You've found the famous Dave's Garden website! Join this friendly global community that shares tips and ideas for home and gardens, along with seeds and plants!
Check out the DG homepage for a brief overview of what you'll find in this gardening mega-site.
Login
If you don't have an account yet, visit the registration page to sign up.
I am sitting here looking at the sweetest gift from DG friends and thinking about how lucky I am to have met them. But telling of the gift alone is not enough. It's time to pay it forward... through information I hope you all take to "heart."
I think many of us come to DG for more than just flowers (though flowers are a BIG part of it!). We come for friendship as well. We are thrilled to find new friends who understand and share our passion for the garden... those who will support us in our efforts to express ourselves through the outdoors. And, once we've made that connection with others, many of us tend to jump in enthusiastically, gulping up plants faster than the gardens can keep up. I know that firsthand!
This summer, that tendency caught up with me in a big way. I had a driveway full of roses and wanted to finish building the gardens to hold them. The sales had called to me. I didn't want to miss my last chance to order from vendors who were closing... I didn't want to let the elusive cultivars get away! My liners from last fall were also ready to be planted, having grown out to gallons. I didn't want to keep looking at the plants in the driveway rather than in gardens... and hubby wanted to be able to reach the garage with his car again! So, regardless of the heat, I vowed to trudge through and prepare the gardens. I went outdoors each morning with a goal, and I worked and worked until I reached that goal. I was constantly trying to "beat the rain" or "beat the mosquitoes" or "beat sunset"... etc. etc. etc. Can you relate? The problem is, in the process, the only thing I beat was ME! In my quest to finish the beds, I worked through heat and exhaustion and, unfortunately, ignored the body signals that I should take more breaks. I suffered a bad bout of heat exhaustion during this time... but it wasn't until this past weekend that I learned the true extent of what I had done to myself. After quite a time with extreme discomfort, I went in for a stress test and found that my heart muscle wasn't behaving properly under stress. A catheterization on Friday revealed the reason... though I have "surprisingly clean" arteries, I did manage to kill off a small portion of my heart muscle over the summer, most likely when I collapsed from the heat stroke. I'm only 48 and I've led an active lifestyle, hiking and camping and rock climbing for years. I never expected health problems to start in my own backyard while gardening... but honestly, they started because of my own stupidity.
I share this because I want you all to realize, if you feel hot or tired, these are IMPORTANT. Don't let feelings that you are "getting old" or "slowing down" make you work past when your body asks for water or rest. Don't let the desire to "beat the rain" make you forego taking care of yourself. Your roses and clematis are hardy. Many can be cut way down and spring back, often healthier than they started. The same cannot be said for YOU. And, even if you do lose some plants in the driveway, the replacement cost for them is undoubtedly much less than a heart cath and/or more serious care!!!
So, take it from a FRIEND, who loves to share her FLOWERS (and is thrilled she received some from other FRIENDS who care!!!), listen to your FLUTTERING HEARTS!
(Here is the arrangement from some very dear DG friends... It's so very sweet, but they're even sweeter!)
Click the image for an enlarged view.
This thread has 14 replies. This forum is accessible only to subscribing members of Dave's Garden. There are many free features here, and about half of our forums are completely open to all members. Take a tour of our site and learn more about Dave's Garden, and explore the benefits of becoming a subscribing member.
