kuntrygal
Texas ~ Zone 8
Posts: 3436
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 2:38 am Post subject: Why did you start gardening? |
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My mother was always in her flower garden. She grew mostly Iris, zinnias and Phlox. My grandmother was also in her garden, but hers was a vegie garden so she could feed 9 kids. But I remember her purple petunias, with such a sweet smell especially at night.  That's why I plant a lot of them today. It takes me back to the better days, I guess you could say. You would think that gardening knowledge would have rubbed off on me, better than it did.  But I am trying and see some progress ...
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Gaylyn ~ 2277 ~
"I'm so far behind, I thought I was first"
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, It's about learning to dance in the rain"
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Peppersage
Kansas City
Posts: 313
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 3:11 am Post subject: |
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That's a good question, with no good answer. It's just something I always did, never got real good, and would take a break now and then. Just to wind up planting things in clay pots, or even tin cans, all over the place.
My earliest memories were "helping" the priest across the train tracks. Until my mom would call me home, he really didn't seem to mind any way. Most of the people in that town didn't have lawns, just gardens. We visited a few years back, it's lawns now.
We moved from there when i was about 7, my parents would plant small gardens, but i was always bringing something home to plant. Be it jonquils, yucas, or just some pretty weed. Many of those plants are still there. Like the maple tree, or  the wild strawberries.
jeffrey
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eileen
 Forum Moderator
Scotland
Posts: 18013
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 10:48 am Post subject: |
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Well I've always had plants around me even before I had a garden. They, somehow, just seemed to be attracted to me and asked me to take them home. I've had a garden though for about 23years and have always been organic. 
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gardenmama
Vermont
Posts: 575
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 10:58 am Post subject: |
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AS a young child we always had a huge garden and my mom and dad pickled and canned the vegetables. They made the best pickles! My italian grandfather had a really nice garden in connecticut and i remember helping him tons of green beans and cucumbers. When we were looking to buy a house I knew i needed space for a veggie garden and flowers. The house we bought had blueberry bushes, raspberries, blackberries and a huge veggie garden already established. I knew when we viewed the property that this was the one. 
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Sjoerd
West - Friesland
Posts: 6915
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 11:03 am Post subject: |
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I began gardening because I found it relaxing and so very interesting. It's a hobby that one can continue learning and yet bever master. It's the ever-changing combination of factors during the course of a year that holds my attention and keeps me so intrigued.
When I started I was at a point where I could take the time to do it. Due to our lifestyle, there was never time at all--it was hard working, followed by hard travelling...then working again--and so it went for a number of years.
My grandparents were farmers and I spent summers with them, so I believe that this formed the basis of my appreciation of nature in general, and gardening specifically.
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Sjoerd http://www.volkstuindersvereniginghoornenomstreken.nl/Page11.html
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Wrennie
Catskill Mountains NY
Posts: 645
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 11:42 am Post subject: |
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No one in my family was into gardening. I guess it is in my genes! When I was young I liked houseplants and started with a couple of veggies in pots. Then when I got my own house I did a bigger veggie garden, and flowers everywhere. Sooner or later there will be no need for the lawnmower! 
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Netty
Regular Plants Contributor
Southern Ontario zone 5a
Posts: 9959
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 11:53 am Post subject: |
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My mother always had a big veggie garden and some flower beds. When I moved out and into an apartment I always had pots of flowers and tomatoes. When we bought our first house the first thing I did was dig a veggie garden. Then I guess I decided that the house needed some flower gardens.
Now, I'm just out of control!
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Biita
Norway
Posts: 2048
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:06 pm Post subject: |
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When i was a child growing up in Finland and Sweden, my Swedish grandma used to take me out to "hunt" for dinner with her. We never hunted for game, but for veggies and fruits. Everything was in its purest form, and i think that had a huge impact on me, even when i became a mom. We would go on hiking or camping trips, and i would take my kids out to "hunt" for dinner. I still do it today, altho the farming thing is new to me, I've only had the backyard gardens, but now its whole fields. So still learning after all these years!
Flowers has always been something i went into a field and picked. I know absolutely nothing about flowers and what made me decide to get intrested, was the old world flowers i have here in this home. They intrige me. How different from the hybrides that are now available. So this is what has started my current flower intrest, along with the challenge of growing in the Arctic.
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glendann
Texas
Posts: 9228
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:19 pm Post subject: |
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My mom always had veggie gardens and had plants and blooms all over yard.
I remember huge fields of peas,corn,
watermelons and huge veggie gardens every year.
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but by the moments that take our breath away.'
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cajunbelle
zone 8b Louisiana
Posts: 3256
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 6:05 pm Post subject: |
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We always gardened, both veggies and flowers. We also had to help Grandma with her flowers and veggies, and even cut the grass. I was raised up doing it so it was just natural with me. I can't imagine myself ever not gardening in some capacity.
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Sharon
Phil. 4:13
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stratsmom
Southern Oregon
Posts: 2285
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 6:49 pm Post subject: |
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Mom and Grandma both had lots of flowers and occasionally a vegetable garden. I didn't appreciate any of it until I moved away from home! My husband likes a vegetable garden, when we have the time. We haven't planted a single vegetable in about 3 years I LOVE my flowers, everyone of them. I like to watch them grow and blossom and then share the seeds. Gives me a real sense of accomplishment. I'm also learning a lot. I'm amazed at how much comes back to me from what my Mom & Grandma told me. I must have absorbed it through osmosis or something 
Deanna
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gardengater
NC
Posts: 1544
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 8:22 pm Post subject: |
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My desire to garden definitely carried through several generations of family. I recently traveled to Europe to meet some relatives and everyone that has a plot of ground, has a garden, usually vegetable and flowers combined. I was a frustrated gardener for many years, but spent my time looking at seed catalogs and growing houseplants. It's only in the last few years that I have been able to plant a real flower garden and now vegetables too. That's why this blog is so special to me - real knowledgable people to share my passion with.
Gardengater
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Griphook
TENNESSEE
Posts: 77
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| Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 2:09 am Post subject: |
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I was hungry.
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Pianolady
Zone 4b Iowa
Posts: 539
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| Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 12:41 pm Post subject: |
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My parents really weren't gardeners, and I started for practical reasons. I guess I started when we purchased our first house with the traditional rows of half-dead prickly pine shrubs lining the front of the house at the foundation. We pulled those out with the truck leaving a blank slate, and there's where the gardening began.
House #2 was purchased with the same hedge, as was house #3. All were pulled out immediately. The gardening expanded at house #3 due to the large property we have at this house.
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catspower
Arkansas
Posts: 70
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| Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 5:08 pm Post subject: |
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Where would be be without plants? We wouldn't.
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