Hi all! I personally garden in order to connect with my local community. I work and volunteer for an organization whose mission is to beautify all the towns within my county. We go around to different sites like churches, town halls, various welcome signs, along with other places and we weed, edge, plant, newspaper, and finally mulch. My favorite part is driving around and seeing the finished products. So I am curious, why do you garden?
Welcome to the board. Well, If I didn't, it wouldn't get done. Each to their own of course. But I prefer to keep "the community," out. That's why most of us with urban gardens have six foot high fences around them.
My one Aunt loved to garden, and my grandmother who I never met on that side loved to grow roses. I have a picture of her and my Daddy when he was little in her rose garden. My Mother's family are mostly farm folks. Also, I really enjoy working with the plants (my room looks like a jungle), and the peace and quiet in my garden. It is a good place to get away TO.
It is in my blood. Also I was exposed to gardening and agriculture in my early youth. My gran who I loved most out of my relatives was a fanatic gardener. I am 6ft5 she was 5ft. My great uncle had 5000 hectares at west Kilimanjaro.(https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_William_Lister_Read) He grew lots of pyrethrum. Other stuff too. He had acres and acres of onions. One of my other ancestors, planted orchards. Etc etc etc.
I have never not had a garden.never. I use it to contribute to my household. we eat it. we sell it. but mostly I just enjoy it.
I do it mostly as survivalist training and doomsday prepping. I also absolutely hate chemical pesticides. So I like to keep things as natural as possible. But at the same time, I aggressively use technological aids as well, like automatic watering system and growing under artificial lights, plus experimenting with completely sealed off self sustained ecosystems, (growing food in space type of concepts).
Most of the reasons others have given. Having grown up with people who grew food or went hungry, knowing my food will be pesticide free. With all the chaos life doles out, I seek peace, kneeling and digging soil, dropping seeds or settling a plant into the good earth, knowing with sun, rain, TLC, the earth will sustain my need for food.
@AAnightowl That is a beautiful sentiment! Also, what an amazing photograph! My grandmother and mom garden too, now with my Grandma getting older, it's harder to get up on her own. The past few seasons, I have gone over to help her with gardening.
Your Grandma might try a kneeling bench like the one I use. It can be used as a bench. Then flipped over, as a kneeling pad with handles for helping in getting up. I have a video of using mine, if I can find it.
@Growingpains that sounds really interesting! I will have to look into that and it would be a perfect birthday present for her as that is coming up soon. Thank you
https://10bestranked.com/garden-kneeler-benches/ here you go. this is what a garden kneeling bench is. I saw Target had one very reasonable but the url was a mile long so I didnt post it here.
Carolyn, thank you for posting the kneeler information. Mine is the same type, but the frame /handles are strong metal. I have two, had them for several years. Leizel, I hope you find a kneeler for that gift. Mine is a back, knee, saver.
Well, if I garden I get to converse with the gardeners here on the Stew--a kind and knowledgeable bunch that have helped me so much. No garden, no Garden Stew--not an option!
