Why Do You Garden - Page 2

peppero · February 1, 2015

I garden for the same reasons all of you have expressed plus it draws me closer to the Original Gardener.

jon

drew51 · February 1, 2015

It does remind of my youth and how good the fruit was from my parent's trees. But at first it was just for my love of plants. I grew mostly tropical's, and cacti for 40 years. I wanted a little more out of it and I at last had the time, so took up edibles. It helped being a skilled plant grower. It made it easy as I already knew how to read plants. Every year now I grow something I never grew before. At this point my yard is completely full of edible plants. So I can spend a couple hours each day maintaining them, I love it. Now it's time to start seeds, so excisted the new season starts.
I also like to cook, so having fresh herbs, fruits, and vegetables is great!
I'm at the point now where everyday I can use something from my garden. Even in the dead of winter. That was one of my goals is to have something daily from the garden on my table. Most days it is just spices, all the same they are from the garden.

JJJessee · February 1, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

I garden because it's in my blood.

My parents gardened to supplement the food supply for a large family on a limited income.

My grandparents, and all who came before them were peasant farmers who gardened to survive.

I resisted it for many years, but finally gave in, planted those first plants, and discovered a missing part of my life.

We have a pretty a pretty similar background. Luckily I found my love of planting fairly young, about 23.
I would garden just for the beauty of it.
The food is also a key point.
I garden because it feeds my body and soul.

taboule · February 1, 2015

For many of the reasons stated already, plus one more: for the big smiles I get when I share my bounty or extra plants with friends and family.

Riceloft · February 1, 2015

My mom and grandma always had a small plot while I was growing up (each were 5x10 at most). I always enjoyed going out to help them harvest. Both gave up gardening around the time I was 12 or 13. My grandma due to divorce, my mom due to an increasingly rocky marriage.

Fast forward to about 5 years ago, I bought a house and got married and decided I wanted to have my own garden, always having fond memories. I set up a similarly sized plot and grew Tomatoes, Carrots, Radishes, Peppers and Cucumbers. After year 2 I decided to expand. I now have 5 4x8 raised beds, 1 3x6 raised bed and use 3 EarthTainers. This year I'm adding 2 more 3x6 beds and 2 "4in1" apple trees.

I do it because I enjoy growing and eating my own food. While I eat a raw tomato, I make sauce, soup, salsa and all kinds of wonderful things, as well as provide my grandma with fresh tomatoes all season. Its just a great, fulfilling experience.

ReginaAnn · February 1, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Because nothing tastes as good as my homegrown tomatoes, starfruits, mangoes, pineapples, my homemade sauce, salsa, ketchup.
And for the challenge.

And to make you guys jealous in the winter, then pelt you with seeds in January.

Blahaha. Perfect!

Worth1 · February 1, 2015

To me a garden is more than vegetables it is all of my plants.
My yard is my garden.
My garden is a reflection of my true self.
It tells the world and my neighbors what kind of man I am without speaking.

Worth

Cheryl2017 · February 1, 2015

I love playing in the dirt. It's my therapy, I like watching things grow.

RJGlew · February 1, 2015

You do things properly, it works. No politics.

greenthumbomaha · February 1, 2015

I'm more on the emotional side and Worth said it very nicely. I live all year to see the first leaf come out wave up to me and show its a celery, kale , RL PL etc.

With tips and encouragement from the board , I went from a casual backyard summertime hobby to sustaining myself for my special diet year round and growing for a food pantry. My former low sodium spaghetti sauce was $4.99 a jar and now I have unlimited choices.

- Lisa

Ed of Somis · February 1, 2015

Firstly, I really enjoyed and related to the posts by "alittlesalt" "SunCity" and "Dutch"!
For me, it is almost a spiritual thing. I always say "God does the growing...I just help a bit". Like being out in nature...the feeling is just special to me. Sometimes it is relaxing...but, sometimes it is quite frustrating...

dipchip2000 · February 1, 2015

I am not what I would call a real gardener but I can grow tomatoes and most years grow an abundance of them. I grow for entirely selfish reasons. I usually take 20 or 30 pounds a week to give to the fire stations around town. They do not care if they are not perfect and pretty as long as they taste good. I do this because of the way it makes ME feel. I have about 20 five gallon bucket planters that are scattered at 8 nursing homes around town. I take care of these plants on a weekly basis and I am known as the TOMATO MAN by the residents when I visit.These senior citizens love to tell me of their past gardens and how they did it when they were at home. Again I like how it makes ME feel to see the twinkle in their eye when they talk of their own gardening days. I have never sold a tomato nor will I ever sell them. I am selfish and love the way it makes me feel to give them away to people who truly appreciate a bountiful harvest and know the work that goes into producing a great tomato.

ron

Sun City Linda · February 1, 2015

Wow that sounds like a great way to give back Ron. I live near a few retirement homes but there is no way a 5 gallon container tomato could go without water, probably daily in my climate. There is no summer rain. Do you have your buckets set up as SIP or conv top water?

dipchip2000 · February 1, 2015

Linda

They probably get more water than mine at home. I just give them liquid fertilizer about every other week. It would surprise you that some of the oldest residents might water them 4 or 5 times a day. I drilled holes around the sides 2inches from the bottom so they cant be over watered. The aggregate in the bucket needs to be light and drain fairly well and not hold a lot of excess water. I used Big Beef plants and they handled the 100 degree heat just fine and produced great.

ron

Douglas14 · February 1, 2015

As a child my parents had a garden each year, for which my siblings and I got much of the weeding duties. It wasn't something I really enjoyed.
I became really became interested in gardening around the age of 25, for mainly two reasons: healthy food, and the heirloom seed movement.

