Daily garden inspections: Is it an obsession ?

How many of you go out almost daily and "ck. on things" in your garden ?

I do it every day...thinking I surely must have missed something I didn't see the previous day. Most of the time I don't know what I expect to find since intelectually I know there isn't going to be some magical transformation from the day before...but I still do it !

OK...fess up, people !

It's not an obsession. It's just what gardeners do. There is always something happening in our gardens. I suppose some people would think that gardening from sunup to sundown is an obsession...

But they are wrong, aren't they?

I think you're "preaching to the choir" .

So yes, they are wrong !

Well, it was your question. Was it to the choir?

Poor wording on my part...sorry. Meant to add LOL after the first sentence.

JD, it's the first thing I do after my first cup of coffee and cigarette, which Pirl describes as the Breakfast of Champions. I walk all the way around the garden, inspecting as much as I can. I used to do it with trepidation, mainly looking for gopher damage, but now that I'm using the cages, I enjoy it much more. There's always something new. Right now it's only new buds in most cases, but even those are very exciting.

Starting in about March, I carry a pen and notebook with me and make notes of things to photograph later in the afternoon, when the light's better for taking pictures.

There are times I feel as though I live in the garden so I'm always inspecting for new things growing, any deadheading required, sprouting seeds, etc. I'm always carrying my camera. The first day of bloom for any flower is often the best.

The early hours of the day are my favorite ones. I love the peace and quiet.

echoes - those who would label us as obsessive probably have their own private obsessions, which we don't share.

I usually live in the garden too, when I'm not working. The two days I work, I do early inspection, always with a camera in hand, and then as soon as I get home I'm out there.

Nothing better than a cup of coffee in the AM in the garden. I love the early morning time out there best, also.

The rain's been unrelenting today, so I wasn't able to make my daily inspection and now I'm experiencing all the classic symptoms of withdrawal. Consequently, I'd call it an addiction rather than an obsession.

I really love evening inspections too, especially when there's only enough light left to see all of the white flowers. They seem to glow in the twilight.

Thats so cool. We all do the same things. After coffee and taking the dog on his walk I have to look at the garden. There is always something to do. I am usually late for work because of this too. Lately with the rains I keep looking threw all my seeds and throwing out some more each day. Some have got to come up.
This year is really not the best for certain plants. My nasturiums usually come up every were and this year they hardly are. I think becuase it was hot for so long.
My poor house is so neglected becuase I would rather be outside. If you want to live with me you cant be afraid of dust and dog hair.

Same here, only it's cat hair instead of dog hair, not to mention the smell of tobacco. I have one neighbor who's an intense bore, and as soon as I see him approaching my house, I light up a cigarette. He also runs away quickly after I answer the door with my cigarette in hand.

I'd smoke a cigar if it would keep one neighbor away but nothing stops her.

I was just out with tape and notebook ,have to wait for the rest of the snow to melt so I wont fall over taking measurments. I just have to make sure I didnt order too many plants.
I even make my own grids in Word to be sure there is enough space. How compulsive is that.
Anyway thats when I found these.
Gardener neighbor pooh poohed the idea because she said the bulbs always rot. So I sent her the picture.
Snow drops.

Don't listen to neighbors who try and spoil dreams!

If I didnt follow my own drummer I would never have survived.
DGers are the only people whose advise I take seriously.

What did she say about the bulbs that would make them rot? Snowdrops do well here.

Of course we still have four feet of snow on the gardens, so no snowdrops here yet. Rochester always warms up so much quicker.

I think she got bad bulbs.
Maybe bought them from HD or something like that.
I dont know how many times I have run into a situation where I spent RealMoney for plants and bulbs and was not dissapointed.
You get what you pay for and work just as hard to plant something that seemed like a bargin and it failes ,as it is to plant something that costs a bit more that will bloom and bring such joy to the eye.

I dont know I had about 20 anemonies rot this year and I got them from armstrong. I would think they would be good. When I dug them up to see what the heck why they were not comming it the had dusgusting slime and white goo on them.

That's what mine were for the last two years.

what the heck is that white goo? i never have seen anything like it.

You know what else I have been seeing? When I dig sometime I find the white cacoon looking balls that are a little bigger than a golf ball and they have holes in some places were it looks like something came out. It also is not smooth or perfectly round.

The white goo is the rotting bulb...like when potatoes go bad.

Someone posted one of those things you found. Steph...I think it was "solved" as being some sort of fungus.

In the summer, there is not a day that goes by that I'm not in the garden "checking things out." (Sometimes I'm checking things out in the winter, but there's not usually much to see under the snow and ice).

One of my favorite things to do is, very early in the morning, wander around in the gardens with a cup of coffee...pulling a weed here and there. Ahhh...what a life! (smile)

Its so wierd. Its does look sort of fungus like buts its really hard. Ill take a pic if the one is still out there.

Just think some people think we are so carzy because we like pulling weeds. Ahhh coffee is so wonderful.

Here our caladiums also rot over winter and turn to white goo.

Speaking of coffee...I have not lost my mind but I hate Godiva coffee and yet my son seems to believe I must love it because I do love their chocolates so he keeps giving it to me for Christmas. He's 44 and should know better since I keep telling him!

Anyhow today I went out and cleaned up the area around a few Japanese irises and gave them all the Godiva. I took photos to see which of them grow better with it.

Did you take any photos outside today of the iris beds? I'd love to see dirt.

I did take photos but haven't downloaded them. I'll do that in the morning and post them. It was so grand to see the soil and touch it even if it was mud in some areas and frozen in others. The crown, or part of the crown, of Frilled Enchantment was pure ice. We'll see how it does come June. I know, from you, that it's supposed to be death.

No, no, I don't think so. I think they need to be in standing frozen water, not just a little ice over the crown. I seriously doubt what ice you would get would hurt it. More like plants left in a pond. Or a made bog. But if you do lose it, I know where you can get another.

Thanks. Maybe the Godiva will wake it up.

Nah, too mellow. I don't care for it either. Actually we get the Great Value from Walmart. It's one of the best coffees I've ever had. Michelle insist on Dunkin Donuts, which I like OK, but the Great Value one at less than 7.00 for the large size can't be beat in my opinion. I also like Eight O Clock.

I found the Godiva way too strong and I like strong coffee. I'll give your brand a chance next time.

You might not like it then, as I found the Godiva one mellow. Maybe Godiva makes more than one. Of course it won't hurt to try mine at 6.79 for the 39 ounce size. It's Great Value 100% Arabica.

I am adding a Feb09 file to my Fountain Garden because of the snowdrops I found, and today I will take Cane and camera thru the snow to photo the Helleborus fotidus I can see from my Bedroom window. Wish it was light enough now.
This is a great thread, I didnt realize how often I go to the garden, I know I look at it from the house a lot.

Before.

After.

Hope you can see enough soil in the photo, Polly.

Japanese Pinwheel got this bag of it.

The Foetidus is just starting to bloom.

Yes, I see it! I can't wait to see mine, but for now yours will do. Is it frozen? Or can you dig your fingers into it. Almost better than you know what.

My hellelbore foetidus is one of the first to bloom here, too Joann. A great sign of spring. I crossed some hellebores, not sure what they will come out as, but they look like a cross between foetidus and orientalis if that's possible.