we lived when I was a babe - she rented her apartment, but bought the empty lot next door so she could grow her beloved Iris. Won many fair awards and such, and was well-known in town as the Iris Lady! I'm going to be replacing the grass in my front yard this year with "all garden", and now I MUST have more Iris!!

And...40-44 is old?? Heck, I didn't realize I'd passed that milestone already!! I think the reason there are so many "older" gardeners is we are in better shape than the folks who don't get out into their yard. Gardening is like old age - it's not for wimps or the faint-of-heart.

Great post, dryad!

While I can and do understand that some people just don't enjoy gardens well enough to create their own, I don't understand why anyone should portray gardeners by age. They'd never say that chess or bridge was too much thinking for anyone over 44 nor would they say you can't ski at 75 or do parachute jumping at 83.

I bet they're all jealous that we have a passion and the energy and desire to surround ourselves with beauty.

I loved the story of the iris lady and can equate since some new neighbors don't know me by name but call me "the lady with all the flowers".

This message was edited Jan 2, 2008 8:59 PM

Thats cute Pirl! Guess if you need to be called something other than your name thats a nice one! I had the same experience:

My DD BF works with pre-kindergarten children in the city. She heard one of her students talking about her big sister going to California for school. She asked the little girl what her sister's name was and she said Mallory. Amy (DD BF) knew instantly it must be the one at my house so she asked her a few more questions. "Is her boyfriends name Josh?"
The little girl answered "Yes, and his Mom's name is Celeste and she grows yummy tomatoes and beautiful flowers!" I laughed my butt off when DD called and told me about it.

How sweet that she remembered!

My granddaughter used to tell her friends about her Grandpa's "farm". Right! We call it a vegetable garden but to her it was heaven to pick the raspberries and tomatoes, NOT the broccoli or peas or asparagus.

I remember my Grandfather's garden - we would watch it from the upstairs screened in porch (older house) and when a squirrel would get a bit too close to his tomatoes he would quietly open up one of the screens and hit the squirrel's butt with a pea from his slingshot - it was a hoot watching them jump multiple feet in the air with their tail waving wildly to get away from whatever just stung their behind! I was entranced with his garden, and remember him telling me about why he had to stake his tomatoes, etc. (And yeah, I also learned how to aim and shoot a slingshot!!)

I think those people who aren't gardeners and may be envious of those of us who do garden may just be afraid to jump in. It can seem daunting if you've never grown anything before and live on the same block as someone like Pirl - LOL! They don't know it's as easy as one little wax begonia in a pot and you're hooked! As for those who don't like to get their hands dirty, well....there are other "hobbies" for them.

You do have great memories, dryad! How I'd love an old fashioned screened in porch as I had for so many years. A sunroom is just not the same - not even in the same ball park.

I'm sure it's true that many people, who don't garden, can enjoy the beauty of gardens (I'd never trust anyone who couldn't) and it's true that many are hesitant to start lest they get hooked. As for not getting their hands dirty, that would be a sad reason not to enjoy the hobby. My hands are their smoothest after a dip in Clorox at the end of each gardening day.

Pirl, my neighbors aren't so kind...I wish they would call me the "neighbor with all the flowers"...

Usually they tell me it's overkill, or, more commonly, "Where's your lawn?"....

If you really need Iris dug up, let me know...I will gladly work for plants...I did it all summer long at the garden center...lol.

the people in this apartment complex call me "the flower lady" - the landlady introduces me like that to new people... which i think makes me sound like a much older gardener than i am!

Ill take any of those names and embrace them. Mine is similar I'm sure - now what we call some of our neighbors around the house - you wouldn't want anyof those names:Cat man,crabby lady,car toucher/mower man, etc.

So you're okay with 'flower lady', Al?

well, it's better than rose nut... what can I say???

i guess it's better than "flower girl."

now that i think about it, i could go for "flower woman" - sounds like a superhero(ine)!

This message was edited Jan 2, 2008 3:55 PM

My UPS guy calls me the guy with the botanical garden. A FedEx guy used to call me the guy with the Disney garden.

I would prefer 'crazy flower lady' - that is the top level of terms.

Flowerwoman vs. the Contorted Filbert
(jeez, now it sounds like wrestling, not comic books)

Why Disney, Victor? Creatively shaped topiary? Or because it is so enchanting?

