gardening

[irismarie]

My passion was gardening. Unfortunately my house is on a hill and most of my acre and a half of garden is only accessible by steps. Thinking about ski ropes etc for access; I wonder if anyone has found a way to continue to garden and to get to the bottom of a slope AND BACK UP.
Love to all
Irismarie

[indigosd]

That is a problem isn't it...I can not think of a way to get you down and back safely. Could you have someone build you raised beds close to the house? What do you grow? We also have a huge garden [only in the summer of course lol] I freeze or preserve and make jelly. I LOVE TO GARDEN! Wish you were here or I was there :] We could have such fun digging in the dirt and watching our garden grow! Web and I started almost everything from seeds last winter because I have a Grow light table. We spent all this time growing up those baby seeds and planting them and it was growing so well. I fell off the top of the steps on 1 July and sprained BOTH OF MY ANKLES [on a walker until October] so that was the end of me working in the garden. :[ We had such a cold and wet summer that almost everything rotted except the potatoes and onions. We hope to have a garden again but it all depends on whether Web can do the rototiller and how much time I will have available as a CALS. Web and I have always gardened together and put up the food together.

[indigosd]

Little glimpses of our garden in June 2009! I grew beets in the old claw foot tub!

[irismarie]

So sorry about your accident. I used to love climbing trees and used to be till a couple of years ago the cherry picker supreme, the one who takes the top branches and is supposed to keep whistling to show that he is not eating all the best of those huge black sweet juicy fruit. I live in a fruit growing area, figs, cherries, peaches, apricots, apples, and most of all plums grown for prunes and of course grapes. I am an obsessive gatherer and am in my element.
The Summers are too hot and dry for much to survive here so I go for the flowers that need little water - oleander, cosmos, nigella,zinnia, belle de jour and belle de nuit etc etc. So much beauty!

Your pic has just arrived. That is a lovely way to show them. You could feed the neighourheed, I should think!
Will put up some photos, too*Lots of love

[Ratman55]

Ladies, I thank you. I woke up feeling so closed in; it was 6 degrees F here in my neck of the US. Your talk of gardening (even though you presented challenges and such) so lifted my spirits about my own possible "earthy" activities this spring! We're moving to a small place that will only permit small agricultural efforts. We will have so much to share! Now, about your challenge, I think my favorite South Dakota resident has a great idea; container planting and/or raised beds. There is a bit of prep work either way;I so wish I could come to your places (loved the Grace House Garden and clawfoot tub, so quaint!)Irismarie, do you have any pics? We can trade a lot of ideas, but our growing seasons and hybrid varieties will be quite diverse, but isn't that wonderful. Actually, I must work hard and sell some of my hacky novels and buy a helicopter so we can all commute to each other's gardens. I'll bet busy. -JK

[indigosd]

lol You are correct! Normally the garden provides all of our veggies for the year-we can tomatoes, make pickles, freeze and dry like crazy!
I have asparagus, rhubarb, raspberries, 2 types of apples, a baby peach tree, honeyberries and butternut trees that I planted last Spring as little twigs-it will be a long time until they give any return but planted for the future. :] In the garden we plant several types of tomatoes, many different squash-potatoes-onions-pumpkins-cucumbers-corn-broccoli-brussel sprouts-radishes-spinach-mesculum lettuce mixes-corn-green beans-peas-okra-sweet potatoes-beets-watermelon-cantalope and every herb you can i magine! Dill, cilantro, rosemary, Thai Basil and lavender are my favorites. I know I forgot some of them. CHERRIES! That would be heaven on earth. Too cold here. :[ We have a wild shrub/tree called Chokecherry that makes these tiny little puple black BITTER fruits that we harvest and make itno the most incredible jelly and syrup. I do not know what " bell de jour or belle de nuit" would be-love to see a photo! I LOVE TO DIG IN THE DIRT! love to you.

[indigosd]

I love to fly and hover in a Heliocopter so get those novels sold! I bet that our zones in the US are pretty similar.

[irismarie]

Have put an album in my profile bit and started adding pics of my garden.
Really hope I can get a raised bed or two sorted. It will be lovely to visit your gardens in photos if not in person. ut here(s hoping one day, maybe. All invited with SO much pleasure

[indigosd]

off to look at your album!

[BethU]

OMG, it's gorgeous! Is the lavender flower in the third (fourth?) pic in the top row wisteria? I can't believe how beautiful it is. Thanks for posting the photos.

[GlenBrittle]

If its just a question of mobility , how about this ?

[thelma313]

My dad is an amazing gardener too. He can grow tomatoes that are sweeter and more delicious than any other I have ever tasted in my life. He also grows romaine lettuce, parsley, basil, oregano, zucchini, eggplants, peppers, pumpkins, swiss chard and green onions in his vegetable garden. Then he also has a plum tree, a pear tree and flower beds that burst with colour and life. It makes me so sad to know that he won't be gardening anymore.

Irismarie, your garden is beyond description! You are an artist with plants. I cannot believe how absolutely stunning your home and your garden are. It must be so good for your spirit to live in such beauty.

[peter57]

Glen,
It could double as a rotory hoe or better than that a potato digger, just drive it in to the row let it dig them up, they would then travel up to the top of the tracks to be collected, no bending down, no back problems.

The health and Safety people would love it


cheers
Peter

[indigosd]

Peter, you are so right! Rosella, any possibility that you can work with your Dad so that he can garden this summer and he can teach you?Peter, I keep going back to your comment and I am ROTFLMAO!

[irismarie]

Glen, I WANT I WANT I WANT IT§!Long way to fall, though!