Gardening: Do you have green fingers?

Chloe_Scope

Gardening could mean flowers, vegetables or herbs. It could mean growing the tallest sunflower or a herb gardening on the windowsill. Which ever you choose to do, gardening has been heavily talked about during lockdown. 

The benefits of gardening?

You may have been putting off the odd job here and there until the bank holiday but seeing as self-isolating means we now have lots of time on our hands, it’s a nice way to spend time in a garden, on your balcony, or even gardening indoors.

Plus, there are many benefits to gardening, scientists have found that spending two hours a week in nature is linked to better health and wellbeing.

Taken from Independent (17th April)

What are you growing?

I'm fortunate to have a small garden which has slowly been filled with flowers and plants. I particularly like hanging baskets with flowers and our patch of wild flowers.

Yet I know not everyone has access to a garden. Alternatively, house plants can be a great way of bring some greenery into your space. They can be low maintenance and could actual help to clean the air! My personal favourite would be a succulent or cheese plant.

As an amateur gardener or a complete beginner, what have you planted in the past? What would you like to grow? Let us know in the comments below!

Adrian_Scope

I'd love to grow tomato plants, but we don't have a garden and only a tiny Juliet balcony to work with. I suppose we could do some flowers in balcony planters, though!

gaz1960

Got my allotment, so growing runner beans, Potatoes, spring onion, carrots  and onions and leeks. And the same in tubs at the house plus 5  different types of tomato. 

KarenO_Scope

My son is doing his Beaver gardening badge during Lockdown, so we have a beanstalk, some sunflowers, radish, strawberries and tomatoes on the go. We have kept them alive over 8 weeks, so hopefully he will get his badge and we will get some nice flowers and fruit eventually. Really lucky to have a garden. @gaz1960 your allotment sounds good.

gaz1960

KarenO_Scope said:

My son is doing his Beaver gardening badge during Lockdown, so we have a beanstalk, some sunflowers, radish, strawberries and tomatoes on the go. We have kept them alive over 8 weeks, so hopefully he will get his badge and we will get some nice flowers and fruit eventually. Really lucky to have a garden. @gaz1960 your allotment sounds good.

A lot of hard work over the past 10 years or more,but worth it for veg that actually tastes like it should!:) 

Must be all the horse manure KarenO. Lol. Omg. Lol.  

gaz1960

Hope your lad gets his badge!

My lads were at beavers and all the way up to scouts and beyond! Lots of awards!  

Chloe_Scope

KarenO_Scope said:

My son is doing his Beaver gardening badge during Lockdown, so we have a beanstalk, some sunflowers, radish, strawberries and tomatoes on the go. We have kept them alive over 8 weeks, so hopefully he will get his badge and we will get some nice flowers and fruit eventually. Really lucky to have a garden. @gaz1960 your allotment sounds good.

This sounds great @KarenO_Scope! Hope it continues to go well!

@gaz1960, sounds like you'll be able to cook some lovely meals with all that fresh veg! 

KarenO_Scope

@gaz1960 I used to want an allotment but with 3 kids and work I don't think we would have been able to keep up to it. We always try to grow a few things ourselves and really lucky to have a garden. I know what you mean about the taste. Hope you've got some good recipes.

gaz1960

Allotments are hard work.  Working,well,at least until lockdown!
Most work seems to be weeding! Omg. Why doesnt food grow as fast as weeds! Lol.  

Gardens or at least tubs or window boxes also a source of growing. 

Always a great way to let kids learn how to grow food,and a great way for them to learn about recycling? 

KarenO_Scope

@gaz1960 think you're right about the recycling. We have a compost bin too. Weeds are less of a problem, well apart from the kids blowing any dandelion clocks they find:D Keeping the neighbours cats off is our main challenge.

Dragonslayer

I'm sorry to say I am not the best gardener around but I do like gardens and love flowers. My wife looks after ours. What I do like is Bonsai trees and I grow mine on the window sill. There is something  almost magical about looking at a miniature tree and having one in your own home. I only have one and it's my second Chinese elm. 
I wonder if there are others that share the same interest?
Thanks
Dragonslayer.

gaz1960

My great Neice loves blowing the dandelion "fairies" omg. 

Both resident squirrels and a million different species of birds descending on the bird feeders and bird house,including a green escaped parrot, the starlings love cold Dominoes pizza ! Go figure!?  

And .....mashed potato! Starlings love it! OMG;) 

gaz1960

Used to grow bonsai. But too much bother!' 

Ails

Not that green-fingered myself, but I do enjoy pottering about in the garden and I do agree that it's great for our mental well-being too.  So far this year have planted some pansies and sunflowers so hopefully they will come up and grow.  I like to tend to the roses and the wild patch of our garden too where I love watching the bees buzzing about and hopefully will see butterflies as well again this year. 

chiarieds

My small garden certainly helps my well-being, & this great weather has helped, when it's not been too hot! I'm growing tomatoes, courgettes, squashes, filet beans, peas (& pea shoots), miniature cucumbers, lettuces, radishes, beetroot, pak choi, leeks, garlic & achochas. I'm also growing flowers from some seeds I bought last year, & lots of nasturtiums....so easy to grow, & you can add the leaves & flowers to a salad.

I'm interested in bonsai @Dragonslayer if you have any tips as to how to start; where to buy from, etc. I would be very pleased to know.

Dragonslayer

I bought my first through amazon. There are many sellers. But start with a Chinese e!m and spend around 20£ - 30£ on  your first. No mre. 

Dragonslayer

I spent a great afternoon in the garden with my wife today and helped with the gardening. Me a non gardener! 
Maybe I am coming around to this gardening thing after all. 

chiarieds

Thank you @Dragonslayer for your message, & for taking the time to point me in the right direction about bonsai.

Think we're all getting to appreciate our gardens more right now....even my son, & I've been trying to persuade him for the past 4 years!

Chloe_Scope

Some great gardeners! Does anyone have any pictures?

Crumbled72

I love my plants. The greener the better haha! 

Growing also bell peppers and both jalapeños and habaneros at my kitchen windowsill.. can’t wait to harvest! We were wanting to plant some herbs and tomatoes to the balcony too but since living non the top floor of a high rise the wind gets too gusty and no guarantees of enough heat and sunshine so left them this year.. maybe next year when the virus is not preventing to get all the stuff early enough. To be seen x

gillian72

@Chloe_Scope hiya Chloe , if I knew how to take a photo of my back garden an put it up here I would lol ha ha  no really in my old house I had a little garden in my front and had. a long wooden plant pot so every time I went in town I'd get a couple of bunches of plastic flowers form the £1shop I started  with the plant pots  lol then haerd an old couple arguing out side lol I didn't let them see me an they were arguing over the names of the flowers bless them then I got carried away an started putting then all round the garden I loved listening to people talking an even kids going to  Skool  pulling there mums hands to let see as I had no gate lol