| Author | Content |
dave
Jacksonville, TX
(Zone 8a)
 January 9, 2008
11:43 PM Post #4382384
| There are a total of 498 votes:
| For my health
(40 votes, 8%) |  |
| For fun
(336 votes, 67%) | |
| For food
(30 votes, 6%) | |
| For profit
(7 votes, 1%) | |
| Other?
(85 votes, 17%) | |
|
Previous Polls |
Kelli
Los Angeles (Canoga , CA
(Zone 10a)
January 9, 2008
11:45 PM Post #4382394
| I voted "for fun", but I never really thought about why I do it. I'll tell you that if it wasn't any fun, I wouldn't be doing it, that's for sure. |
essentialplanet
Wilsonville, OR
(Zone 8b)
January 9, 2008
11:47 PM Post #4382407
| I do it for food, for fun and for my health (mental and physical!) |
Sheila_FW
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
January 9, 2008
11:54 PM Post #4382435
| Other was my response. I use gardening as a stress reliever, but after two back surgeries I can't say it is good for your health! LOL!
My reason is to learn to enjoy the beauty and learn from nature. Gardening beautifies the world around us and teaches us humility when we see the facinating way God has brought it all together. My new experience this last year was raising many butterflies from the larva stage to release. This year I plan on planting more nectar plants and host plants to offer more experiences. |
dreaves
Hutto, TX
(Zone 8b)
January 9, 2008
11:55 PM Post #4382439
| I voted "For Fun", but it's for the food and the fun. |
podster
Deep East Texas, TX
(Zone 8a)
January 9, 2008
11:58 PM Post #4382456
| ..for my health. I garden for my sanity. It is mentally soothing to come home and walk thru the plants. I admire the blooms, touch the foliage, smell the flowers and taste the herbs. I am in awe of the butterflies and delight at the lizards. I love the birds and bugs and by the time I walk in the house, my work day has retreated in my memory and I am at peace with my life. For my mental health... no more, no less. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
sugarweed
Jacksonville, FL
(Zone 9a)
January 9, 2008
11:59 PM Post #4382463
| I voted Other because you failed to have an 'all the above' choice.
Sidney |
Zarebeth
Circle Pines, MN
(Zone 4b)
January 10, 2008
12:11 AM Post #4382508
| I garden to surround myself with beauty. I also do it because I love taking a seed the size of a speck of dust and growing a beautiful plant - so I guess I garden for the satisfaction.
Oh, and all of the above :-D |
bigcityal
Menasha, WI
(Zone 5a)
January 10, 2008
12:16 AM Post #4382523
| For occasional fun, mental health and now and then food I would say. Not sure what I would do if I didn't garden - life of crime?LOL |
gessiegail
Taft, TX
(Zone 9a)
January 10, 2008
12:20 AM Post #4382541
| I missed where you actually vote. I garden because I 'cannot not garden'! |
jasmerr
Merrimac, WI
(Zone 4b)
January 10, 2008
12:23 AM Post #4382552
| I voted twice (is that allowed?) once for fun, and once for food. |
emillner
Bedford, TX
(Zone 8a)
January 10, 2008
12:31 AM Post #4382584
| I just like to do it. Plus, there is no comparing a home-grown tomato to store-bought. In my opinion, they are altogether different foods. |
gessiegail
Taft, TX
(Zone 9a)
January 10, 2008
12:33 AM Post #4382588
| I forgot to vote food as you are right. All fresh veggies taste like a different food than the grocery stores offer. |
EMEric
Tucson, AZ
January 10, 2008
1:13 AM Post #4382666
| I used to garden because I love plants and flowers (I never really liked grass). I now mostly garden for food. I live in the desert and feel guilty to use water to grow flowers. I believe that I should grow food if I am going to use the water for something. This follows some of the basic ideas of permaculture where you plant a plant for a minimum of three reasons. Example: A grapefruit tree can provide food, shade to cool the house, and supply shade to the plants underneath it. |
Aquatic_Planter
Sacramento, CA
January 10, 2008
1:17 AM Post #4382679
| I voted other as Im use to everything that plants need and it is fun to begin with and being new to most emergent plants I have lots to learn and thats what it is, learning experience. |
Katye
Sammamish, WA
(Zone 7b)
January 10, 2008
1:58 AM Post #4382748
| food: orchard/vegies - for consumption & sharing
flowers for landscape & cutting
trees & shrubs: for the wildlife & me (fun place to hang out)
A soothing way to relieve stress: fresh air, sun (when it is not obscured by clouds)
Guaranteed not to be bothered by anyone (they might get asked to help)
Educational: observation/trial & error.
