Non-Amazonian gardeners

9 Jul '09 10:18 am

You said it Moosey! It's depressing to read about these Wonder Women of the garden, at breakfast, lunch, or dinner--but particularly at breakfast, when one is ready to set out on a day of gardening tasks. There should be a formula, legally required to be printed in all gardening books, calculating how long a garden job is likely to take. Sort of like estimated time to prepare a recipe in a cookbook (but they lie too!) Components of the equation could include: time to gather tools, time to move tools to site, time to see all the other nearby items that need doing, etc. Of course that leaves out time to enjoy and appreciate your garden on your way to the job site!

13 Jul '09 11:00 am

Hee hee, Daffodil Planter! And, in the tradition of things that turn around and bit women gardeners on the bottom, I am now in the most stubborn of moods,and definitely am going to try and saw down the disappointing apple tree in the Island Bed. I have bought a new zoomy bow saw (a ten dollar special) to try out. Hmm... The revenge of the garden writer? Or something...
Cheers, M

18 Jul '09 8:14 am

Yes. At 5'10.5", still get respect, especially as am still a "tomboy," albeit hindered by various afflictions and old age. Still can pack a good wallop, as hubband will attest to, but the stamina department is commencing to lag, and that was where I always excelled, if I couldn't take it out quick, I always won by wearing it down. Cannot be your stepfather's only "son" and not come out with more muscles than the average bear when you build barns, dig the postholes for and tamp in railroad ties and gently break horses!

However, agree succinctly about garden magazine writers that seem to intimate these folks do all of this killing labor by themselves, when it's their pocketbook that does all the heavy work. Plus, I bet aforesaid woman didn't have a buzzard scoping her out to see if she was up to finishing the job!

Have at that apple tree, Lady Moosey, just remember to notch the opposite side if you can't get Minimus to push hard enough for the saw not to pinch!

19 Jul '09 11:10 am

I agree
My energy level does not match my visionous ideas-a bit like playing a piano with two hands,ideas and energy....but one hand is too tired.

22 Jul '09 6:47 am

Well. Have wanted and needed biggish rocks to outline flowerbeds...have asked friends, hubband, cajoling, tempting bribery, all to absolutely no avail. So. Early, early yesterday morning (grey, rain *!!* cooler) decide blast and *, will just go to old haunt (Lake Palo Pinto) for some lovely sandstone fellows! Trunk of hubband's car is three fourths full, look longingly at this big, gorgeous fifty some odd pounder. Go over, testing self to see if we can pull it off. Rearrange ones in the trunk, 'cause sandstone demands respect, if you really care. Go back to THE OLD AMAZON ROCK (henceforth so named!!). Maneuver self so will not do undue damage. Pick it partially up, turn to car, left knee starts whimping out, to which brain rapidly in forms it: "She has said if you fail in this, the needle awaiting you must equal or exceed the length of The Eiffel Tower." Knee doesn't even suck it up, it just goes, forwith!!In goes my gorgeous mini-boulder!!! YIPEEE, YAHOOO, ROOOOWDY, HOOOWDY!!!!! I AM OLD AMAZON! HEAR ME ROAR!!!!

Hubband says:"You got that rock! By yourself!!" Tee hee, smirk....

b.

5 Aug '09 11:16 am

I am so glad to read that other women feel as I do. I hate the fact the my body doesn't follow my mind. I worked as a professional gardener for 22 years and now that I am semi-retired I don't have the stamina to work for 8 hours in the garden. I keep on pushing and fighting the good fight. The articles in the gardening magazines remind me of the property owners I worked for. They would brag about all the work they did in their gardens but I knew they gave direction(you can work up a sweat doing giving direction) and that was all they did.

A passion for gardening is what drives us to work till our backs are bent and our fingers hurt. What a great passion it is!!!

5 Aug '09 7:03 pm

Welcome Roking
it sounds as though you have had an interesting working life.Where do you live now and do you have a very big garden of your own?

6 Aug '09 2:45 pm

Hi Dixie,

My husband and I moved to SanAntonio TX about 18 months ago. We left a 1930's Cottage on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland with 125 rosebushes to what I would describe as a modern ranch house on 1 acre in a development(not my choice) I am slowly nudging this house and yard into a cottage style. It is rather slow going but rewarding nonetheless. We are in the midst of a rather miserable drought at the moment with temps over 100 degrees for 45 days. Hand watering is all we can do,so most of my mornings are taken up with watering trees, shrubs and flowers(all are new in the past 12 months). I love, love, love working outside despite my whinning about my aches and pains. SUCH IS LIFE. How is life treating you?

Regards

14 Aug '09 4:15 am

Wow. Expect you are in a bit of culture shock, plant-wise, etc.! You are in the worst drought area in the United States right now, and the worst for that area of Texas since the thirteen year drought that ended in the late fifties! Ouch. And coming from a land of many waters!! Hope the transition hasn't been too painful.

About clients who acted as if everything was their idea and labor...met a relation at a fifty year anni in California years ago. She had brought some stunning roses for her new mother-in-law, and I naturally complimented them. Asked her if she grew them herself, she most snootily said she had a gardener. I said how disappointing it must be to have not really realized their beauty through their culture. Another favorite relative overheard and gloated!

Realize the drought is horrendous, here they usually allow hand watering and soaker hoses. Is it so bad they won't allow the soakers? Be careful of the foundation of your house, too. You are most probably in Texas blackland, and the clay particles can shrink or expand 350%. Plays havoc with a slab foundation.

'Tis indeed nice to meet a fellow Texan thru Lady Moosey!

b.

p.s. The books sound great! If you decide to use any Texas natives in your landscaping, Sally Wakowski has written several great books. Use Amazon, as I think some may be out of print. And! For a superb source of great things and places to go in Tejas, the Texas Highways magazine is unbeatable! Even acutely homesick Texans overseas subscribe.

Non-Amazonian gardeners

Non-Amazonian gardeners

Hee hee

Former Amazon...

Agree

AMAZON!! Hear me YIPEEEEEE!!

Amazonian Women

welcome

Welcome, roking!