I am issuing you a challenge. . .

I know i sometimes worry so much about getting the weeds out of my garden, dead-heading, you know all the work involved. I stopped this morning and sat there and drank a cup of coffee just sitting and looking at them--not watering, not looking for new buds (although I did that too), just simply enjoying. It was so nice I wanted to remind you all to do the same! It is easy to get caught up in the work and ignore the pleasure. So I am challenging all of you to do the same sometime in the next few days and report back to us to let us all know how you felt.

I myself was at peace, proud of my work and satisfied with what I have accomplished. I was also very relaxed sitting in that chair with my coffee, feet kicked up. It was really truly nice!

Someone stopped yesterday and I was showing her around the gardens and she kept saying, "These are so high maintenance, don't you agree?" And I kept saying, no, I enjoy them, they don't seem like work. She was quite insistent about it. Poor woman, can't see the flowers for the weeds!

Think I'll get a cup of tea and go enjoy.

Last summer I saw my neighbor, a fanstic gardener, mumbling while she weeded her "cutting flower" bed. So I wandered back to say, hey and find out what's up. She said she had a terrible day at the office and that gardening was therapeutic for her. I asked how so, and her response was that she was naming every weed after a person before she ripped it up.

My husband laughed at me last night because he poured me a glass of wine and told me he'd meet me on the patio. Instead he found me with my wine in retaining wall pulling grass out of my flowers. I was having fun even if he thought I was crazy.

I'm working on a butterfly garden that will eventually surround my patio. I'm not far from surrounding it now but y'all know how it is--can't have too many flowers so I'm sure this project will be ongoing for at least several more years, lol. I've also got some red maples that are finally beginning to offer a little shade. Hubby and I added an oak porch swing to the patio and love to sit out there and enjoy all the pretties while we cook on the grill. Hubby's not a gardener so he's always asking me to name all the new flowers he sees. I couldn't agree with you more Amy, what's the point in doing all that work on our flowerbeds if we don't take time to enjoy them?

I had an old friend come in from out of town last night. He loved the garden and we sat out for a couple of hours. It was fun to see it through new eyes, especially eyes that are blind to fungus, bad pruning decisions and insect chomps.

I'm so fortunate to have a large garden, no neighbours (10 acres) and over the years we have placed many garden benches around the place because we also have so much wildlife and ocean views to die for, so I love to stroll about in the evenings and rest my weary ass as I go along, but I have visitors who either say "what in the Lords name do you do way out here on your own all day" or, why do you bother with all this gardening work when no one sees it, and I've even had, do you never get bored living here without seeing anyone, there is no real answer to those people, they cant sense the pleasure, they cant even understand that you do it for the sheer love of watching things grow or that nature has a helping hand, but the best laugh was one of my friends who has neighbour so close you can almost touch their house from her living room, had a new hip replacement, she was getting better and recovering well, when one sunny day she thought she would do some gardening (weeding,) so she was on her backside on a cushion when her neighbour walk over and said, why are you weeding, they just die down for winter and you dont notice them again till next year, what a waist of time picking out weeds, needless to say, her next door garden is a jungle of weeds but she dont like fresh air or the sunshine on her face, what can you say to top that one off. Happy gardening to you all. WeeNel.

This is a great thread !
I rarely "sit and enjoy" either, because my eye always catches something I "should" be doing. You all know how THAT is ! LOL

I am surrounded by people who can NOT for the life of them, understand why I like to garden and deliberately create "all that WORK" for myself. One idiot who lives behind me is constantly telling people I'm crazy for having a garden and that if my place were his, he'd CEMENT the whole thing in. I just find it so laughable.

These insane comments usually come from people who are extremely unhappy, have NO interest in ANYTHING except sitting in front of the television all day long, and complain about everything under the sun.

Non-gardening people will never understand the joy and fulfillment we derive from this passion, and how we need to be constantly "puttering" in our gardens. Would that they could.

I do enjoy however, when one of these people experiences a sort of epiphany and is awakened to the joys of gardening, usually due to some freak incident like their amazement at how a neglected geranium of theirs managed to survive 6 months of no watering, then suddenly bloomed !

As they say, "Different strokes for different folks".

