Have you ever done gardening?

[The_Everdistant_Utopia]

So, I keep a small garden at the back of my house that I used to tend to in order to relieve some stress and get a breather. Used to, that is, since the rainy season came and went and uprooted most of my garden. Though the only thing I cared the most was my coffee tree that got trashed. Oh, and my cabbages... Though recently I've been thinking about rebuilding my garden before the next rainy season arrives to wipe it all away.

Boring backstory aside, do any of you guys ever did gardening? Or alternatively, would you like to at some point?

 

[SailusGebel]

I did, but not anymore. It would be nice to grow some edible stuff instead of buying it, as the quality of vegetables in my country keeps dwindling. Sadly, I don't have any land to do so.

 

[The_Everdistant_Utopia]

I did, but not anymore. It would be nice to grow some edible stuff instead of buying it, as the quality of vegetables in my country keeps dwindling. Sadly, I don't have any land to do so.

I do have the land for it (about 6 by 7 meters, I think), just not the motivation since the weather can be quite tricky here sometimes. Usually it's either weeks on dry or non-stop rain for three to four days.

 

[LinXueLian]

Cabbages are great Very sorry to hear about your coffee tree though

I normally grow flowers, but lately I've branched out to some edibles~ 2 butterfly peas (got attacked by spiders, believe it or not, had to prune off most of the leaves but they have since regrown), a few chili seedlings, a longan sapling from a seed... hopefully my java plum will sprout soon

 

[SailusGebel]

I do have the land for it (about 6 by 7 meters, I think), just not the motivation since the weather can be quite tricky here sometimes. Usually it's either weeks on dry or non-stop rain for three to four days.

You can always try growing something that isn't as picky. Choose something delicious or beautiful enough to keep up that motivation high.

 

[The_Everdistant_Utopia]

Cabbages are great Very sorry to hear about your coffee tree though

I normally grow flowers, but lately I've branched out to some edibles~ 2 butterfly peas (got attacked by spiders, believe it or not, had to prune off most of the leaves but they have since regrown), a few chili seedlings, a longan sapling from a seed... hopefully my java plum will sprout soon

I've been thinking about planting flower beds on my garden, this might be as good a chance as any.

But in general I do prefer planting edibles, aside from my coffee tree that was still in its growth stage.

You can always try growing something that isn't as picky. Choose something delicious or beautiful enough to keep up that motivation high.

Yeah, I am looking into hardier plants that would probably grow reasonably here.

I'd also like something that'd grow fast, in special I'd like to find a fruit tree to put on the center or the back of the garden.

 

[SailusGebel]

I've been thinking about planting flower beds on my garden, this might be as good a chance as any.

But in general I do prefer planting edibles, aside from my coffee tree that was still in its growth stage.


Yeah, I am looking into hardier plants that would probably grow reasonably here.

I'd also like something that'd grow fast, in special I'd like to find a fruit tree to put on the center or the back of the garden.

You can try planting a Hippophae\Sea Buckthorn, don't know if this is the appropriate name. It's not beautiful, but it's sturdy, and berries are delicious and very healthy.

 

[lnv]

So, I keep a small garden at the back of my house that I used to tend to in order to relieve some stress and get a breather. Used to, that is, since the rainy season came and went and uprooted most of my garden. Though the only thing I cared the most was my coffee tree that got trashed. Oh, and my cabbages... Though recently I've been thinking about rebuilding my garden before the next rainy season arrives to wipe it all away.

Boring backstory aside, do any of you guys ever did gardening? Or alternatively, would you like to at some point?

Does hydroponics count? I also did aquaponics, but I stopped once my fish died :(

 

[The_Everdistant_Utopia]

Does hydroponics count? I also did aquaponics, but I stopped once my fish died :(

I mean, it counts for me.

Never really tried my hand in either, though...

 

[K5Rakitan]

I dabbled in it as a kid, but then my ex-boyfriend made it stressful for me. He was always pushing me to work faster, and that pretty much ruined my ability to find it relaxing. I'm going to rely on my mom to teach my son how to garden because of my emotional baggage around the subject. There are still lots of other creative things I find relaxing that were never tainted by my ex, so I am going to focus on those things instead.

 

[Derin_Edala]

I'm waiting for winter to end so I can plant the fun vegetables. right nowI've just got brassicas and carrots because everything delicious is killed by the frost.

 

[Mysticant]

Tried it before, was really relaxing in my opinion. Very low maintenance, very hardy and not fragile like other pets, very slow as well in a sense. I guess I do not really reap much benefits as they are usually trees and plants with inedible or not very tasty fruits or just flowers. Was pretty sad when the one small tree sapling that I planted back in the day as a kid got run over by a car since it was by a parking lot(adult decisions sometimes). Gosh, I wished the car had a big dent for emotional compensation.

