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Self care by growing a garden

Self care by growing a garden

A SOS to any green thumbs out there

I have always found gardening to be therapeutic and it has given me great joy. However, after a major crisis with Mr Darcy's health I have not had been able to get back into it. Have other gardeners suffered from a similar hiatus and how have you recovered and got going again?

Darcy

PS have a spot that needs filling any recommendations for a 1m high cool climate white flower plant?

2358 replies

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In response to: Self care by growing a garden

Re: Self care by growing a garden

Curly leaf parsley does better in my cooler climate. Have rosemary, sage, oregano, bay leaf (a smaller shrub version, not the tree) and horseradish. Not really sure what to do with the latter. I have previously grown chives, coriander and thyme.

If I lived in a warmer climate I would definitely try planting a bit of fresh ginger or turmeric. If you have a dry 4 months of 29+ deg @Adge (we use Celcius not F for weather @Daughterdid) cumin might be worth a try.

I think Jackie French said you can grow lima snd other beans from the dried ones you buy in the supermarket but I have never tried it.

In response to: Re: Self care by growing a garden

Re: Self care by growing a garden

That parsley looks glorious @Smc! Isn't it lovely when our living plants can not only nurture us in looks and feelings but also offer us nourishment in food! Happy gardening to everyone here 🌱

In response to: Re: Self care by growing a garden

Re: Self care by growing a garden

@Former-MemberLima beans will grow from the ones in soup packets, but they need a longish, warm growing season. Similar to cumin. Other soup beans like Borlottis and Canellis have a shorter growing season, about as long as it would take regular green beans to get to the point of dried on the vine.

Cumin is on my "want to try" list. Meanwhile, Nigella sativa seed is sold as "Black Cumin" or "Black Onion" seeds in Indian spice shops, and the ordinary Nigella damascena (Love In The Mist) seed can be used as a mild spice.
I've got rosemary (3 types), sage (also 3 types including Pineapple), oregano and bay too. Several types of thyme- common, Lemon, Caraway and Pizza. Winter Savoury. Moroccan (I think?), apple, Corsican and native mint, plus a struggling sprig of Ginger mint. Corsican mint is cute. A tiny mat of intensly peppermint leaves, but it's fiddly to pick and use.

Thriving garlic chives, not so vigourous common chives. A fair bit of garlic. No coriander at present, but I have chervil self seeding each year. It's not as reliably vigourous as the parsely, but seems to be coming up consistently each autumn. Angelica, lovage and tarrragon have gone dormant now, Lemon Verbena is semi dormant too, but Lemon Balm is putting out nice fresh growth. I've tucked the curry leaf plant and the leaf cardamon (related to the spice variety but doesn't get pods, just fragrant and flavoursome leaves) into sheltered spots away from the frost, and the tumeric plant has died down for winter. It's about 4 years old and I'm still to get enough to harvest... it survives here, but doesn't really get enough heat to grow well. Basil's all gone until next spring, and so is the Stevia.

No horseradish, but I have got some little wasabi plants.

And borage and fennel. Both self seed all over the place. I pinch out the young borage plants to use as a lightly cooked green, ditto young fennel. I've got a few well established fennel plants of the bulbing sort that regrow from their roots every year.

I may have missed some. Am keen on my herbs. 😄 They've been a major garden interest of mine since I was a teenager.

In response to: Re: Self care by growing a garden

Re: Self care by growing a garden

In response to: Re: Self care by growing a garden

Re: Self care by growing a garden

I would like my garden to be productive @Smc am still struggling to get anything done in the yard.

In response to: Re: Self care by growing a garden

Re: Self care by growing a garden

@Former-Member @Jacques

We have a gardening type thread here on carer side

In response to: Re: Self care by growing a garden

Re: Self care by growing a garden

Thank you @Former-Member this looks very interesting. I may learn some handy things about herbs, & vegies in here!
Love & Hugs!
Bella xo 🙂

In response to: Re: Self care by growing a garden

Re: Self care by growing a garden

hi @Former-Member and everyone 🙂

what a wonderful thread, i have just planted too golf ball shrubs, ive never grown them before, they are meant to be pruning free, i just hope they survive the savage winter im having, they have frost blankets around them

In response to: Re: Self care by growing a garden

Re: Self care by growing a garden

Hi @Jacques, welcome.

Is the Golf Ball shrub the bushy hedge shrub that grows in a ball shape? Pittosporum? If so, it's a toughie and should handle the cold well enough.

Hi @Former-Member!

In response to: Re: Self care by growing a garden

Re: Self care by growing a garden

Some of the fruits of my gardening self care this week includes a busted fingernail from closing a gate on my finger. Sore thumb from hitting it with a hammer and follow up with a hit to hand and fingers. And I thought working out in the garden was supposed to be good for me lol.

Oh and did I mention the 2 fingers that got the tips spiked by barbed wire (at least I think that is what happened to them). This is why I gave up farm life (mum.and dads farm) for an office job lol.

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