This site gave me inspiration!

21 years ago

For the past several years I have been unable to garden as I had. Recently I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and have not been able to use any medicines they give me to manage it so I can garden. I can no longer weed or sack things around as I am used to. I even had a few gardens dug up by neighbors who wanted the plants just to ease the work load. I came in here tonight and just read some nice things you all suggested to Tony about his moms limitations. Very inspirational! This summer we made a "cottage" down by the gardens. It took us all summer to build but it's a place I can go and read my garden books, dry some flowers, and still be by my gardens. I have limitaions on my gardens still. I'm hoping to transform some into raised beds or more user friendly beds that don't require bending or kneeling. I'm going to focus on the good things I still enjoy and not the dreaded weeds. Shrubs can replace perennials.....benches can be put in areas for a rest.....pots of flowering annuals can be put on tree stumps or something higher for ease of watering. There are a lot of things I can do to make gardening possible. And all of those neighbors who were wanting more of my perennials can come dig what they want when I put my favorites in the raised beds. And I can go to their houses and admire them! Sometimes we just have to adjust to the situations. Thanks!

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Comments (6)

mehitabel
21 years ago
Hi Pat. It was so good to read your post this morning. You're so right... weeding and digging and heaving things around is part of it, but the other part is the looking closely, the holding up to examine, the clipping and tending, the planning, the sharing with friends.

I've enjoyed my pot garden all summer. All that growing going on out there! All the wonderful scents, the volunteers and other little things that surprise you. The hummingbirds chasing each other around. The smell of rosemary clinging to your clothes. Buying some new seeds, and looking forward to next year. Having enough to give some away. All of those are the important things.

I miss the strength and vigor I used to have, but I'm so glad for us both that we are able to have all those things.
enchantedplace
21 years ago
Yes. having those places for frequent resting is essential. Even have a picnic table where I can stretch out on it if I need to rest. Also raised beds of thyme are restful.. Growing fragrant plants and herbs are reinforcing. Lemon balm requires very little care and makes relaxing tea. Chamomile self sows and is a good ground cover companion for everything else. Parsley makes a beautiful edging and is a host plant for black swallowtail caterpillars. Oreganos are hardy too and provide beautiful flowers for wreath making along with the thyme.. Some perennials such as shasta daisies, cone flowers and platycodon require very little care and don't need freqent division. Annuals such as petunias and salvia self sow. Forget about having a disciplined garden. Just enjoy it. We train our cantloupe to grow up on a wire support and make slings for the ripening fruit. It take up very little space, keeps the melons off the ground , and is easier to harvest.. Lots of ways to adapt. The most important thing is not to get overly tired. Know when enough is enough.
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VCT = vinyl composite tile. AKA "schoolhouse tile". That swirly stuff most of us remember from schools and hospitals. Cheap, surprisingly attractive if you avoid the pea-soup green they always used in the schools ;-) and wicked durable. Tina, one of the few MCM things I've ever liked was the tree-slab tables, but the bases usually spoil them for me. (I keep telling Housevixen that I'll gladly take custody of that "tree table" her DH adores and she dislikes. So what if it's literally on the opposite edge of the continent? LOL) I'm sure you MCM fans would plotz at the handed-down stuff I've put out by the side of the road at the first opportunity I had for replacement. :-) I'll be honest, I just like things a bit fussier, I'm more William Morris than Gustav Stickley. I've actually drifted away from American Arts & Crafts furniture and a LONG way away from most Mission... it's mostly just too spare and angular, a bit too much Asian influence for my tastes (especially the Prairie School and the Greenes), while I've fallen in love with things like barley twists and "carved to death". :-) I've got a couple of nice Mission pieces I would love to get rid of if I weren't going to get completely screwed on the money end, but 10 cents on the dollar is just painful. I can appreciate the craftsmanship on the nicer MCM pieces, like say Nakashima, and I can see why other people like it, it's just not me, that's all. Robinco (BTW, is it Robin Co or Rob In Co? I can't remember) thank you so much for the compliments! I don't think I deserve them at all but I'll slurp them up anyway. :-) I've really only "publicized" the two good rooms, the bathroom (and for what we got screwed into spending, it dang well better be good) and the living room which is pretty good but still has two chairs I hate, and cheesy pine trim and mantel that I dream of replacing with oak like in the bath. Folks are wearing me down on those floral drapes that everyone hates but me, too, tired of hearing people b*tch about them just about every time I post a picture of the room! The color of the library was a mondo mistake and I can't get past the heinous melamine bookcases... but, they hold up the books, and even if we could do Ikea (which would be tricky) it would be close to $1500 for the ones I actually like or $700 for the bare minimum. DH gives me the hairy eyeball if I even mention repainting. Let's not even talk about the upstairs or the siding, either! :-)
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Gypsy-check her site for a phone # or get in touch with Crystal either here or on Carls. She just did a show with this lady. I am racking my brain trying to figure out how to do something like this but not all ceramic. I do a lot of ceramics but I would not have the patience or the tools to do all that clay work. Slow has done the start of one of the totems with metal lath. So far I have coated pool noodles with crete and will paint or mosaic them. Today I cut foam into circles and scallops for spacers and will need to get a hole in them then cover with crete. I have also thought of using two saucers glued together face ot face and holes drilled in them to slide on the rebar and act as spacers.I think a mosaiced gourd would make a nice topper with the metal lath leaves below it. Tons of possibilities. Crystal did not know how expensive these were, I would love to have a dozen and I know you would too, as you have lots of space for them in your acreage.
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jenny570
21 years ago
It is always good to read how other people are handling the challenge of gardening when they have physical limitations. Right now the snow is falling outside, but the garden catalogs have started arriving in the mail, and I am planning next spring's garden! We have another old freezer to make into a planter, and quite a few large plastic tubs that contained mineral supplement (for cattle.) These will hold approximately twenty gallon, and make great planters. I am trying to get most of the vegetables into raised beds or planters. Just hang in there, people, even when it gets difficult. The rewards are worth it! Jenny
Newt
21 years ago
Hi Pat,

I too have fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. You might want to read my post here.

Regards,
Newt

Here is a link that might be useful: Great to find this forum
enchantedplace
21 years ago
I have been researching the web sites focusing on the herbal heat packs and experimenting with making them. Basically the heat packs are pouches filled with rice (or barley) with dried herbs for fragrance. The packs can be heated in a microwave oven to warmth desired for comfort (3-4 minutes). Had some jars of herbs harvested and dried from the garden, including dried lavender leaves, mint, and lemon verbena. Rosemary, sage, lemon balm or any preferred dried herb would be usable. Decided to keep the weght of the packs at 3 pounds of rice per pack and have added the dried herbs according to stregnth of the fragrance. The pouches may be sewn into any shape desired as long as it not too large to fit into the microwave for heating. Pouches measuring 28 X 7 inches are nice to drape around the neck, or wrap around an extremity.. Square shapes are nice for behind the back. I used cotton flannel or t-shirt material for the pouches and made removable covers as the pouches are not washable. I am finding these to be very beneficial and relaxing when the fatique hits or there is discomfort in any particular area. The herbs add fragrance to the warmth of the rice. These would also make nice 'cuddle' pillows for those in wheelchairs. Best wishes to all.
oakleif
16 years ago
An informative post. I got a couple ideas from it.
vickie

This site gave me inspiration!

Comments (6)

mehitabel

enchantedplace

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Newt

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