It had been so long since we in the Pacific Northwest had seen sun, then the sun. I was sick with some horrible thing and slept for 48 hours and was down for 3 more days. I think I realized how little importance my existance is to my garden. It seemed to do just fine without all the tinkering I swear it needs. Now I know, to relax, I need that garden more than it needs me.
Vicki

another good one is, "oh, I never waist my money on those summer baskets or tubs, you have to constantly water them or they just die on you" and "house plants brings soil into the house and it cant be healthy" then "never plant trees, they attract birds", some folks are just amazing eh. WeeNel.

I'm actually kindof relieved that I'm not the only one that enjoys weeding! I'll go outside to get the mail, and an hour later I'll be covered in dirt, up to my eyeballs in flowers and weeds, having forgotten what I went outside to do in the first place... Or I'll intend to do some planting, but will find myself just staring into the garden, completely absorbed by all the colors and shapes... It's a wonder I can get anything else in my life accomplished!

triodastra: We're not SUPPOSED to accomplish anything else ! LOL

The real wonder is when you find someone else who enjoys gardening. A woman stopped by yesterday and, between rain showers, was completely enthralled by my great messy yard. We toured between showers and (and looking at the border collie pups) she said she'd be back to dig some things when the weather clears. Such different reactions in a mere day!

I'm trying to make our 11 1/2 acres truly look like God's country. He gave us such beauty in this world and so many people don't appreciate it. I've chosen to plant things that invite all the little critters to feel welcome here and we love sitting on the front porch and watching them. It's especially wonderful when the mama does bring their new fawns out into our food plot in mid-summer. Like WeeNell, we're out a ways but we love the peace and quiet. We don't have any neighbors who can see us either (but we do all know each other and get along very well). Everyone who lives out here around us is the same and it's what we all want. I just can't imagine having to live in a "concrete jungle."

My friends all tease me as sometimes I have sat outside with my PJ's and a mug of coffee and before you know it, it is almost lunch time and I have weeded a whole bed or the gravel driveway, I love my neighbours, they are far enough away, yet we all give each other a call if we are going into town to heck if they need anything, in fact what I like about this site is, you make friends, you only have to make one cup of coffee when you visit and no invitation is required, I have said this to many people who dont understand that Gardner's are a bread apart in lots of ways, but have more things in common than most folks find in a lifetime, happy gardening to you all. WeeNel.

I was going to sit outside and enjoy the garden but it kept raining on and off all afternoon. But when I was weeding this morning I was sitting while doing it! Does that count? LOL

I needed to pull hundreds of morning glory starts and I was moving hens and chicks around. Now that was fun! I can also sit on one of the rocks surrounding my beds and plot and plan to my hearts content

I don't have too many people to actually talk to about the garden. I am convinced they think I am nuts. Thank goodness for DG!

Vicki

AMEN to that !

I love this thread! I also enjoy going out with my morning coffee either sitting on the swing gazing at the gardens or walking around with my coffee just checking on how things did through the night. it is especially peaceful when I sit on the swing and watch the birds feeding.

My husband and I just got a new house and at first he was completely flabbergasted that I wanted to put in a garden in the first place. I found out that it was from some not so good experiences (his mother had a black thumb and thought that gardening meant "get the kids to do it all" *grin*). Once we worked out that it was my little obsession, he is now looking forward to sitting out back, playing with the dog, while I water the stuff that we have planted together.

Amazingly enough, he is talking about the mechanics and engineering to create a system that requires very little hard maintenance, specifically so that we CAN spend more time enjoying our yard, rather than being a slave to it. Stuff like engineering a really efficient watering system (better than soaker hoses, I think), and figuring out how to make sure that every spare inch is filled with good foodstuffs that are out of the way of our idiot dog.

Not to mention eating it all......

when we moved into this house 18 years ago the yard was a mess but we bought the house because of the big yard--well the kids enjoyed the yard all those years but i didn't--i always felt guilty because it looked bad and i had no interest in gardening at all--so i avoided the yard---------flash forward to last year and my awakening to the love of gardening--my yard is beautiful now--i never worked so hard in my life as last spring, summer, fall and even winter! and i loved it! couldn't wait for each weekend to work in they yard--come spring i just couldn't wait to plant and watch the garden wake up--i love being in my yard now--i want to spend all my time there! and no one can see it but us and that makes no difference to me--of course i do like showing it off when someone comes over! to me gardening is the most wonderful hobby ever!

I don't know what it is in me that gives me such a strong desire to grow things - and enjoy them while they do. I'm sure there are many people think I'm nuts, but at least you guys are too! :o) My garden is about a ten-minute drive from my apartment and it's on another family's land - so no morning p.j.s and coffee in the garden for me. Can't wait until I can get my own yard and spend even more time in the garden.

