NW Gardening is a Sport

I wrote this article a couple of months ago, for our Bellingham Barkley Newsletter. After spending 7 hours in my gardens yesterday...my aches and pains this morning reminded me of it.  So I thought I would share it with you!

While you read this, I will be in a hot bath with a couple of advil thrown down my throat!!!

I recently read an article about gardening.  It declared gardening as a sport!  I agree!  We do all kinds of exercise for planting and pulling weeds.  The squats, knee bends, the ‘got to get that weed...can't step on the flowers...please don't let me fall' stretches, and the ‘I can get it all in one load' wheel barrel exercise!  And finally we sweat...over every weed, slug, deer and drought that may harm our garden. Note I didn't mention the lawn mower...my husband David is in charge of that!!!

I know I spend quite a bit of time and money  in my attempts to make my garden grow and create my own personal park!  So threats are not taken lightly!  So far so good, with one exception. The slug farm has got to go. 

I have tried it all, and honestly the safest and most effective method is the ol' beer in a pie tin trick!  Just pour a beer in a pie tin, and set it out around the garden.  Those little creatures head right for it.  There are a few stubborn exceptions.  The smarter ones still prefer my lettuce patch.  Quite disturbing actually.  I did have a conversation with them, "Get out of my garden or you will die."  They were slow to respond, as one would suspect.  Fortunately, most have taken me seriously.  Those that didn't now live in the forest!

Another aspect of the gardening is a sport analogy is the shopping!  With so many beautiful yards, and happy gardeners in our area, one must be quick!  I swear one Saturday I was the last to show up at EVERY nursery in the Bellingham!  White candy tuff was not to be found, sold out!  It was quite frustrating as I had my vision in my head, and I needed those plant to make it reality!  I found them, at Rite Aid!  Who knew?

There are several places that sell their "almost dead, but we can still make a buck" plants at great savings to you.  I love shopping for those bargains.  My yard is full of those bargain plants.  Shop for perennials only.  They will do what they can for you this year, but next year they will bloom with appreciation of their new home, water and love. Remember though, you have to be persistent, dedicated to the mission, and quick...cause there are people like me out there shopping too!

And finally, why do we sign up for this seasonal sport?  To win of course!  No, most of us don't win ribbons, or featured articles about our yards.  Yet we all gain a sense of accomplishment, awe at beauty of it, enjoy eating a salad that came from your own garden, the fresh flower arrangements, appreciate the complements from our neighbors, but mostly it is the joy.  The sense of winning comes from flicking one of the slugs into the forest!

Go plant something!  Watch it grow!

**This time of year, it is more about cutting back, getting rid of the dead stuff, and preparing for next years beautiful, bountiful return!!!!