Spending Money Each Year!

15 years ago

I'm not sure why but I always think of new things to spend my money on in the garden, for the garden or around the garden. And I don't mean soil and the basics!

Last year it was perennials, new roses and a metal fence to keep the dogs out, oh and new tools. Year before it was roses, annuals and bamboo stakes to keep the dogs out... yeah, and some new tools.

This year, I want alpine seeds!! I've always wanted to collect seeds from my hikes but have never done it because I know how detrimental it can be to native plants if you harvest too much seed or if you encourage growth of something you think is a native but is really an invasive.

My sister in law is the same way. For their first house, they put in three maples, four roses and lots of color. the next year, my brother could not understand what she wanted new plants for! "You already planted last year?!"

There is always something!! I also want a thing that spins dirt around! You know, like, a thing I can put my soil, compost, blood meal, and other junk in, then spin it so it mixes without tiring out my hands, before I amend the beds. Oh, and wouldn't another gnome be nice..."George" or "Froederick" or maybe even "Hilde and Carl".

I wouldn't mind trying that rubber mulch that I saw at Ace last summer...

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Comments (9)

Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado
15 years ago
Well of course thereÂs always something else to buy, Jennifer! ItÂs gardeners that are going to get the economy going again! I thought you knew that! ;-)

I think all you need for your "thing that spins dirt" is a corner in the yard where you can dump whatever ingredients you want to mix, and a shovel! Unless youÂre mixing some awfully heavy clay or something, it should be pretty easy to stir up whatever peat/compost/etc. mix youÂre using to mix with your soil. Just add the ingredients in layers and then shovel thru it a couple times.

But mostlyÂI reallyreallyreally recommend you donÂt try the rubber mulch. I think getting that stuff mixed into your soilÂand if you spread it on top it definitely WILL eventually get mixed into the soilÂwould be as awful as getting rocks (rock mulch) mixed into your soil. ThereÂs an area in my veggie garden where somebody, sometime, dumped a bunch of (I assume) left over rocks, and every year when I turn it over itÂs IMPOSSIBLE to dig in that area. It doesnÂt take much of a rock/stone at all to keep you from being able to push the shovel into the soil. When I get to that area, I spend most of the time trying over and over to "relocate" the shovel so I can get it past the stones. ItÂs EXTREMELY aggravating! Every year I sift out more and more of the rocks with my handsÂand keep hoping I "got most of them this year!" Wishful thinking! At this point I think IÂll be dealing with the problem for as long as IÂm gardening in that area! And I expect that to be a long time! If you get chunks of rubber mixed into your soil, it may not clunk as loudly when you hit it with a shovel, but I think it would create just as much of a problem as having rocks in ths soilÂand I kind of expect youÂre already dealing with enough of those out there where you are!

Also, and IÂm definitely not the greenest person around, but it doesnÂt seem to me that mixing a bunch of petroleum based "rubber" into the soilÂwhich would take a LONG time to decomposeÂwould be a good thing for the environment. I donÂt disagree with the recycling idea (and IÂve actually gotten pretty good at it in my olde age), but certainly they can find something better to recycle old tires into! (And the natural mulches actually help the soil when they decompose!)

Save the planet-----and the economy!

Happy buying,
Skybird
billie_ladybug
15 years ago
Jennifer, I have to agree with Skybird. Just don't do it. Tires should be recycled the old fashioned way: make them into new tires, duh, not bury them in some unsuspecting souls garden and call it good for the environment, yikes. I see people hauling bags of that stuff out of the local Sam's and it gives me the heeby-jeebies. I really don't want to be around in 50 years when they discover that rubber mulch was not a good idea.

Anyway, I think the money would be better spent giving a gnome a home. Just be sure to have your pet spade or neutered, LOL.

Billie
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glok
15 years ago
My other half would think I was sick and on my deathbed if I didn't spend his money on my habit!!! I've got seeds everywhere and I just spent about 60.00 between T&M and Value Seeds and so far I've only begged for a load of topsoil and manure for Mothers Day! We'll get to the fancy stuff soon!!!

And I vote on the gnome too!

glo
jclepine
Original Author
15 years ago
I'm going to have to agree on the "spinner" AND the rubber mulch! It seems like a good idea so I don't have to keep buying mulch, but it also seems like it could be a real hassle!

Thanks everyone!!

Oh, and, knowing me, I'll probably wind up with a gnome, snail and mushroom!

J
greenbean08_gw
15 years ago
My MIL has some rubber mulch around an area near her driveway. When we were there at Christmas, I kept stepping on it in the dark. I finally had to pick some up to see what it was because it felt so weird to walk on (mostly because I was not expecting it I think).
lilacs_of_may
15 years ago
I was thinking of getting some of that rubber mulch, but ya'll have convinced me not to.

I haven't even looked at any of my seed catalogs yet. I know I'll see things that I'll want to buy, and I can't afford it this year.
Azura
15 years ago
Jennifer-

I dont know this gnome's name but is he the one you are looking to purchase?

;)

Here is a link that might be useful: Gardening by moonlight
Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado
15 years ago
LOL! I think a little moon-light's good for the garden!

:-D
Skybird
jclepine
Original Author
15 years ago
Oh, that is too cute and way to silly! I really did laugh out loud!!

Naw, I bought a hand-cast one at our local craft fair last year and will buy from her again if she comes back this year. Almost there...just under four months to go...

I'll put a link to his portrait!

J.

Here is a link that might be useful: Harold in action

Spending Money Each Year!

Comments (9)

Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado

billie_ladybug

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Spending Money Each Year!

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Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado

billie_ladybug

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