We're like WeeNel and Naturelover with the acreage.....12.5 acres and 7 of them in woodlands behind us and lots of trees on either side and our house is about 1/4 mile from the road. Very private and very quiet. We are in the country also and just love the lifestyle. We have a well and DH installed a system early on that placed water hydrants all around the front and back that enables hose hookups. He also installed rainbird sprinklers around the veggie garden.
As far as flower beds, there are many "pocket gardens" some call them, small areas at the edge of the tree line with dappled sunlight. Love to go out in the a.m. with the coffee and watch the "wildlife".....birds, toads, lizards, etc. and..........believe this, I talk to them:).

What fantastic comments from all of you....I no longer think I am crazy.
I am mostly disabled and rarely get away from the house. But thank heavens I am able to work my back yard garden and oh what a wonderful stress reliever that is for me. I feed the birds , I have made friends with the squirrels and feed them as well, and I have a tremendous assortment of different shrubs and perennials. What could possibly be more relaxing....than sitting in the midst of Mother Natures beauty. Sadly I am out of space for anything more because only my backyard is flat.
Love you all....enjoy !

Stormcloud, I recently completed a Master Gardener course and one of the students is an elderly lady that uses a walker. She managed very well and preferred to do most of the door openings, etc. by herself. Seeing her manage made me really ashamed of any whining I might do about my limitations. I would imagine raised bed gardening would be the best for anyone with limitations. Have you done any of this type gardening?

I have always loved gardening since my parents instilled this in me as early as I could walk! We just moved into my mother-in-law's house in January (she passed away) and the first thing we did was clean out everything that needed to be gone! I found out around the same time that I am pregnant and I have been put on semi bed rest. I can walk around in the yard a little but I was told "no planting flowers". Well, that hasn't stopped me!!! I have purchased plants at the local nurseries and recruited my son and husband to do the planting while I (yes you guessed it) sit back with a nice cool drink and enjoy the lovely plants and flowers! It has taught me to enjoy the scenery since I can't get out there and do what I want to. I have noticed every little detail that I probably wouldn't have when I was in full speed ahead mode. The bad details along with the good. It's wonderful!!!

I get up a 4:45 a.m. about every morning, get the coffee made put my laptop computer and my books for the day outside on the back patio overlooking most of our garden.....drink one or two cups of coffee while catching up here or email, news headlines, fool around with my website or do nothing for two cups of coffee and see what birds are around and what songs they got for me that morning and then about 6 or so ease out to do whatever projects I got for the day, deadheading, moving some plant here or there, watering, weeding, staking something I really really like, dreaming about next year, (worrying about this year.....:)), enjoying this year too...... I'll take a break from doing whatever in the garden and find me a place to stand and just look at everything from one angle or another for a few minutes just to see if there's something I want to change this year or wait till next and do it or I might see something I'm really happy with and smile and say to myself, "Gee Paul that looks great, you're a gardening Genius or I'll say, "Gee Paul you lucked out, you didn't even plan for that to grow there but I came up, looks great and just for the heck of it we'll tell everyone its part of our Master Plan.....:))

I'd say 95% of the time I love everything about gardening....On really hot days when I feel I have to do something I might feel is drudgery if its about a 100 degrees outside, humid and its something I should have already got started on earlier, say 6 a.m. but instead I'm out there at 1p.m. cause I feel I'm a man on a mission to get it done, I don't especially like them days.....:)....Yep 95% of the time enjoyment and pleasure, 4% of the time I wish I had 4 energetic, strong, capable young sons to help me in the garden say between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. everyday during the months of June, July and August, the rest of the time they could be in a good military school in Switzerland.......:) But I'd have to say, them first couple of hours, early in the morning with that cup of coffee, Lord I don't know but a few things in life better than that time....and last but not least, late in the evening after my wife gets home and we've eaten dinner and we're sitting out here where I'm at right now writing this and I know I did my best to make things as nice as I could for us during the day, well I just sit back all evening look at my garden, look at my wife and just smile.........Just like I'm doing now....:)

Paul from Alabama

well said!

Paul that was awesome! I think you should be a writer - you really put it all down so well! I'm inspired!