All in all I feel gardening to be an excellent investment of time & resources: all the benefits return to me & my slice of the earth.
And ditto Podster's response.
|
Dann_L
Queen Creek, AZ
(Zone 9b)
January 10, 2008
2:51 AM Post #4382796
| I also voted other because I do it for all the reasons mentioned except for profit. |
JamesCO
Grand Junction, CO
(Zone 7a)
January 10, 2008
3:15 AM Post #4382807
|
() For my soul. |
jadajoy
Newport News, VA
(Zone 7b)
January 10, 2008
3:49 AM Post #4382825
| Podster gave the definitive answer for me. But also for some of the other reasons so ditto Sydney's answer too. Its gratifying eating something I had a hand in growing. My profit is pure satisfaction which contributes to my well being.
Joyce |
lauriwilson
Caistor
(United Kingdom)
(Zone 8b)
January 10, 2008
5:26 AM Post #4382862
| I too voted other since there wasn't an All the above option... |
Jianhua
Shangshui, Henan
(China)
(Zone 7b)
January 10, 2008
6:59 AM Post #4382897
| My vote goes for fun, but exactly speaking, for soul.
Often being in my yarden softens my floating heart,
and cultivates me into a gentleman. |
laurawege
Wayland, MA
(Zone 6a)
January 10, 2008
7:12 AM Post #4382905
| I voted other too , fun just didn't do justice to what gardening does for your soul . I think I also could not not garden . I always have and I am sure I always will
laura
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
doccat5
Fredericksburg, VA
(Zone 7b)
January 10, 2008
7:22 AM Post #4382913
| I voted for other because for me it's all of the above. ;) |
Dutchlady1
Naples, FL
(Zone 10a)
January 10, 2008
7:24 AM Post #4382914
| What podster said - and ultimately, that means it's for fun. |
ginnylynn
Blyth, ON
(Zone 5b)
January 10, 2008
8:03 AM Post #4382960
| For fun, 'cause how can you be having fun if you're not relaxed and at peace with yourself - which is just one of the many things gardening does for me?
--Ginny |
greenbrain
Madison, IL
(Zone 6a)
January 10, 2008
8:30 AM Post #4382989
| I voted for "fun" because I enjoy gardening more than anything else. The benefits are too numerous to list.
Edited to add: My daughter says, "Mom, it's your PASSION!"
This message was edited Jan 11, 2008 6:32 AM |
jjpm74
Stratford, CT
(Zone 6b)
January 10, 2008
8:36 AM Post #4383005
| I voted for food, but I also garden because I enjoy doing it and for my health. |
ceeadsalaskazone3
Seward, AK
 January 10, 2008
8:46 AM Post #4383034
| All of the above and because I can and because it's a primal thing, if you have soil, seed and space, you just have to, it's natural, addicting and a learning experience every day.
Carol |
Hyblaean
Niles, IL
(Zone 5b)
January 10, 2008
9:10 AM Post #4383097
| JamesCO, too funny, I was going to write the exact same thing. :D |
bhaugh
Norfolk, VA
January 10, 2008
9:21 AM Post #4383124
| i voted fun and other...while it is alot of fun to play in the dirt and grow new things, i think it is very calming for the soul to be out in the yard in my own little world. |
NYVOICES99
Corning, NY
(Zone 5a)
January 10, 2008
9:25 AM Post #4383132
| I voted for other, as I do it for my health, fun, food, beauty & teaching my Grandson the value of dirt & bugs;-)Anita 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
phuggins
Fairmont, WV
(Zone 6a)
January 10, 2008
9:45 AM Post #4383198
| I garden for food, the satisfaction of seeing things grow, a reconnection to the cycles of the natural world, and my mental health. Can't say I garden for profit...I think I make negative money. (On the other hand, it's cheaper than years of therapy. :)).
pam |
Cordeledawg
Cordele, GA
(Zone 8a)
January 10, 2008
9:59 AM Post #4383239
| I garden for my health. I can only imagine what state of mind I'd be in if I hadn't discovered gardening as a means of therapy. It occupies my mind and gives me a never ending "To Do" list. The sense of accomplishment from seeing a seed germinate, grow and then flower is so rewarding. I talk to my plants and they listen. And God's close to me when I'm on my knees in my garden. |
FlowrLady
Olive Branch, MS
(Zone 7b)
January 10, 2008
10:43 AM Post #4383385
| I garden for my health, sanity, and just for FUN. Nothing beats coming home at the end of a hard day at work and walking around my yard. I admire the blooms, touch the foliage, and smell the flowers. I talk to everything so they will all continue to make me happy. The butterflies, frogs, birds and other (beneficial) insects provide another paradigm to enter. Then, when I walk back into the house, my work day has vanished and serenity reigns!
