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triciae_gw

How Do We Use Our Gardens?

triciae
17 years ago

There's a thread over on the Hosta Forum that got me thinking. A woman had stood back, looked at her garden and proclaimed, "OMG, it looks just like my Grandma's garden!" I laughed....then, started thinking.

All of my family gardens. My first memories of gardening were in my grandparents' gardens. They lived in Portland, Oregon. I was so entralled with the big, blue hydrangea blooms that were as large as my head. I've wanted to grow hydrangeas ever since. My mother was famous for her yellow roses so now I try to grow yellow roses (not very well, unfortunantely).

Anyway, what I was wondering was how we use our gardens? Are your gardens a place where the family gathers for breakfast, dinner, or an evening glass of wine? Do you have picnics on the grass? Are there "camp-out" nights in your garden? Do you have a place for games and, if so, do you mind the occasional stray ball rolling through the perennial beds? Do you encourage use of the gardens for activities? Anybody with pools...if so, how does that affect how you garden?

Or, are your gardens pretty places to stroll but not really "used"? Are they part of your "home investment"? Do you consider your garden proprietory property or do you share gardening with a partner? Would you be upset if your partner planted something without consulting you? Do you garden for visual pleasure or the sake of growing a plant...or, do you garden to create a place for activities?

I guess what I'm wondering is what does your garden mean to you?

We have 3 young grandchildren (under 6) plus one that's 14. Our gardens are much more intricate that our kids' yards. They have large, open spaces for tossing footballs, hitting a golf ball, playing baseball, etc. We have a 6' wide, winding path of turfgrass that encircles our property surrounded by shrub & perennial borders. So, it's not a great place for exuberant activity. Even something like croquet would be a little tricky in our garden if you weren't a great shot. lol We use our garden a lot for entertaining friends our own age, we eat on the patio several meals/week, sit under the spruce in the moss garden in the evening with something to drink on a hot night, and I even frequently have my lunch in the garden and read for awhile.

After thinking about it...I guess, maybe, I do have a "Grandma's" garden! lol It's not what I'd call "fussy" but it's compact & densely planted and not at all wide open.

So, how do you use yours?

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