Why did you start gardening?

Discussion in 'Gardening Other' started by kuntrygal, Aug 4, 2008.

  1. olma156

    olma156 New Seed

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    I am living in town and I can't every day to visit the nature, so I bring the nature in my house.
    With this hobby I fill the amazing of life, sprowing a seed and after germination I see every day how the life is passing front my eyes.
     
  2. mtathome

    mtathome Seedling

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    I remember the exact moment I decided to become a gardener. My sister had just had her first child and I had bought a little pot of marigolds to put inside a pretty little planter to give her as a gift in the hospital.

    The sweet scent of the soil in the potted marigolds was what grabbed my attention, more so than the blooms. I still love to sniff good rich soil.
     
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  3. hydrogardener

    hydrogardener Seedling

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    I have always been the type of person who never gives up when something does not turn out right. :'(
    When my wife and I moved into our first apartment, we purchased an ornamental pepper plant at the A&P to decorate our living room. It was dead in about three days. We were determined we would learn how to keep plants alive and growing. Forty four years later we have grown bonsai, orchids, houseplants and vegetables. I garden 365 days a year either indoors, or in the greenhouse. It may be in your genes, as my 18 month old granddaughter loves picking flowers from my hydro system to present to her grandma. :) She is also a lefty just like grampa :p
     
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  4. Jewell

    Jewell Incorrigible Gardener Plants Contributor

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    How could I not garden? :stew1: Sometimes some things are just a part of a person. Having green living plants around and pets/animals is a part of me. I talked to the trees as a kid, and I talk to my plants and pets as an adult...part of the fun of life.
     
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  5. MBodel

    MBodel New Seed

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    When I was growing up, everone in the family had *huge* gardens, and we'd can and/or pickle everything. I miss it a lot, there's not enough space here to grow a big garden and not enough water to keep it going through the summer. I do have a rose garden, a spot where I can grow herbs, not to mention a grapevine and some fruit trees.

    With the price of food going up, I realy wish I did have a bigger garden!
     
  6. lulu1107

    lulu1107 New Seed

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    Why do I Garden?

    It's funny...My mother used to name every flower or tree we passed on family trips. Yes, I was one of those people whose eyes glazed over during her gardening talk, but oh have times changed! I have now become privy to the wonders of all of those once mysterious terms.During the first few years of my divorce, I needed a way to battle depression. My buddy literally gave me a van load of plants that he didn't want. I found a special home for all of them and nearly drove him crazy with calls to ask his advice! Since then I have created an entire edible landscape which is probably my favorite place to be!

    -Rhonda
     
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  7. SamMein

    SamMein New Seed

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    My grandfather always had a huge garden in Grand Junction, Michigan. It had the most beautiful flowers and most tasty veggies and berries! So when I got married my husband and I decided that gardening was something we wanted to give a whirl and have grown to enjoy it every night after work we take the dogs out in the yard and he waters and I pull weeds then we harvest and products that are ready. Some nice together time!
     
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  8. kats_gardens

    kats_gardens New Seed

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    I love watching things grow and It's a great hobby to share with my kids. Every day, we check the seedlings together. Maybe with the harvest they will be more into eating veggies!
     
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  9. Palm Tree

    Palm Tree Young Pine

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    That is the way to go Kats_gardens - making gardening quality time with the family. And like you said, what better way to get the kids into a greening habit. :-D I wish my children did that when they were growing up. Alas...
     
  10. sureideas

    sureideas New Seed

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    WHy I started Gardening? It gives me a lot of pleasure to see the flowers I grow. It gives me a lot of satisfaction and content to work
     
  11. Coopes

    Coopes New Seed

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    Why I started gardening, the main reason I lost my job in January, and there's nothing out there, I was sat on the computer putting on weight and getting board, I started helping a mate on his allotment enjoyed the excersise so made a 4mx4m plot on my back garden bought a small greenhouse and away you go. Was then offered a allotment to work for a chap where my mate had got his, it is mine all bar him paying for it, I can do what I want and plant what I want, so I'm getting excersise plenty of fresh air and making new friends.
     
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  12. JU$t!C3

    JU$t!C3 New Seed

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    I started gardening about 2 years ago. I love it. I always had flowers inside and loved them but ever since we moved to a new house with a big enough lawn to make a garden I started gardening outside. My grandma loves to garden and when I was little I used to help her and that was fun too.
     
  13. NemaToad

    NemaToad New Seed

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    Growing up in the city, the only thing edible in our yard was a small 2-3 plant rhubarb patch that my Mom had and it eventually died out from lack of upkeep. my sole extent of growing things was the occasional coffee can of dirt that I would put 2-3 bean seeds in when Mom made bean soup or a half sweet potato in a glass of water if she had one that was sprouting.

    I never once thought of growing anything until in my mid 20s a girlfriend that was living with me asked if I could grow her some spinach, lettuce and tomatoes for salads. I set up a small 15 ft x 15 ft garden and sucessfully grew what she wanted until she moved out shortly after my Sister died 3 years later. I took a couple year vacation from gardening, because in my sorrow, I started drinking and spent all of my free time in bars.
    A friend that I worked with at the time noticed how often I was coming into work drunk and suggested that I start gardening to fill my time with in the mornings before work so I wouldn't get fired. So I enlarged my garden spot and due to my love of Mexican foods, grew lots of tomatoes, onions and peppers. I grew other veggies too just to try growing them, but most of everything I grew I gave away because being single, I didn't cook much.
    30 years later, I'm still growing veggies and still give some away, but my wife and I can and freeze most of what we don't eat fresh now.

    I guess you could say that I started gardening (the second time) to keep myself out of bars.

    It's great therapy and it worked.

    John
     
  14. sendacow

    sendacow New Seed

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    I like cooking and spicy taste food, so start growing chili. It's possible to growing hot chile peppers almost anywhere, even indoor. They are not fussy about much except being kept warm.
     
  15. Masket

    Masket New Seed

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    Being inside a greenhouse at a garden center has always given me an unusual feeling. Its hard to describe other than I just feel alive.

    To me very few things can compare to the pleasure of being surrounded by lush green foliage.

    One of my earliest memories is when I was very young, with my parents at a garden center. The smell of the thick foliage, exotic flowers, and fertilizers was overpowering. I lost sight of my parents for a while and walked around through aisles of green that seemed to go on forever. It wasn't until many years later that I took a serious interest.
     
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