Thank God for his special gift to us! |
AYankeeCat
Fairfield County, CT
(Zone 6b)
January 10, 2008
11:12 AM Post #4383481
| I garden because it is a way of getting to know my neighbors in New England. After moving from So. California - I found NE a "bit reserved", but discovered their love for gardening. Seems like a stranger is OK if they spend hours and hours working in their yard and people come by to chat. I get by with being a very "unique" addition to New England only (I think) because I spend many hours in the front yard - "gardening". |
Tir_Na_Nog
January 10, 2008
11:40 AM Post #4383620
| "Other," I garden for the curb appeal it adds to my property, I garden for the beauty of flowers, I garden so the butterflies and bees have food to eat, I garden because it's something anyone can do without much experience, a hobby to "grow" from. :) |
blue_eyes
Bryan, TX
(Zone 8b)
January 10, 2008
12:10 PM Post #4383738
| for my mental health! Definitely a stress reliever, gives me something else to focus on besides research. And when I work in the garden, it is a peaceful time. |
Arias
Richmond, VA
January 10, 2008
12:33 PM Post #4383815
| I voted food. And I take it seriously. Yes, I do love to garden just for the sheer pleasure it brings, but I also garden as matter of taste. I want fresh food with no chemicals, I love vegetables and herbs. Deep in my gardening soul when I bring in fresh lettuce and onions, I grew them with love and I know how good they will taste.
Arias |
Jax4ever
Boxford, MA
(Zone 6a)
January 10, 2008
1:01 PM Post #4383891
| I voted "other" because, well, I HAVE to! Does that make sense? I mean, I enjoy it, but I have some particular need to make things grow. Especially from seed. I certainly wish I could make a living by gardening, but I don't know how.
My MIL told me I should work in a florist's- I told her that is about as far from actual gardening as you can get! Funny how non-gardeners can't figure us out... like I can figure us out!!! |
scutler
Charleston, SC
(Zone 8b)
January 10, 2008
1:10 PM Post #4383921
| I chose "For Fun" but I garden for many reason including: relaxation, exercise, fresh air and sunshine, fresh food, wildlife, and to enjoy the beauty of flowers |
grampapa
Wheatfield, NY
(Zone 6a)
January 10, 2008
2:29 PM Post #4384129
| for all the reasons that everybody has mentioned...I think my health & sanity is fun. so I picked fun. I liked what Jax said about a need to make things grow. I will plant a seed for just the sake of watching it grow. I grow vegetables I don't like to eat because I like to watch them grow. Eggplant are particularly beautiful. and you can always give away the veggies. |
Hyblaean
Niles, IL
(Zone 5b)
January 10, 2008
2:33 PM Post #4384136
| unless they are zucchini :) |
mrs_colla
Marin, CA
(Zone 9b)
January 10, 2008
2:36 PM Post #4384143
| For food and pleasure, couldn't select two options!
CC |
plantladylin
East Central, FL
(Zone 9a)
January 10, 2008
3:03 PM Post #4384225
| I voted "other" ... I garden for my sanity! I can't imagine not having something green and growing! In a few years my husband plans on retiring and buying a larger boat for us to travel the waterways for awhile ... he KNOWS I will have at least one live plant on board! |
Susan_C
Alameda, CA
(Zone 9b)
January 10, 2008
3:06 PM Post #4384229
| I voted other. I like to garden as a way to express creativity, enjoy the outdoors, create habitat for birds, butterflies and insects (O.K., even the racoons who trash the pond and the squirrels who target the most prized seedlings to dig up.) There is also nothing like eating a tomato or strawberry straight from the garden or picking nasturtiums for tonight's salad, and let us not forget the thrill of a steaming compost pile... |
Jax4ever
Boxford, MA
(Zone 6a)
January 10, 2008
3:07 PM Post #4384235
| Amen, grampapa! I used to grow veggies just to see what I could get to grow! I don't think I ate any of it!!! I stopped b/c I noticed the woodchuck around here were getting plentiful and obese, and my veggies were disappearing- ;0) They don't like my flowers as much!!
