Lettuce Pray! How is Your Garden Planning Going This Year? 🌵🪴🌱☘️🌸🌻💐

[seoulsearch]

Hey Everyone!

I've spoken about my Toxic Thumb before, but for some reason (and to nature's dismay,) I keep trying!!

The fact that I have pretty much no luck or skill is pretty embarrassing, considering I have family members who were professional farmers! But for some reason, even with everything I've killed, I still can't give up! Last year I was able to grow pansies from seeds (my first successful growth from seed to mature plant ever,) and this year I'm going for a world record (for me, at least) of trying to grow flowers from seeds 2 whole years in a row!

I also have a small group of people I keep in touch with on CC, and we are almost on the verge of starting a "Plant War" -- or maybe it's just all in my imagination. I just know that every time I see someone post a picture of their latest awesome garden pics, it seems to give me "Plant Envy."

In the meantime, I have a small assortment of indoor plants, with these two being my crowning jewels (these are stock internet photos -- my plants look good but not quite THIS good!)

I couldn't resist the bright purple glow this one gives off!

And I am particularly fascinated by this Rex Begonia. It has red stems, red leaves, and black spots -- not a single part of the plant is green, and is unique to any other plant I've tried (in my very limited experience.)

I can only have container plants and have limited space, but I also want to pick up some basil and possibly a strawberry planter, if I'm feeling brave. I know the entire plant section shudders every time I walk by, but I just can't resist!


How about YOU?

* What things are you planting in your garden this year?

* What are your favorites, and biggest successes?

* What are your biggest gardening failures, and what did you learn from them?

* Who or what got you into gardening, and are you teaching anyone else?

* If you're not a gardener, do you know someone who is?

Lettuce all be thankful... For everything we have growing around us! I'm looking forward to hearing all about what YOU'VE got growing.

 

[NightTwister]

Part of the "deal" when we moved from a townhouse to a single-family home was my wife would do all of the yardwork. That's held mostly true, though I agreed to mow in the Spring and Fall while she's still teaching. In the summer it's all hers.

 

[Genipher]

I just planted a bunch of strawberries. Tried them last year but the goats got loose and decimated them in short order. Daughter and I tried growing a bunch of seedlings but the only thing to survive was ONE sunflower. It was growing beautifully and then, again, the goats! Ate the sunflower till all that was left was one long stem pointing to the sky. Looked pretty silly.

This year I'm going to try sunflowers again. And nasturtiums. I bought 2 heirloom tomatoes that I planted near the raspberry starts that my mom gave me. I'd like to get an herbal garden started but need more raised beds. Everything I grow has to be protected from the lurking gophers. Trying to take it slow and steady so I don't get overwhelmed.

Also, I tend to have a black thumb. I've killed mint before and have been told that's pretty hard to do. But I SO MUCH want to be able to grow things. The best garden I ever had was, years ago, when I bought a bunch of tomato plants from a friend and planted them near the street. Basically forgot about them and they flourished. The next year I thought, "Hey, the tomatoes did so well last year. This year I'm going to grow more and make salsa!" And, of course, most of them died and I hardly got any tomatoes. Something about me TRYING to take care of veggie plants makes them commit suicide or something...

 

[Genipher]

Part of the "deal" when we moved from a townhouse to a single-family home was my wife would do all of the yardwork. That's held mostly true, though I agreed to mow in the Spring and Fall while she's still teaching. In the summer it's all hers.

I love to be out doing the yard work. Husband hates it. But the last two spring/summers he's gone out to do the first mow because the grass is usually too tall and wet for me to muscle through. This is one of the many ways I know he loves me.

 

[RodB651]

How about YOU?

I've got the following...

Herbs - Thyme, basil, oregano, dill, parsley, and rosemary.
Peppers - red bell, orange bell, jalapeno, sweet banana, hot banana, and pablano.
And a lavender plant.

 

[Cameron143]

I've got the following...

Herbs - Thyme, basil, oregano, dill, parsley, and rosemary.
Peppers - red bell, orange bell, jalapeno, sweet banana, hot banana, and pablano.
And a lavender plant.

At first I thought it said...sweet banana, hot banana, problemo...

 

[Karlon]

Hey Everyone!

I've spoken about my Toxic Thumb before, but for some reason (and to nature's dismay,) I keep trying!!

The fact that I have pretty much no luck or skill is pretty embarrassing, considering I have family members who were professional farmers! But for some reason, even with everything I've killed, I still can't give up! Last year I was able to grow pansies from seeds (my first successful growth from seed to mature plant ever,) and this year I'm going for a world record (for me, at least) of trying to grow flowers from seeds 2 whole years in a row!

