Self care by growing a garden

@Former-MemberDunno... I guess I notice how much isn't getting done, but as I've said, I'm trying to get out there more, for my own mental health if nothing else. 🙂

@Shaz51 @Former-Member @Smc

We had a garden in our diaries but neither my son or I were up to it. tut tut

Next Week!

It is a long weekend @Appleblossom still time 😀

Even with small steps things get done @Smc so pleased you have been able to do these.

"From little things big things grow..." 🙂

The skies are starting to cloud over here now in preparation for the predicted rain, but I collected some more animal tucker (kikiyu and other weeds this time) and potted on a punnet of oregano I bought recently. I selected a punnet that had two variegated sports among the plants, one with pinkish-white broken pattern, the other with gold dots. I got thirteen potting-on sized plants and four tiny ones which I've put into a pot of sand to develop proper roots. Also potted on a dwarf iris.
The animals are my main source of garden fertiliser. The bunny and guinea pig manure mostly goes into the pots, and the bedding from our lone chook goes onto veggie beds. I expect the ornamentals and established fruit trees to "do it tough", so they get mulch but not manure. I figure that over time the mulch turns to compost, encouraging worms and other soil critters, and feeding the plants. No green waste leaves the garden. All of it gets either eaten or turned into mulch.

Managed to get some tulip & bulbs planted as well as repotting a good lot of the saffron crocus bulbs and some tulip bulbs that I recovered from where Mr D emptied the pots. We also got a bit of rubbish removed from the shed.

Our weeds all get put in one of two compost heaps that the chooks scratch in.

Gotta love Mr D - he decided we needed to get rid of our excess plant pots (with the exception of a few) so put them in the car in readiness to drop off to a friends place the next day.

Well, when we got there and unloaded them, I realised he had not cleaned them at all, some were broken and some had a heap of snails in them. (Should have suspected something as the windows were frosty but odd looking - realised it was snail trails). He did not put the tarp out so our green bags were damp and the back seat had potting mix grits on it.

Morning @Former-Member .....

Dont know whether it is if any use to you, but with my family members the equivalent of that happens regularly. There is a focus on the main thing that needs to be done, and a “Whatever ...!” thought, if that, given to the corresponding details.

I thought about it for a while, then came up with the key phrase / question ..... “Mind if I check the detail ?” to which I would usually receive a quizzical look. From there, without necessarily waiting for an answer I would start gently listing (will use your example here).

- have you removed all spider webs and snails so we don’t end up with spiders or snails in the car ?

- have you used an old towel or tarp to protect the car from damp ?

(These two first because they affect the person you are speaking to)

- have you made sure none of the pots are broken, because we can’t gift those ones .....

i have found that it has caused my family to start considering at that level, and even mr.F&H will come to me and ask me to check that he has covered everything when he is not sure about details. It has prompted them to understand that things need to be checked a bit for peripheral detail, and potential unforeseen outcomes, but because I am dealing with perfectionists, I also have to draw a line with, “That’ll do it” and “that’s good enough” and “Oh, dear, that bit got missed, but we can fix it up this way, and that’ll do ..... “

I remember my Mum schooling me to do this, and I think mr.’s Mum didn’t, just got ostracised for each and every mistake, perceived or real ..... so this is a late lesson, but it’s still working, so perhaps it works after a life-transforming event too ..... a gentle putting of thought processes back into place.

Still cackling about it @Faith-and-Hope our friend rang to thank us - she had not yet had a chance to look through so I was able to apologise in advance but it did not seem to worry her. I think our friends are quite forgiving as they know Mr D has a kind heart.

Tips are very handy - how to tackle things without upsetting Mr D (which is often the difficulty - I don't want to be criticising him all the time).

Have utilised your words of wisdom @Faith-and-Hope so far limiting my comments to the state of the car - evicted 4 more miniature snails today - wondering how many more molluscs will emerge from hiding.