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Post by James on Jun 26, 2020 12:27:07 GMT -5
Why do you plant a garden?
For fresh veggies to feed your family?
To sell at a farmers market?
Because you like to grow things?
Because Father always did........
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Post by Wheelgarden on Jun 26, 2020 12:43:17 GMT -5
I don't sell at market, but all the other reasons apply. Plus, I like giving surplus to family and friends. Plus, the garden's where I find beauty, peace and contentment.
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Post by tom 🕊 on Jun 26, 2020 13:20:29 GMT -5
For adventure, surprises, and possibilities. Strange things are happening out there. This year I noticed a tithonia (Mexican sunflower) that blooms months earlier than the others, an azalea that blooms months later after the others are finished, a lettuce that was twice the size of others in the same row, a frilly leafed lettuce among smooth leafed lettuces, and a bean with much larger pods than its companions. And the season is young. First I grew for food, then for health, and now for intellectual excitement.
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Post by James on Jun 26, 2020 13:23:29 GMT -5
Tranquil
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Post by emmsmommy on Jun 26, 2020 13:36:16 GMT -5
Many reasons. Mainly there’s the fresh veggies aspect. I honestly don’t care for tomatoes, but there’s nothing like the sweet taste of a warm cherry tomato fresh off the vine. I also cook a lot of stir-fry and vegetable pilaf dishes so hoping to expand on growing cauliflower and broccoli in addition to cabbage next year. I also grow a few things that I don’t care for but either my husband or my mom absolutely loves, so I guess that ties in with the fact that I just love to grow things.
My paternal grandma and great-grandma were my main garden influences growing up. My mom always had a garden, but it was mostly clay and never did well. I remember wanting to help my great-grandma apply fertilizer and she told me no because I didn’t have gloves. I also remember seven or eight year-old me asking “If you have to put on gloves to handle it, then why do you put it on food?” My maternal great-grandma had potted plants galore! She lived in town and her back patio in the summer was like a jungle oasis to a kid. My mother’s mom was always propagating roses and shrubs from cuttings, so I guess It was meant for me to grow stuff too.
I’ve sold some ornamental plants before and a few extra tomato plants, but next year I want to sell plants and produce for profit. Mainly this will be to pay for garden improvements and I’ve already promised myself that I won’t plant so much that I’ll get overwhelmed which... ahem... I have a tendency to do.
Honestly the main benefit for me is the peace and relaxation of gardening. Somehow it makes the problems of the world seem less important. At one time I worked three jobs. Two of those were bookkeeping and one was at a daylily nursery. Working at the nursery was by far my favorite although the most strenuous of them all. When we weren’t digging orders for customers, we mainly weeded beds. Oddly weeding those beds was relaxing. Sometimes I’d listen to an audiobook while weeding and other times I’d just ponder ideas in my head and listen to nature.
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Post by desertwoman on Jun 26, 2020 20:48:59 GMT -5
Gardening is my gym, my therapy, my temple, my meditation. It gives me organic, tasty, healthy produce. I get to share. I love nurturing things. My flowers gives me food for my soul. I love landscaping as a creative art. It reminds me of the normal life cycles and to be adaptable and accepting. It's my go to whenever I need an 'attitude adjustment' It gives me an excuse to hang out here with all of you!
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Post by pepperhead212 on Jun 27, 2020 10:44:05 GMT -5
Partly to save money on veggies, partly to get those fresh herbs and veggies, and mainly because most of those things I grow are impossible to find in this area! And I love to cook...and eat.
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Post by reuben on Jun 27, 2020 11:10:52 GMT -5
I'm cheap. I like to eat good (tasty, per my palete) food. I like to eat healthy food.
Side note - I know that there are different spellings of "palete" depending on the intent and convention, so, being the nerd/geek/doofus that I am, I tried to look up the correct spelling in this case. I knew darn well that I didn't intend to say "pallet". It's all so confusing...
Touch your tongue to the top of your mouth. What you're touching is your palate. Palate is often used when discussing taste in a broader sense, as in: chocolate cake is pleasing to the palate.
A person with an expensive palate likes only high-priced culinary treats. Someone who tastes slight nuances in food is said to have a well-developed palate, and someone who likes only fancy food is said to have a sophisticated palate. In reality, most taste receptors are on the tongue. But that doesn't sound sophisticated at all, does it?
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Post by lisaann on Jun 27, 2020 19:49:41 GMT -5
Now ya know that sounds just like a controlled Vietnam! smiling.
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Post by lisaann on Jun 28, 2020 9:01:21 GMT -5
It's the only hobby I have. I can't knit.
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Post by datgirl on Jun 28, 2020 10:27:50 GMT -5
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Post by Mumsey on Jun 28, 2020 10:34:39 GMT -5
Food. Sanity. Exercise. Relaxation. Entertainment. Experiments. Surprises. Sharing. That about sums it up! Great thread James! Plus I've been subjected to gardening my entire life, there is no other way to live! It's in my genes and on my jeans.
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Post by datgirl on Jun 28, 2020 10:37:06 GMT -5
For that first homegrown tomato.
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Post by lisaann on Jun 28, 2020 10:41:19 GMT -5
That really sums it up! Hugs to all of my friends!
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Post by binnylou on Jun 28, 2020 11:00:26 GMT -5
Iowa based grocery chain, my former employer, is currently recalling produce bagged salad items.
Gardening gives me control of my food safety. I hope.
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