It seems I have to try and grow EVERYTHING at least once- just to see if I can grow it! (I can grow weeds and rocks very well!!!) |
tabasco
Cincinnati (Anderson, OH
(Zone 6a)
January 10, 2008
3:39 PM Post #4384341
|
I like to garden for the creativity, too.
And to make a habitat for the butterflies and birds. |
Shirley1md
Ellicott City, MD
(Zone 7a)
January 10, 2008
4:05 PM Post #4384426
| Other: I garden for my health, for fun, for food, for my mental well-being and last, but certainly NOT least, I garden for the friends I have met here!!! |
makj
Santa Ynez, CA
January 10, 2008
4:55 PM Post #4384596
| I guess I had to explain my vote, I garden for health, fun and profit and I could not mark all:) |
june_nmexico
Albuquerque, NM
(Zone 7a)
January 10, 2008
5:14 PM Post #4384663
| I chose Other because I garden for my serenity and for spiritual awareness that we are all part of this beautiful earth. |
tucsonjill
Tucson, AZ
(Zone 9a)
January 10, 2008
5:30 PM Post #4384728
| Had to be "other" Mental and physical health, food and fun--I guess three out of four ain't bad! |
frogbutterfly
East Wenatchee, WA
(Zone 5b)
January 10, 2008
5:30 PM Post #4384732
| I voted fun because the garden is one of the few places in life where I can go and just have fun without all the busy activity of the "world out THERE".! The garden is where its fun to get dirty, fun to be creative, fun to watch the hard work pay off. My wife thinks I'm working my tail off but secretly, I'm having FUN! Amongst the trees, the flowers, the plants and all the bugs that are there to have fun with me, I am a fungi. Oh, wait a minute; thats fun guy. Fun, fun , gotta plant, gotta run. LOL |
nifty413
Garland, TX
(Zone 8a)
January 10, 2008
5:45 PM Post #4384771
| nifty413 wrote on April 23, 2007:
| Quoted: | | What better way exists to reach out to the Divine than to dwell in Her surroundings? |
Quoting myself again... LOL!
Same reply today to the same question as then. "Mom Nature" is one heck of a gal!
[HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com]
This message was edited Jan 10, 2008 3:48 PM |
Sofonisba
Putnam County, NY
(Zone 6a)
January 10, 2008
6:50 PM Post #4384987
| I voted "for fun" of course!! That's my answer for why I hang out at DG too! It's fun! |
sogal123
Chattanooga, TN
(Zone 7a)
January 10, 2008
7:09 PM Post #4385036
| Gardening is a challenge for me. Most gardeners have this reply ready for a lot of garden questions-"Wait 'til next year." Thats it for me. Every year is a challenge. Weather-wise, seed-wise and plant-wise. What will make it; what wont. Its great fun not knowing! Gardening also satisfies my inner-self and I find working in a garden is a spiritual experience. |
KyWoods
Melbourne, KY
(Zone 6a)
January 10, 2008
7:36 PM Post #4385109
| What, you mean there are people who don't ?? What's wrong with them? LOL, I voted "for fun", and yep, it's excellent for mental health. |
DonM47
Grand Forks, BC
(Zone 6a)
January 10, 2008
8:55 PM Post #4385370
| I garden for the enjoyment, pleasure, contentment and pride the results bring. So mentally rewarding.
Gardening is ultimately a folly whose
goal is to provide delight.
- Deborah Needleman
|
pepper23
KC Metro area, MO
(Zone 5b)
January 10, 2008
9:25 PM Post #4385466
| All of the above. |
soapwort243
South Milwaukee, WI
January 10, 2008
9:25 PM Post #4385467
| Because I get enjoyment out of digging in the dirt. It's fun. :) |
roybird
Santa Fe, NM
January 10, 2008
9:52 PM Post #4385577
| I guess I shouldn't be surprised how many of us think gardening is fun. It is! It helps my sanity and keeps me "grounded". |
KyWoods
Melbourne, KY
(Zone 6a)
January 10, 2008
10:11 PM Post #4385628
| Well-put, roybird! ☺ |
palmbob
Tarzana, CA
(Zone 9b)
 January 10, 2008
10:53 PM Post #4385767
| I garden because it is my obsession... which, thankfully, is a great deal of fun. |
terryr
Bureau County, IL
(Zone 5a)
January 10, 2008
11:19 PM Post #4385845
| I garden for all the beautiful creatures that want to call my place home. I garden to try and do my part in putting back what was removed long long ago, to try and restore the ecosystem in my own space. |
makj
Santa Ynez, CA
January 10, 2008
11:38 PM Post #4385903
| I think in some form we all do what terryr does, thank god there are gardens to work in, for ALL the reasons, fun, health, ecosystem etc... to all who garden!!!!!!!God bless!!!!!! Good health and garden on |
nap
Depew, NY
(Zone 6a)
January 10, 2008
11:42 PM Post #4385913
| I was tempted to vote "for fun" at first, but then I thought...gardening isn't really fun. It's work, and commitment, and somewhat costly, and demanding, and unpredictable at times. So I had to ask the hard question. Why DO I garden???
