Gardening Question of the Day for Monday, June 9, 2008
(Via Gardening Question of the Day (from The Old Farmer's Almanac))
My strawberries began flowering and producing berries, but potato bugs keep getting into them and eating the fruits. Is there any way to get rid of the bugs and not hurt the berries? (answer).
My strawberries began flowering and producing berries, but potato bugs keep getting into them and eating the fruits. Is there any way to get rid of the bugs and not hurt the berries? (answer).
From The Old Farmer's Almanac.
Are you a Garden Starter, Finisher or Maintainer?
(Via Gardening Tips 'n' Ideas)
The way I see it, there are three main types of gardener - the Starter, the Finisher or the Maintainer. And while many of us well-rounded gardeners - ahem!! excuse my while I barf - think we are truly the embodiment of all three, each of us tend primarily to one of them. We may display characteristics of all three but when 'push comes to shove' we find that one of them truly characterizes our gardening behaviour.
The way I see it, there are three main types of gardener - the Starter, the Finisher or the Maintainer. And while many of us well-rounded gardeners - ahem!! excuse my while I barf - think we are truly the embodiment of all three, each of us tend primarily to one of them. We may display characteristics of all three but when 'push comes to shove' we find that one of them truly characterizes our gardening behaviour.
So let's explore all three and see whether we can associate with any one in particular.
1. The Garden Starter
The Starter is a gardener who becomes empassioned for new projects. They love to pioneer new areas within their garden or take on a task that requires an inordinate amount of inspiration and creativity. In fact, if a Starter is unable to find something new to create within their garden they can easily become distracted or even bored with their garden.
Now, we all know that every gardener starts new things in their garden. A new flowering border, some landscaping that needs to be solved or a project to enhance different elements of the garden. Yet the difference between someone who is a Starter and other gardeners is that they truly find limited joy in the other two types of gardening behaviour.
A Starter is usually a bad Maintainer. When confronted with a sick plant they view it as an opportunity to replace it rather than revive it. Fertilising is only performed when a plant is dug into the soil and weeding is seen as the antithesis of gardening as a hobby.
And they are also bad Finishers. Most of their projects get half-completed and another is started because "it was becoming a little boring".
You can always tell whether a gardener is a Starter by taking a tour through their garden with them. Rather than spend copious amounts of time enjoying the plant specimens, the Starter will be quick to show you their plans for the future. A new garden bed here; a water feature there; and that area in the back is going to be an amazing [Starter's add your own project here].
2. The Garden Maintainer
Where would we be without the Maintainers? This behavioural tendency is best displayed by those who love to topiary. If you get any satisfaction from clipping and shaping a hedge, and doing it more than once, then you're most likely a garden Maintainer.
Maintainers love to keep the garden looking at its prime. Lawns are manicured, hedges are uniformly trimmed and flowering perennials are dead-headed daily. Now this may be the extreme Maintainer but if you can associate with keeping your garden at a level of some perfection then you probably fit into the Maintainer category - although most Maintainers don't think there are categories to fit into!
The Maintainer usually struggles to be creative by themselves and will often draw on other gardener's inspiration for new projects. And while they may actually do a better job than the Starter their projects will usually lack the flair and charisma that Starters can produce.
Maintainers usually aren't good Finishers either. They can often balk at projects or plant specimens that require some extra oomph! to get them completed and would rather cover them up with something that can easily be maintained than work at finishing them.
3. The Garden Finisher
The final persona to discuss is the Finisher - the clean-up guy! A Finisher is usually a gardener that loves to come into a garden or landscaping project towards the end rather than the start. They will most often buy an established home with gardens that need renovating rather than a house that is just sand and builder's rubble.
The Finisher takes great delight in bringing completion to the garden. No new projects are started without every other task completed and put to rest. When you take a tour with this type of gardener they will most likely discuss what has been done in the garden than what is likely to happen in the future.
Finishers are pretty good at maintenance though not to the same level as a Maintainer. They see maintenance as a finishing task rather than just the upkeep of a beautiful garden. Their lawns are mowed regularly because that's how lawns are supposed to be finished. Hedges might be trimmed if that is part of the garden style but you will never find Finishers shaping a topiary.
Yet, with all their skills as Finishers and their ability maintain gardens they struggle to start gardens. They will often look at a blank canvas with a similar blank view not knowing where to start or what to do.
Conclusion
Me, I'm a bona-fide Starter. I suck at maintaining the garden and there are more than one project that could do with a little finishing. But, I'm starting to acknowledge my gardening strengths and weaknesses - honing the strengths and working on the weaknesses.
It's the part of me that truly enjoys reading gardening blogs. There are some gardeners who are awesome Maintainers who make me feel guilty inspire me to continue with my struggling plants or achieve a higher level of excellence within my own garden. Likewise there are some great Finishers who can enthuse me about finally completing some of my projects - so that I can go and start new ones, of course.
So which type of gardener are you - a Starter, Finisher or Maintainer?
Comment on First week of June by Crafty Gardener
(Via Comments for Anne's Garden)
Your veggies are off to a good start. The clematis is a lovely colour.
The daylilies are beginning to bloom at
The Gardener Side
EEK… It’s A Tour Bus!
(Via An Iowa Garden)
Well, it's not everyday when a bus with fifty-five people in it pulls up to your house to tour your garden... in this case, it was the Master Gardeners of Polk County ( from the Des Moines area two hours west of here). Incredibly nice people, and fortunately our seemingly endless rain held off (though more rain is predicted tonight, and there is a strong possibility the nearby dam on the Iowa River will actually overflow in a couple of days and flood Iowa City as it did in 1993). Being wooded, our garden is primarily a spring garden, but I thought I was pretty good in not continually telling people they "really should have been here three weeks ago".
A fine time was had by all; they laughed at my stories and were very kind in not commenting about all of the weeds in the flower beds. As far as I know, they all made it back on the bus, but I'll keep my eyes open the next few days.
Well, it's not everyday when a bus with fifty-five people in it pulls up to your house to tour your garden... in this case, it was the Master Gardeners of Polk County ( from the Des Moines area two hours west of here). Incredibly nice people, and fortunately our seemingly endless rain held off (though more rain is predicted tonight, and there is a strong possibility the nearby dam on the Iowa River will actually overflow in a couple of days and flood Iowa City as it did in 1993). Being wooded, our garden is primarily a spring garden, but I thought I was pretty good in not continually telling people they "really should have been here three weeks ago".
A fine time was had by all; they laughed at my stories and were very kind in not commenting about all of the weeds in the flower beds. As far as I know, they all made it back on the bus, but I'll keep my eyes open the next few days.
Gardening Question of the Day for Sunday, June 8, 2008
(Via Gardening Question of the Day (from The Old Farmer's Almanac))
I want to plant a green manure, but how do I choose one? (answer).
I want to plant a green manure, but how do I choose one? (answer).
From The Old Farmer's Almanac.
Some Foods May Be Cheaper to Buy
(Via Home and Family: Gardening Articles from EzineArticles.com)
With the increase in grocery store prices lately many people are seriously considering the home garden in an effort to cut the budget a bit. This is all well and good however one must fully realize that with certain foods it may be more cost effective to purchase the cans as opposed to canning them yourself.
With the increase in grocery store prices lately many people are seriously considering the home garden in an effort to cut the budget a bit. This is all well and good however one must fully realize that with certain foods it may be more cost effective to purchase the cans as opposed to canning them yourself.