No topiaries here. Just the entire garden with hanging baskets, window boxes, etc.

I've been referred to as an aging flower child.

Wow, I missed a lot here. That'll teach me to go shopping.

Pixie, in answer to your questions about the hardiness of Japanese Iris, most of the sites say Z4, some say 3. But JoanJ, here on Daves Garden is trialling some of the Japanese Iris, and siberian iris for me. She is in Z4a. I sent them to her in May 2007. I know she was doing well with them over the summer, and one even bloomed for her, so I know it will be a good test, and that they were not neglected. So, in the spring, I will know how well they did. I have some customers up north, that are in Z4, so I wanted to see how they would do. We have been changed here to Z6a, but were always 5a before, and in fact, in recent years have not had the -20 that we have had, but I have had Japanese and siberians survive the -20 here with no problems at all. In fact, I don't think I ever lost one. I would suggest you get them early enough in the year to be sure they establish well before winter. It sounds like you get substantial snow cover as we do, also, so I think they would do well for you. Joan gets little snow cover, so it will be a good trial for some of my customers in St. Lawrence County who also get very little snow. But Z5, with snow, should do excellent.

Victor, just to add a little bit to what Pirl said so well about Japanese Iris. You can pretty much grow them in the same conditions as bearded, in any garden bed, maybe with just a little more water. They will grow and bloom, and look beautiful. But to get the most out of them, and have them look like Pirls do, her instructions are essential. They are very easy to grow, and have a long bloom period. And for some reason, as Pirl, and I have discussed before, they all seem to go well together.

Victor,

Can we see some pictures of your gardens. Or is there a thread you can refer me to where I might find some?

Are you a plant collector, with one of everything?

I have posted many photos over the past year or so. Not one thread to highlight, however.

I fight the plant collector in me and do try to keep a decent design going. Not into crazy piles of individuals!

Well, would you please post just one, so I can get an idea what your garden is like? Please.

Tony Avent is a plant collector, and says you can do a garden with individual plants, and from the looks of his garden, it must be true. But I think it would be hard to accomplish.

I'm no fan of his. I don't buy his philosophy and have had nothing but negative experiences with Plant Delights. He is extremely arrogant and egotistical.

I'll see what I can come up with. It's changed so much this past year due to tree removal. Lots of shrubs and perennials. Annuals in pots and baskets. Many clematis. And of course a few nice trees - JM's being my latest addiction.

I am a collector, but of cultivars and not species - does that count?

Can we call you Count Cultivar Collector?

Of course that counts Al. And the pictures I've seen of your gardens shows me it works well.

Well, Victor, don't be shy about what you think about Tony Avent. I like some of his introductions, but usually can find them elsewhere cheaper. I must say everything I have purchased from Plant Delights has been good, but definitely pricey. I ignore his arrogance. He's no Dan Hinkley, that's for sure.

I'll never be out of control since I only have a few daylilies and ran out of room for hostas already.

3C out!

But you have more than one of many varieties, no?

A few, under 10 doubles I would say. I don't have names just for names - I need to be able to tell the difference in the plants from a distance.

Why is that?

I guess I want a variety of plants not just a variety of names. Echinacea get to be pretty similar now.

Polly, thank you ever so much for that inspiring piece of info on JI!! I will most likely go wild now at the Ensata web site. LOL

You mean you want very distinct varieties. I agree about the Echinacea lately. Many of the new varieties are too similar and not real performers.

Pixie,

You're welcome. I really think you will like them, there's nothing like a JI in full bloom. Just be sure to get them early.

And when you're looking at them notice the height on some of them. I have one-- 'Dino' that is registered at 70 inches tall. I think Pirl has some of the tall ones, too. If you're setting up a bed of them, I think it's nice to have the varied height. The siberians I love don't have that much difference in height.

Victor, if you're "Not into crazy piles of individuals!" what on earth are you doing here?

Good one, Amy.

Not what I expected from you Victor.

Takes time to get going - just got inside from putting the kiddies on the bus and my everything is frozen.

I can imagine Victor! I'm not stepping outside unless the house is on fire!!

Good one, Amy!

Jack took his morning walk with the dog, Harry, when it was -9 with the WCF. The two walkers out this morning are 77 and 65 - so where are those young people? Chicken!