I guess it's because I love the beauty and the colors, and the awesome Majesty of God's plan for His earth. And because I love to take pictures. And I get to visit with my little 5 year old buddy who lives next door and knows where the chives are. She loves to nibble the chives. And because, after a full day at work, I find the routine of 'watering' brings me home to what is peace and serenity. |
gessiegail
Taft, TX
(Zone 9a)
January 10, 2008
11:55 PM Post #4385954
| I have already posted but when you mentioned the little 5 year old, I have to share the same story about a little 4 year old who used to live next door to me. When I told him we were moving he started crying and got real upset. I didn't quite know what to say to comfort him so I asked him if he knew why he was so upset and his answer was, "You are the only person on the street who lets me drive my cars through your flower beds!" |
Dann_L
Queen Creek, AZ
(Zone 9b)
January 11, 2008
12:10 AM Post #4385998
| Now that's cute!
|
shellabella
West Central, FL
(Zone 9b)
January 11, 2008
12:17 AM Post #4386024
| I garden because I love flowers, like to be outdoors and I want to create a beautiful environment to enjoy with my grandchildren, family and friends. |
katie59
Woodinville, WA
(Zone 8b)
January 11, 2008
1:49 AM Post #4386308
| It keeps me sane and "grounded". So is it for my health or for fun? Both, I guess. |
Zuzu
Sebastopol, CA
(Zone 9a)
January 11, 2008
2:06 AM Post #4386331
| At the risk of sounding incredibly shallow, I have to admit I do it mainly for the sake of appearances. I've renovated my house to look as good as possible, and I don't wear any clothes that aren't pretty, so it would make no sense at all not to have a pretty garden. I guess this just boils down to mental health, though. I feel good when I'm surrounded by beautiful things. |
Braveheartsmom
Kihei, HI
(Zone 11)
January 11, 2008
2:24 AM Post #4386347
| I am with JamesCo, my soul is happiest in the garden. |
ceejaytown
The Woodlands, TX
(Zone 9a)
January 11, 2008
2:37 AM Post #4386360
| What Podster said... Not so much mental, but almost spiritual. I feel so good when I am weeding, whacking back, planting, or just walking and looking, smelling, touching. The work can wear me out, but unlike any other work, it just feels so good.
This message was edited Jan 11, 2008 12:43 AM |
Mr_Crocosmia
Caistor
(United Kingdom)
(Zone 8b)
January 11, 2008
3:17 AM Post #4386382
| I voted for other because i have to take care of my national collection of crocosmia that take a lot of caring for... but, i garden for fun too as well as profit. |
jeltsje
aldeboarn
(Netherlands)
(Zone 8a)
January 11, 2008
3:57 AM Post #4386403
| I garden sometimes for fun and sometimes because the garden came by the house, but at all times its good for my mental health. |
MySharona
Fernandina Beach, FL
(Zone 9a)
January 11, 2008
6:52 AM Post #4386459
| I voted "other". It's for my health, mental and physical and for food. I give away cuttings and "overstock" of veggies. I thoroughly enjoy playing in the dirt!
This message was edited Jan 11, 2008 5:52 AM |
weed_woman
Coffs Harbour
(Australia)
January 11, 2008
8:26 AM Post #4386599
| I voted other because its an addiction and I have no choice! If it's daylight and its not raining too much, you will always find me in a garden, mine or someone elses! I'm fully sick man! 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
MarilynneS
Thunder Bay Ontario
(Canada)
(Zone 3a)
January 11, 2008
8:55 AM Post #4386666
| I voted "FUN" .. but .. to be truthful .. our winters are so LOOOOOOooooooooooooooooong here in this part of Canada .. to see the flowers budding and blooming and the Hummingbirds doin their thing .. and the vegetable garden seeds and plantings starting to produce .. well .. we pretty much suck in all we can ..
I noticed this morning that my African Violets are blooming once again .. so .. I look at them on their perches .. and then cast my eyes outside to a sea of white snow .. watching the deer feeding along with the Blue Jays .. and automatically start counting down towards the spring .. sure seems far away today !!