Yes, we take time to enjoy our yard. At least once a day my hubby and I slowly walk around the yard, stopping at every plant, bush and tree to see how it's grown (but we usually don't go when it's raining or during winter). It's our little ritual. We share the excitement of each new bud and bloom every day. I love to see the look of wonder in his eyes and he says the same about me. Things grow and change so quickly.

Even if we've just spent all day playing in the garden, I'll look at him and ask, "Is it time to look at the flowers?" Then we'll walk around just to look and enjoy. Life's too short to miss this kind of stuff.

*Sigh* I hope there comes a day when I can actually enjoy my garden. I have become so discouraged w/pests and fungus in my roses. Perhaps these problems will get better as I become more experienced!

(smiles)
We have thrips, aphids, grubs, japanese beetles, powdery mildew and blackspot.
But we also have plants trying their little hearts out to live.
It warms the heart.

I love this thread - you guys are great!

Weenel - I am with you sitting outside in my jammies with my coffee...it's how I usually start everyday....I will turn on a soaker hose, get a cup of java, sit on the back deck or the bench by the pond, watch the kittens running around ( I turn a blind eye to their romping in my plants), watch the butterflys flitting on the dew, hummingbirds diving one another for the perch on the nearest feeder, bee's pollinating for me, the scents of freshly opened gingers or jasmine...so very nice and calm way to start my hectic days.....

I have one kitten who just doesn't get it that the pond is wet...she falls in nearly every morning which starts my day with a huge laugh - one of these days she is gonna get that tadpole swimming in there if she has to get wet every day to do it! LOL

Yup! first coffee of the weekend days is outside!

One of my 'big' projects this spring was to create my own little patio behind my greenhouse... had to have a spot for the little wrought iron, glass topped bistro set I found on sale last year! 36 patio stones, 24" x 30" makes up the patio and short path

The patio sits between the house/yard and greenhouse. I did the work myself.... with a bit of help with the 'heavy lifting'

I've got the perfect little shady space to sit with a coffee and enjoy the birdsong and breeze.

The dogs (3) and cats (2) enjoy the space as much as I do, lol The kitten must have been a gardener in a former life, she LOVES to scrabble in the garden beds..... rolling in the dirt of the garden paths, she rips around and up the trees like her tail's on fire......makes me laugh!

Every morning, rain or shine, I am on my porch or in my garden, drinking my coffee, pulling weeds, rearranging containers, deadheading, planting more seeds or just staring, my head empty of everything but my garden. I use to call it "cheap therapy". Ha!
Living in the center of our village, I get a tremndous amount of passers-by. I have become friendly with neighbors I would never have met if it weren't for my garden. I have given away tons of irises and other plants to friends and neighbors that I know will enjoy their beauty. My children tell me how their friends say they are lucky to wake up and see a garden full of flowers every morning. This all makes me happy and makes every minute I spend digging, weeding and planting worth it!

In the evenings, I sit on my porch and soak it all in, talking to folks out for their evening stroll and yes,

"Digging the Good Earth"!!!

Hudson - and you have such a beautiful area to enjoy more prettiness surrounding you! I grew up in the Adirondacks and each fall my heart twangs for the autumn colors that are so panoramic up there....so I jump in the car to go to Asheville NC which is about 2 hrs away not quite the same but at least I get some fall color :O)

the mosquitos are trying to keep me from enjoying my yard! but i love how overnight there are differences in the plants--

This is a great thread.
My dear brother who is NOT a gardener, was visiting and said.. "Wow, that's nice, but you have to water it every day?
I said.. "No Mike, I get to"

each morning the light is different, each evening the setting sun throws different lights onto the garden and you never get tired of looking at all your hard work from differing angles, even the birds sound different in different weathers, so with all those differences it is a wonder we have time to even drink the coffee but each day even that has a different flavour depending how hot or cold you let it get, we gardeners are all the same, yet we are all so different in our methods and gardening styles, so gardening sure makes a big difference to our lives. WeeNel.

I got the best present for Mother's Day this year--a swing (on a stand) for my garden area. I sit in it every day and just watch the bees and the occasionally hummingbird. I enjoy the flowers and the scents. It really is a challenge to just sit and let the garden be, because I never fail to notice a weed or something that needs pruning or staking, but I make myself just sit back and take it in. I make a mental note of the chores and file them under "Later." :)

i told my husband that when he comes out he has a habit of seeing what needs to be done and that for years it has bothered me--well he didn't know it bothered me and hardly ever does it now--should have said it long ago!