I mean if you would call that gardening.

 

[The_Everdistant_Utopia]

I dabbled in it as a kid, but then my ex-boyfriend made it stressful for me. He was always pushing me to work faster, and that pretty much ruined my ability to find it relaxing. I'm going to rely on my mom to teach my son how to garden because of my emotional baggage around the subject. There are still lots of other creative things I find relaxing that were never tainted by my ex, so I am going to focus on those things instead.

I'm sorry to hear that. I do hope your son have fun if he ever gets into it and happy to hear you've found many other things you want to focus on!

I'm waiting for winter to end so I can plant the fun vegetables. right nowI've just got brassicas and carrots because everything delicious is killed by the frost.

Carrots and brassicas are fun too! I did tried to plant carrots, but the seeds I had never did sprout for me to transplant them into the garden.

Tried it before, was really relaxing in my opinion. Very low maintenance, very hardy and not fragile like other pets, very slow as well in a sense. I guess I do not really reap much benefits as they are usually trees and plants with inedible or not very tasty fruits or just flowers. Was pretty sad when the one small tree sapling that I planted back in the day as a kid got run over by a car since it was by a parking lot(adult decisions sometimes). Gosh, I wished the car had a big dent for emotional compensation.

Well, I mostly planted foodstuff on my garden, but now I want to branch out more and plant some flowers.

Yeah, that car really deserved some karmic punishment... I'm thankful my own garden is a walled one at the back of the home, can't imagine how nervous I'd be leaving them anywhere near where cars go after reading that.

 

[LinXueLian]

I've been thinking about planting flower beds on my garden, this might be as good a chance as any.

But in general I do prefer planting edibles, aside from my coffee tree that was still in its growth stage.

Mmm yeah! They can attract pollinators too. My dad said that this is good for fruit trees, if you have any.

Aha! I do plant edible flowers too, if you're considering a pretty type of edible. Blue butterfly peas are one of them - regularly eat them on their own or pour boiling water on them and drink it, or use them to color food such as rice and jellies.

The other one I've grown but not eaten yet are portulacas. I read up on foraging sites that these have a large amount of DHA! They're not very fussy plants either - they can grow on harsh soil. It's just that if you're growing to fry them like bean sprouts... try to feed them organic stuff like tea and coffee? Then again I haven't eaten them, so yeah...

 

[The_Everdistant_Utopia]

Mmm yeah! They can attract pollinators too. My dad said that this is good for fruit trees, if you have any.

Aha! I do plant edible flowers too, if you're considering a pretty type of edible. Blue butterfly peas are one of them - regularly eat them on their own or pour boiling water on them and drink it, or use them to color food such as rice and jellies.

The other one I've grown but not eaten yet are portulacas. I read up on foraging sites that these have a large amount of DHA! They're not very fussy plants either - they can grow on harsh soil. It's just that if you're growing to fry them like bean sprouts... try to feed them organic stuff like tea and coffee? Then again I haven't eaten them, so yeah...

I wonder if Blue butterfly peas can be grown where I live, so I'll have to read up on it. I did found a place that sells seeds of them, but it's from some states over so I don't know how well they'll fare in my state's climate. I'll probably try out if anything. Also found portulaca seeds, so I'll be adding those to the list too. Thanks for the tips/recommendations!

 

[LinXueLian]

I wonder if Blue butterfly peas can be grown where I live, so I'll have to read up on it. I did found a place that sells seeds of them, but it's from some states over so I don't know how well they'll fare in my state's climate. I'll probably try out if anything. Also found portulaca seeds, so I'll be adding those to the list too. Thanks for the tips/recommendations!

I'm so glad you're giving them a try! I'm not sure about it but as far as I know, butterfly peas need a lot of water in general. I live in the tropics so it's pretty ideal for them, pests aside. The flowers taste like lettuce with a sweetish aftertaste so snails and some bugs (and neighbors with long hands ) tend to like them too.

Aaa you're growing them from seeds? Amazing! I cheated a bit by asking my neighbor for some stems. Let me know if the seeds germinate~ And your first stir fry with butter hehe

 

[The_Everdistant_Utopia]

I'm so glad you're giving them a try! I'm not sure about it but as far as I know, butterfly peas need a lot of water in general. I live in the tropics so it's pretty ideal for them, pests aside. The flowers taste like lettuce with a sweetish aftertaste so snails and some bugs (and neighbors with long hands ) tend to like them too.