~M~ |
music2keep
Peterstown, WV
(Zone 6a)
January 11, 2008
9:01 AM Post #4386675
| I voted for fun! Is there any other reason!? :D |
alicemv
Aquebogue, NY
(Zone 6a)
January 11, 2008
9:06 AM Post #4386688
| I also voted for fun. I'm out there as often as possible, I wish I could have more time... : ) |
kblaurel
Saint Cloud, FL
January 11, 2008
10:29 AM Post #4386913
| Love to create my own color schemes & ideas for a pretty garden, + I need to know what is native to central florida, since i just moved here from Chicago 5 months ago, Thank you!!! |
alicemv
Aquebogue, NY
(Zone 6a)
January 11, 2008
10:51 AM Post #4386973
| Look up your local cooperative growing extension to get your zone for planting and also plants that are invasive, so you know what not to start with... |
georgiagarden3
Arlington, GA
(Zone 8a)
January 11, 2008
12:07 PM Post #4387337
| All of the above! |
DCarrington
Riverview, NB
(Zone 5b)
January 11, 2008
1:33 PM Post #4387694
| All of the above. |
cactus_lover
FSD
(Pakistan)
(Zone 10b)
January 11, 2008
1:56 PM Post #4387817
| For fun,Because it is my Hobby.
Yasir |
KyWoods
Melbourne, KY
(Zone 6a)
January 11, 2008
2:08 PM Post #4387880
| And Yasir, yours is truly an amazing hobby! Everyone should check out his cactus/succulent collection--it's huge! |
cactus_lover
FSD
(Pakistan)
(Zone 10b)
January 11, 2008
2:23 PM Post #4387939
| Thanks Kywoods
Yasir |
Willowwind2
Union, WA
January 11, 2008
3:46 PM Post #4388215
| I would rather be outside doing anything, but gardening is the most fun. If we get to vote on answers, I vote for Jianhua. Elegant answer. |
notmartha
Bay City, MI
(Zone 6a)
January 11, 2008
6:08 PM Post #4388844
| FUN FUN FUN FUN!!!
jon answer was very elegant!-what a guy!
without the garden-id get into so much trouble with so much time to waste!
it does calm the soul for sure!!! I do a lot of thinking in the garden
|
mistygardener
Saint James, MO
(Zone 6b)
January 11, 2008
6:50 PM Post #4388993
| Mostly all of the above, just no profit. :) |
birder17
Jackson, MO
(Zone 6b)
January 11, 2008
7:00 PM Post #4389029
| "For my health". Years ago, it was a beautiful, spring Saturday and my family was sitting in front of the tv watching cartoons. We could not afford a vacation or much of anything recreational. I could not stand to sit in the house on such a beautiful day. I went in my yard and started picking up rocks in the yard. Days later, my folks came to visit. Dad planted white zinnias in my empty flower bed. In no time, I had many blooms and people complementing my beautiful white flowers. The zinnias went to seed and I had gobs of goldfinch. That year, a gardener and a birder was born! It has given me so much pleasure and peace of mind. When I am in my garden, I am so aware of all the beautiful birds and flowers God created with little in put from me. You know the song, "In the Garden": ' while the due is still on the roses". I forget all my problems and am happy and content. Last spring, I was working in my garden. I sat on the lower tier of our deck steps to rest. As I sat there quietly, five beautiful, male indigo buntings hopped around eating seeds. "Priceless!" There's no better way to find serenity than in nature. |
marsue
Cabot, AR
(Zone 7b)
January 11, 2008
7:05 PM Post #4389048
| God's Garden
THE Lord God planted a garden
In the first white days of the world,
And He set there an angel warden
In a garment of light enfurled.
So near to the peace of Heaven,
That the hawk might nest with the wren,
For there in the cool of the even
God walked with the first of men.
And I dream that these garden-closes
With their shade and their sun-flecked sod
And their lilies and bowers of roses,
Were laid by the hand of God.
The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,--
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.
For He broke it for us in a garden
Under the olive-trees
Where the angel of strength was the warden
And the soul of the world found ease.
- Dorothy Frances Gurney
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mistygardener
Saint James, MO
(Zone 6b)
January 11, 2008
7:08 PM Post #4389054
| What a wonderful reason for your gardening, birder17!
Wonderful story, Mau! :) |
marsue
Cabot, AR
(Zone 7b)
January 11, 2008
7:10 PM Post #4389058
| Thanks, Tammy-- the poem said it better than I ever could.
