Being native to an island in the Southern Hemisphere and boasting a tropical climate with tolerable summer and winter temperatures, I had a quiet, cut-off childhood. On the onset of adolescence, I was drawn to a myriad of activities- gardening, music, travelling, photography, inter alia. Well, one thing that always delighted me was well, I dunno how to quite put this. Most of you people are from the far-off countries with extreme weathers Such that you find your garden almost literally wiped out each year. With annuals posing an additional issue, you have to re-design your landscapes, save for the plants that are content in containers. Now, having to re-architect a garden seemed quite thrilling an idea to me at first. But then, on second thoughts, it must be costing energy and money too, does it not? What are your people's takes on this issue- of having to re-personalise your gardens after the frost? I would love to hear about your first time experiences after you GardenStewtians embraced gardening on an almost full-time basis?
Good morning oubee, I dont have a problem here on the Gold Coast in Aus,I think my location is similar to yours regarding gardening, but I do admire other gardeners who have extremes of weather conditions and work with it, mananging to grow amazing plants and vegetables.I cant imagine the labour of bringing in plants...putting out plants.... according to the season, I think if I lived in one of those areas I would settle for indoor plants. The gardeners on this forum show remarkable resilience dont you think?
It is the only way of life that I know. I can't imagine having the same plants in the same spot forever.
I'm only into my second year of gardening here at the house (before that it was all in containers). We had a relatively mild winter but still, there were some plants that didn't come back. Fortunately, last summer with the drought, we didn't have watering restrictions, so I didn't lose anything. But I definitely keep an eye out for drought and heat resistant plants. My outlook... If they can't live here without too much babying, then I will not be growing them again. This does NOT refer to some very special plants that I have in containers that get more babying than some peoples kids! I can handle bringing in a few for the winter. And as far as having the same flowers every year... well... that's what annuals are for. Intersperse them among the perennials for a new look. Now... after my garden is a few years old, I may change my mind about that. :-D
I've lived here my entire life and this is what I know The good thing about the cold weather and long winter is that it produces some beautiful peonies and tulips!!! I look forward to the changing seasons because the flowers change too
How about the azaleas, rhododendrons, dogwoods, trillium, wood violets.. I look forward to seeing them every Spring.
I would love to live at least for a couple years in such a place. Nice weather all through the year. SOmehow I feel those long cold and dark winter months are a waste of time for me. Not much to do. Go to work, come home, turn the lights on (already dark) and eat something, and watch something on TV. It's sooo cold I don't even feel like going out anywhere. But then, after all this, around march I spend a lot of time observing with a magnifying glass everything that pokes through the snow, and I try to ID what it is. Always bulbs first. And then they bloom, everything comes to life, etc It makes it a bit more interesting. My perfect plan would be to just pack and go for say a month. January? February? Destination? Anywhere exotic and hot! And come back in March. That would be lovely. And enough.
Yep, we are neighbours I'd try indoor plants too (if ever the changing seasons would not deter me from gardening at all!) but then it would just take away the charm of having dirt on your hands, knelt down a muddy patch, feeling the brunt of the sun on your back Resilience yeah and more than that! Patience, nay, passion, I'd say
Thanks all for your respective replies and contributions @ Calin: Yes, Oct-Mar mark the summer month. Any island (urmm, I dunno, say Mauritius ) would be a break What happens to gardening then in Jan/Feb? It might leave you an empty time slot to fill in with some other hobby like music,m ,maybe
I have only a few perennial flowers and I've drug them around to various places I lived over the last 30-something years of gardening. Daylillies, daffodils and thornless blackberries. All the rest of my garden is veggies and then some petunias, pansies, coleus that get re-chosen each year according to space.
I'm with Calin, I would love to experience the never ending garden. However, Nebraska has all 4 seasons! True, winter is a very dormant time of year, but that's why I also grow a lot of plants indoors. I have many perennials, and although they do go dormant, they return each spring (which is my favorite season)I don't have to re-do the garden each year, I just add to it!!
