saying goodbye to a large garden

14 years ago

In the interest of my little girl, we've bought a house in a community, rather then living in a rural area where the houses are far apart to an environment where she can develop better social skills and interact with mode kids.

having said that. my garden is downsizing from the almost 3000 sq ft, to either containers or a very small plot.

the buyer of my house is a gardener, so he'll have a great place to garden, he's inheriting 200 row/ft of garlic. hehe!

I'll surely miss the fun of the harvest, but I won't miss all the bugs, weeding, and back breaking work it takes to keep a huge garden.

not that I'm going away, but just wanted to thank all those people that have helped me through the process from lawn to bountiful garden over the past 10 or so years. this site has been truly a great resource in the process.

switching back to lurker mode....

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Comments (8)

anney
14 years ago
You may enjoy containers or a smaller garden!

I decided to downsize a little this year, to two 40 x 4 beds because of my increasing arthritis (which is being treated). I decided not to grow corn or watermelons, big space eaters, since my neighbor usually grows way more than they use and we get the left-overs! In return he gets first offer on all the extra plants I end up with, so it works out pretty well.

I'm growing way more tomatoes than we need, so I'll eventually be coming back to ask what to do with the extras, though I've some ideas. Everything else is more reasonable, since I freeze tomato sauce and lots of beans for use during the winter and dry the herbs we need. I'll plant more flowers this year.

Anyway, maybe you can interest your daughter in a smaller garden or containers that have goodies in them. She could have one, herself, for flowers or small vegetable plants that she might like.
marlingardener
14 years ago
Don't become a lurker! Think of all the experience you have to share, and it's experience we need! Please, post answers and suggestions to our questions. We can't lose somebody who managed a 3,000 sq. ft. garden.
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ruthieg__tx
14 years ago
I agree with marlingardener...we need experience.
heather38
14 years ago
number 1, what a great parent's you both are, for some reason I think your Mum?, don't know why, just the use of the hehe, don't know why, just seems girlish? It must have been a hard/easy decision! as in giving up one thing you love that is for you, in favor of someone you love that is for them. good call, but I can understand having started gardening last year the loss you may feel, but compared to the guilt you would feel if you hadn't followed your heart, will make up for that.
I am with marlinggardener on don't lurk, us ejit's (sic) need advice :-)
can you fit in any garden in the new place? or is the space available, for play? I wish in the UK I had known about Sq Ft gardening, because the last 2 homes I had, I gave up to children running about, not realizing the small space that Sq foot takes, even my starter home's garden (yard) was large enough to accommodate this. ( I am from the UK we are happy if we can get a playset and table in a garden...sorry yard :-)
I have nearly an acre in the US and in the UK I could never dream of owning a home that had that type of land.
I am gardening in a really small space of it, when I am out with my children, it's the only time I am truly happy and at peace with being away from home, family, friends, when I can grow my little piece of England :-) (don't tell my DH that, he's Scottish!)

Don't get me wrong by the way, I love America and Americans, but I left home for the adventure, not for anything bad, and so therefore my memories of the UK are all good. I think you will get that, rose tinted specs and missing the crack (as my Irish friend's so wonderfully put it, (and not the drug sense!))
So good luck in the next chapter of your life.
lantanascape
14 years ago
I've just done the opposite of you; left a 20x28' garden and will be putting in something much more extensive on our new 1/2 acre lot. If you have any yard at all, you can cram a lot into a small space. At the old house I had 3 4'x12' beds, a 3x12' bed, a couple squash hills, and many containers in my plot, and grew tons of veggies. They key is raised beds with intensively improved soil. I think you'll find this to be a whole new challenge that will keep drawing you back to Gardenweb to learn and share your experiences. Best of luck with your new home!
duffy
14 years ago
Quote: "where she can develop better social skills and interact with mode kids."

What are mode kids??? Just curious to know what kind of kids these are, that don't live in a rural area.
zeuspaul
14 years ago
I was curious too. Perhaps they come with a knob which you can turn for sleep mode or play mode and if you are lucky perhaps even a work mode.

Zeuspaul
soonergrandmom
14 years ago
I couldn't decide between 'more' kids and 'model' kids. I think she might find 'more' but think she may be disappointed in looking for 'model'. LOL

saying goodbye to a large garden

Comments (8)

anney

marlingardener

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