--Mau |
mistygardener
Saint James, MO
(Zone 6b)
January 11, 2008
7:17 PM Post #4389077
| You are so welcome, Mau! :) |
TuttiFrutti
Spokane Valley, WA
(Zone 5b)
January 11, 2008
8:46 PM Post #4389353
| I voted "food". When I began gardening just a few years ago, I was all focused on maximizing our space and canning/freezing the goodies. Colour me an analytic. *winks*
It didn't take long before the joy crept in. The delightful smell of tomato plants even long before they held fruit, eating tender sweet peas right out of the pod, having fresh basil at my fingertips, experiencing the thrill of walking through the veggie garden to see what was ready for dinner that night... I even began to dream about gardening in my sleep. *smiles*
I cannot imagine life now without gardening being a big part of it! |
trackinsand
Umatilla, FL
(Zone 9a)
January 11, 2008
9:15 PM Post #4389496
| i garden to lose myself...whatever that means! |
podster
Deep East Texas, TX
(Zone 8a)
January 11, 2008
9:39 PM Post #4389603
| Trackinsand ~ I know full well what that means! |
trackinsand
Umatilla, FL
(Zone 9a)
January 11, 2008
10:13 PM Post #4389824
| *grin* |
KyWoods
Melbourne, KY
(Zone 6a)
January 11, 2008
11:09 PM Post #4390081
| Yes, to lose yourself or to find yourself. |
ceejaytown
The Woodlands, TX
(Zone 9a)
January 11, 2008
11:15 PM Post #4390099
| Oh how true!! Well said! |
redshiba
Snohomish County, WA
(Zone 8b)
January 11, 2008
11:39 PM Post #4390183
| I chose "other". I garden primarily for others to enjoy. |
hellnzn11
Rosamond, CA
(Zone 8b)
January 12, 2008
1:50 AM Post #4390583
| I chose other because I do not always find it fun in this zone and with this soil but I HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING OF BEAUTY TO LOOK AT AND SOMETHING ARTISTIC TO TAKE MY ATTENTION AND EXTRA ENERGY, I love to know that if I do not have a dime to go anywhere, I can go outside in my own yard and smile at what I see right here. |
LeBug
Greenville, IN
(Zone 6a)
January 12, 2008
1:56 AM Post #4390591
| Fun, because I'm a work a holic and gardening fits the bill!
Lea |
Lindawalkabout
Holden, MO
(Zone 5b)
January 12, 2008
2:23 AM Post #4390632
| I voted food, but I sure have fun in the garden, planting seeds in the late winter inside and watching them sprout. Watching the bees and other insects at work, holding a handfull of earthworms that are cultivating my gardens. Planting enough so even the wildlife will leave some for me to gather.
Watching the kids and grandkids and folks go through the garden and pick and eat right off the vine. Planning for a better garden next year, get excited about a compost pile, even work fish compost tea, now thats really lovin your garden :P.
Canning /freezing and seeing all the jars of good healthy foods. Giving fresh veggies to those that can't garden . I love the whole wheelbarrow full of gardening.
This message was edited Jan 12, 2008 12:25 AM |
posyblossom
Athens, PA
(Zone 5b)
January 12, 2008
9:31 AM Post #4390882
| I do it for LOVE, the purest love I find anywhere☺
"♥Love given TO the Garden and Love given BACK from the Garden♥" |
cactuspatch
La Luz/Alamogordo, NM
(Zone 8a)
January 12, 2008
11:10 AM Post #4391136
| I have gardened for over 50 years, so I could have also picked all of the above. I don't know any other way to live. Marsue--that is my favorite poem, however I never knew the first part of it! Thanks so much for posting. |
onewish1
Denville, NJ
(Zone 6a)
January 12, 2008
12:04 PM Post #4391299
| I can say I garden for my health and fun... it keeps me sane ... and I love the outcome |
NorthernSeasons
Butte, MT
(Zone 4a)
January 12, 2008
12:58 PM Post #4391528
| Gardening is therapy for me. I'm happiest in the summer when the sun is out, the air is warm and my hands are dirty. Growing plants feed my soul. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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cactuspatch
La Luz/Alamogordo, NM
(Zone 8a)
January 12, 2008
1:02 PM Post #4391542
| My feeling exactly NS! I don't feel well if I don't have the NM sun on my face some part of each day. It is physical and emotional therapy for me. |
marsue
Cabot, AR
(Zone 7b)
January 12, 2008
4:15 PM Post #4392183
| Glad you liked the poem, Cactus. I didn't know the whole thing, either, until I "googled" the line I did know and found the entire poem with the author's name!