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February 1, 2015	#16
peppero Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: selmer, tn Posts: 2,944	I garden for the same reasons all of you have expressed plus it draws me closer to the Original Gardener. jon

February 1, 2015	#17
drew51 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Sterling Heights, MI Zone 6a/5b Posts: 1,302	It does remind of my youth and how good the fruit was from my parent's trees. But at first it was just for my love of plants. I grew mostly tropical's, and cacti for 40 years. I wanted a little more out of it and I at last had the time, so took up edibles. It helped being a skilled plant grower. It made it easy as I already knew how to read plants. Every year now I grow something I never grew before. At this point my yard is completely full of edible plants. So I can spend a couple hours each day maintaining them, I love it. Now it's time to start seeds, so excisted the new season starts. I also like to cook, so having fresh herbs, fruits, and vegetables is great! I'm at the point now where everyday I can use something from my garden. Even in the dead of winter. That was one of my goals is to have something daily from the garden on my table. Most days it is just spices, all the same they are from the garden.

February 1, 2015	#19
taboule Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: MA Posts: 903	For many of the reasons stated already, plus one more: for the big smiles I get when I share my bounty or extra plants with friends and family.

February 1, 2015	#20
Riceloft Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Parma, Ohio (6a) Posts: 299	My mom and grandma always had a small plot while I was growing up (each were 5x10 at most). I always enjoyed going out to help them harvest. Both gave up gardening around the time I was 12 or 13. My grandma due to divorce, my mom due to an increasingly rocky marriage. Fast forward to about 5 years ago, I bought a house and got married and decided I wanted to have my own garden, always having fond memories. I set up a similarly sized plot and grew Tomatoes, Carrots, Radishes, Peppers and Cucumbers. After year 2 I decided to expand. I now have 5 4x8 raised beds, 1 3x6 raised bed and use 3 EarthTainers. This year I'm adding 2 more 3x6 beds and 2 "4in1" apple trees. I do it because I enjoy growing and eating my own food. While I eat a raw tomato, I make sauce, soup, salsa and all kinds of wonderful things, as well as provide my grandma with fresh tomatoes all season. Its just a great, fulfilling experience.

February 1, 2015	#22
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	To me a garden is more than vegetables it is all of my plants. My yard is my garden. My garden is a reflection of my true self. It tells the world and my neighbors what kind of man I am without speaking. Worth

February 1, 2015	#23
Cheryl2017 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: san antonio, texas Posts: 174	I love playing in the dirt. It's my therapy, I like watching things grow.

February 1, 2015	#24
RJGlew Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 646	You do things properly, it works. No politics.

February 1, 2015	#25
greenthumbomaha Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Omaha Zone 5 Posts: 2,514	I'm more on the emotional side and Worth said it very nicely. I live all year to see the first leaf come out wave up to me and show its a celery, kale , RL PL etc. With tips and encouragement from the board , I went from a casual backyard summertime hobby to sustaining myself for my special diet year round and growing for a food pantry. My former low sodium spaghetti sauce was $4.99 a jar and now I have unlimited choices. - Lisa

February 1, 2015	#26
Ed of Somis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Somis, Ca Posts: 649	Firstly, I really enjoyed and related to the posts by "alittlesalt" "SunCity" and "Dutch"! For me, it is almost a spiritual thing. I always say "God does the growing...I just help a bit". Like being out in nature...the feeling is just special to me. Sometimes it is relaxing...but, sometimes it is quite frustrating...

February 1, 2015	#27
dipchip2000 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Muskogee, Oklahoma Posts: 664	I am not what I would call a real gardener but I can grow tomatoes and most years grow an abundance of them. I grow for entirely selfish reasons. I usually take 20 or 30 pounds a week to give to the fire stations around town. They do not care if they are not perfect and pretty as long as they taste good. I do this because of the way it makes ME feel. I have about 20 five gallon bucket planters that are scattered at 8 nursing homes around town. I take care of these plants on a weekly basis and I am known as the TOMATO MAN by the residents when I visit.These senior citizens love to tell me of their past gardens and how they did it when they were at home. Again I like how it makes ME feel to see the twinkle in their eye when they talk of their own gardening days. I have never sold a tomato nor will I ever sell them. I am selfish and love the way it makes me feel to give them away to people who truly appreciate a bountiful harvest and know the work that goes into producing a great tomato. ron

February 1, 2015	#28
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	Wow that sounds like a great way to give back Ron. I live near a few retirement homes but there is no way a 5 gallon container tomato could go without water, probably daily in my climate. There is no summer rain. Do you have your buckets set up as SIP or conv top water?

February 1, 2015	#30
Douglas14 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Minnesota Posts: 602	As a child my parents had a garden each year, for which my siblings and I got much of the weeding duties. It wasn't something I really enjoyed. I became really became interested in gardening around the age of 25, for mainly two reasons: healthy food, and the heirloom seed movement.