Aaa you're growing them from seeds? Amazing! I cheated a bit by asking my neighbor for some stems. Let me know if the seeds germinate~ And your first stir fry with butter hehe

I also live in the tropics, but in a region that usually gets a lot of rain on autumn and not much on the rest of the year. So usually the plants that I can plant in my garden need to be drought resistant to some extent.

And yeah, growing them from seeds. I have a dozen seedbeds for that, mostly because it's hard to find the seeds and even harder to find saplings around where I live. I usually order from some place away from where I live and they usually only deliver seeds from long distance. It's kind of hard to make the whole process of planting, selecting and transplanting the buds, but that's the unfortunate reality I find myself in.

It is easier to find saplings and seeds of more common (at least to here) plants, like Guava (white, red and yellow), soursop and acai. And also a lot of chamomile as it kind of grows on the wild here (it has more than once invaded my garden), so for those I can just get from a neighbor.

 

[LinXueLian]

I also live in the tropics, but in a region that usually gets a lot of rain on autumn and not much on the rest of the year. So usually the plants that I can plant in my garden need to be drought resistant to some extent.

And yeah, growing them from seeds. I have a dozen seedbeds for that, mostly because it's hard to find the seeds and even harder to find saplings around where I live. I usually order from some place away from where I live and they usually only deliver seeds from long distance. It's kind of hard to make the whole process of planting, selecting and transplanting the buds, but that's the unfortunate reality I find myself in.

It is easier to find saplings and seeds of more common (at least to here) plants, like Guava (white, red and yellow), soursop and acai. And also a lot of chamomile as it kind of grows on the wild here (it has more than once invaded my garden), so for those I can just get from a neighbor.

Aaaah! I see, you may be right. That sort of thing can cause rootrot, or be too dry. I suppose that's why you've picked portulacas? They're edible succulents, easy to grow apparently and you can eat them like you can eat certain sorts of cacti.

Oh snap, I'm sorry saplings are hard to find! I hope seeds work out for ya. Chamomile sounds wonderful though!

I've just thought of sunflowers - those are edible too when you roast the seeds, right? Some food for the winter!

 

[The_Everdistant_Utopia]

Aaaah! I see, you may be right. That sort of thing can cause rootrot, or be too dry. I suppose that's why you've picked portulacas? They're edible succulents, easy to grow apparently and you can eat them like you can eat certain sorts of cacti.

Oh snap, I'm sorry saplings are hard to find! I hope seeds work out for ya. Chamomile sounds wonderful though!

I've just thought of sunflowers - those are edible too when you roast the seeds, right? Some food for the winter!

Yeah, I need to either pick hardy plants, but other plants do bud if I spend enough time making sure they're on good condition. My main problem is when autumn and the rains arrive, since most plants don't fare well after that.

It would be easier if I lived in the city, but I moved recently to the sort of country side. It's still semi-urban, but way less hustle and bustle than the place I came from, so it's relatively peaceful and quiet. But on the other hand, getting seeds and saplings can be a bit of a bother. Gardening supplies are abundant, though, since most homes do keep gardens with edibles to help save money.

As for sunflowers, I'll look into that! I did find seeds for regular sunflowers and also dwarf sunflowers, but I'll need to do my research on the type of soil and watering they need.

Anyway, thanks for the recommendations once again!

 

[LinXueLian]

Yeah, I need to either pick hardy plants, but other plants do bud if I spend enough time making sure they're on good condition. My main problem is when autumn and the rains arrive, since most plants don't fare well after that.

It would be easier if I lived in the city, but I moved recently to the sort of country side. It's still semi-urban, but way less hustle and bustle than the place I came from, so it's relatively peaceful and quiet. But on the other hand, getting seeds and saplings can be a bit of a bother. Gardening supplies are abundant, though, since most homes do keep gardens with edibles to help save money.

As for sunflowers, I'll look into that! I did find seeds for regular sunflowers and also dwarf sunflowers, but I'll need to do my research on the type of soil and watering they need.

Anyway, thanks for the recommendations once again!

Ugh yeah! It's usually a battle between having them naturally on soil and then dealing with replanting after they're damaged by stuff like too much rainfall/too little rainfall or using pots, which need constant tending too. Due to a lot of rain in my country I planted my portulacas in pots and elevated them on bricks so it'll drain but then the watering.... pshhhh

Oh lala? I love that you're in a peaceful and quiet place though! It does sound like a dream. The city's great and all but... hmm, it's just not the same. Sometimes you just want to picnic outside or sit in the sun or shade and watch the quiet things Gotta love how everyone's working the land to save money too! Imagine making pies and food with stuff you grew yourself and sharing them

Ayy no problem! I love sunflowers! Haven't grown them though due to lack of place for it. But I hope they work out for you because they're beautiful and nutritious!