I also have a small group of people I keep in touch with on CC, and we are almost on the verge of starting a "Plant War" -- or maybe it's just all in my imagination. I just know that every time I see someone post a picture of their latest awesome garden pics, it seems to give me "Plant Envy."

In the meantime, I have a small assortment of indoor plants, with these two being my crowning jewels (these are stock internet photos -- my plants look good but not quite THIS good!)

I couldn't resist the bright purple glow this one gives off!

And I am particularly fascinated by this Rex Begonia. It has red stems, red leaves, and black spots -- not a single part of the plant is green, and is unique to any other plant I've tried (in my very limited experience.)

I can only have container plants and have limited space, but I also want to pick up some basil and possibly a strawberry planter, if I'm feeling brave. I know the entire plant section shudders every time I walk by, but I just can't resist!


How about YOU?

* What things are you planting in your garden this year?

* What are your favorites, and biggest successes?

* What are your biggest gardening failures, and what did you learn from them?

* Who or what got you into gardening, and are you teaching anyone else?

* If you're not a gardener, do you know someone who is?

Lettuce all be thankful... For everything we have growing around us! I'm looking forward to hearing all about what YOU'VE got growing.

i do not plant gardens anymore. too old & busy with other things. my wife's daughter plants broccoli, 1 of my all time favorites. we also get free eggs from the farm. i did not have any garden failures, i learned from my dad plus read books on gardening. best successes: tomatoes, cucs & lettuce. dad got me into gardening. nearly everyone i know gardens.

 

[seoulsearch]

At first I thought it said...sweet banana, hot banana, problemo...

Maybe Rodney was describing the women he meets -- sweet, hot, and problematic!😁😚😎

 

[Cameron143]

Maybe Rodney was describing the women he meets -- sweet, hot, and problematic!😁😚😎

He needs to find one that is all 3.

 

[seoulsearch]

He needs to find one that is all 3.

Rumor has it, they usually are. 😎

*Seoulsearch innocently waits for Rodney's scolding.* 😇

 

[RodB651]

Maybe Rodney was describing the women he meets -- sweet, hot, and problematic!😁😚😎

🤦 🤦 and 🤦😆

 

[RodB651]

He needs to find one that is all 3.

no.. just no

 

[Cameron143]

no.. just no

At least I didn't get a face palm.

 

[tourist]

So far, got in the green beans, snow peas, and okra. I do most of the actual gardening to make it easier on my wife. She says that she loves gardening yet I'm the one doing all of the work. Personally, it is a waste of time and money, but it makes her happy, so I'm happy to do it for her.

 

[HopeinHim98]

I love gardening! We don't have space for a big one this year but we're planting a good variety of summer veggies. So far we planted a few kinds of tomatoes, a couple kinds of peppers, and cucumbers. Hope to plant okra, squash, and beans at least yet.

Houseplants are something I'm not as successful with. My mom is super good with them; it inspires me!

 

[Mem]

I couldn't resist the bright purple glow this one gives off!

Tradescantia Nanouk!... I failed mine
I few years back I pick up a few violets. All had yet to bloom except one. It was a white one, but it's dead now. It was one of two that didn't make it to this year. The one I have left is thriving but never bloomed, until recently! It's pink (I think the third one was supposed to be purple) I had them sitting under a metered grow light and everything, but the light has been on the blink and goes out within a few minutes of turning it on. It must have experienced some kind of short because timer no longer works on it. Who Knew that was the answer to making it bloom?!

The blooms last quite a while but once I notice them starting to wilt, I'm going to merge them with my other love of baking and candy them.

 

[Lynx]

I just planted a bunch of strawberries. Tried them last year but the goats got loose and decimated them in short order. Daughter and I tried growing a bunch of seedlings but the only thing to survive was ONE sunflower. It was growing beautifully and then, again, the goats! Ate the sunflower till all that was left was one long stem pointing to the sky. Looked pretty silly.

This year I'm going to try sunflowers again. And nasturtiums. I bought 2 heirloom tomatoes that I planted near the raspberry starts that my mom gave me. I'd like to get an herbal garden started but need more raised beds. Everything I grow has to be protected from the lurking gophers. Trying to take it slow and steady so I don't get overwhelmed.

Also, I tend to have a black thumb. I've killed mint before and have been told that's pretty hard to do. But I SO MUCH want to be able to grow things. The best garden I ever had was, years ago, when I bought a bunch of tomato plants from a friend and planted them near the street. Basically forgot about them and they flourished. The next year I thought, "Hey, the tomatoes did so well last year. This year I'm going to grow more and make salsa!" And, of course, most of them died and I hardly got any tomatoes. Something about me TRYING to take care of veggie plants makes them commit suicide or something...

When I was a kid we had a cure for that goat problem. The cure was called Chip. She was a blue heeler and she could put the fear of dog into those goats.

 

[Tall_Timbers]

I love yellow roses. I'm in an HOA and I think they only permit the planting of native plant species. Therefore I planted my two hybrid yellow rose plants on a side of the house that does not face the street so that the HOA police will be less likely to see them. I planted them last spring. I don't yet know if they will have survived the winter or not... If they do survive, I guess I can declare success with my yellow roses. It should be clear from my planting of these rose bushes that I'm a 1percenter.

As far as everything else, the native plants grow like weeds and it's a chore to trim them way back each fall, and sometimes in the summer too if they get out of hand. We've got over a dozen junipers along our fence in the back yard. I've never cared for junipers... but they don't require much water and water is expensive here.

Even though we live on the high plains and there are lots of native grasses, the kinds that are planted as lawns clearly aren't native and don't want to stay alive so it takes a fortune of fertilizer, insecticide, weedicide, and some other icide that I'm forgetting at the moment to try and coax the lawn to continue to live for yet another season. And lots of water. Last spring I didn't water it quite as much as it needed so now I have some dead areas that just don't seem to want to come back to life. The lawn is a real pain but I'm doing the best I can to keep it looking as nice as I can out of respect for our neighbors.

 

[seoulsearch]

I just planted a bunch of strawberries. Tried them last year but the goats got loose and decimated them in short order. Daughter and I tried growing a bunch of seedlings but the only thing to survive was ONE sunflower. It was growing beautifully and then, again, the goats! Ate the sunflower till all that was left was one long stem pointing to the sky. Looked pretty silly.

This year I'm going to try sunflowers again. And nasturtiums. I bought 2 heirloom tomatoes that I planted near the raspberry starts that my mom gave me. I'd like to get an herbal garden started but need more raised beds. Everything I grow has to be protected from the lurking gophers. Trying to take it slow and steady so I don't get overwhelmed.

Also, I tend to have a black thumb. I've killed mint before and have been told that's pretty hard to do. But I SO MUCH want to be able to grow things. The best garden I ever had was, years ago, when I bought a bunch of tomato plants from a friend and planted them near the street. Basically forgot about them and they flourished. The next year I thought, "Hey, the tomatoes did so well last year. This year I'm going to grow more and make salsa!" And, of course, most of them died and I hardly got any tomatoes. Something about me TRYING to take care of veggie plants makes them commit suicide or something...

LOL!!

This post was hilarious -- and I think it gave me a literal scapegoat! 🐐🐐🐐

I've decided to blame all of my gardening failures not on my own lack of skill, but because, obviously, it was the goats.

Never mind that the closest I've come to goats are at farms and petting zoos.

Never mind that I live in an apartment.

And never mind that I live on one of the upper floors (after all, aren't goats known for climbing?!)

It was the goats, I tell you!

The goats.

 

[seoulsearch]

I love yellow roses. I'm in an HOA and I think they only permit the planting of native plant species. Therefore I planted my two hybrid yellow rose plants on a side of the house that does not face the street so that the HOA police will be less likely to see them. I planted them last spring. I don't yet know if they will have survived the winter or not... If they do survive, I guess I can declare success with my yellow roses. It should be clear from my planting of these rose bushes that I'm a 1percenter.

As far as everything else, the native plants grow like weeds and it's a chore to trim them way back each fall, and sometimes in the summer too if they get out of hand. We've got over a dozen junipers along our fence in the back yard. I've never cared for junipers... but they don't require much water and water is expensive here.

Even though we live on the high plains and there are lots of native grasses, the kinds that are planted as lawns clearly aren't native and don't want to stay alive so it takes a fortune of fertilizer, insecticide, weedicide, and some other icide that I'm forgetting at the moment to try and coax the lawn to continue to live for yet another season. And lots of water. Last spring I didn't water it quite as much as it needed so now I have some dead areas that just don't seem to want to come back to life. The lawn is a real pain but I'm doing the best I can to keep it looking as nice as I can out of respect for our neighbors.

I hope your rose bushes are huge success -- and that the HOA turns a literal blind eye to them!!

I do have to say though, these are all things I definitely DON'T miss about owning a home -- dealing with an HOA, having to take care of a yard, and having to keep things up to par, not that I wouldn't -- but when you live around other people and their yards, you have to bring it all up to everyone else's standards.

Bah humbug!

(But kudos to you for doing so to respect your neighbors.)