It's good to see you posting. I've missed you! :o)) |
chrissy100
Sydney
(Australia)
January 12, 2008
7:08 PM Post #4392917
| I voted other because gardening provides food not only for the body but for the soul.
It is my joy and respite from care ...every day of my life.
chrissy |
bbrookrd
nantucket, MA
(Zone 7a)
January 13, 2008
9:55 AM Post #4395189
| other, for the "eye candy" Patti |
sunshine50
Farmington, ME
January 13, 2008
10:46 AM Post #4395352
| I actually garden for fun but for me gardening is a great stress reliever. I really like
how a small garden,a few pretty planters and window boxes change the looks of my
home. I am a long haul truck driver and working in the garden gives me plenty of
exercise and a way to relieve my job stress. As when I'm weeding every time I pull
a weed I think of someone in dispatch or a broker I don't like,lol.
I get all kinds of ideas in my travels and some of the sights are absolutley beautiful. Going thru Louisiania once I see a house with a brick path and an arbor covered in
pink mandavilla. |
Seandor
Springfield, MA
(Zone 6a)
January 13, 2008
12:26 PM Post #4395761
| I garden to create beauty in a world that desperately needs it. |
fitgrad
Amityville, NY
January 13, 2008
12:45 PM Post #4395824
| I voted for fun, because it is more fun to eat good, delicious, fresh, organic food & to be healthy (mentally & physically) than it is to eat things from a store and be unhealthy from eating all kinds of junk food with additives. |
defoecat
Pleasureville, KY
(Zone 6a)
January 13, 2008
2:13 PM Post #4396189
| I voted "other" because you didn't put "all the above" for a choice. With the exception of "for profit" I do garden a little for each. |
steadycam3
Houston, TX
January 13, 2008
7:00 PM Post #4397336
| I am you and you are me and that feels divine. I plant seeds and check everyday to see if they have sprouted. The anticipation is like a kid who cant wait for Santa Clause. A part of my work used to be microbiology. I even got the same excitement when I streaked a specimen onto a plate, incubated over night and could not wait to "see what grew" on the following morning. I have gardened since I was a child 60 years ago and one would think the "magic" of it would fade but it doesn't. |
defoecat
Pleasureville, KY
(Zone 6a)
January 13, 2008
7:02 PM Post #4397346
| steadycam, I know the feeling. I still get excited see seeds sprout that I placed in the soil with my hands. I know my hands didn't do the trick, and that there is lot's more involved, by I am amazed everytime. |
scott_lumry
Natchitoches, LA
(Zone 8a)
January 13, 2008
7:15 PM Post #4397392
| I garden for the learning experience! It is a challenge. I love learning new things and nature is full of learning opportunities. |
Connie_W
Austin, TX
(Zone 8b)
January 13, 2008
9:08 PM Post #4397939
| I live in an area that is overrun with deer. When I moved here, everyone (current people whose yards had been done years ago!) told me that you could only plant 3 things that the deer wouldn't eat: lantana, rosemary, and yaupons. It was Fun for me to do research and find new "deer resistant" things.
So...I guess the challenges of gardening...of caring for something alive and sometimes "needy" is fun for me.
Add the fun of getting it all "right"...the large plants in back, medium in the middle...etc. so that it still looks good in several years.
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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ceejaytown
The Woodlands, TX
(Zone 9a)
January 13, 2008
9:37 PM Post #4398156
| Oh my! Look at your front yard in contrast to your neighbors. They either love you or hate you! LOL! |
LostIndian
Algonac, MI
January 13, 2008
9:43 PM Post #4398193
| ALL OF THE ABOVE |
makj
Santa Ynez, CA
January 13, 2008
11:44 PM Post #4398995
| i think most garden to relieve whatever stress they have, I can concentrate on what I am doing at the time and feel an sense of accomplishment that I "got something done" I raise iris among other things, and there is constant work, you really have to love gardening to continue to do the up-keep on them. I lost my brother 5 years ago and we loved orchids, he had a wonderful greenhouse, and always wanted to raise iris, I have since planted well over a thousand iris rhizomes, and can work among them and think of my brother, and feel "life can go on" gardening gave me a new lease on life. |
boojum
Shelburne Falls, MA
(Zone 5a)
January 14, 2008
8:51 AM Post #4399762
| I've gardened almost 25 years now and can't imagine life without one (just in case I hafta move, I've collected 200 orchids!) I garden for fun, to surround myself with beauty, to escape from harsh reality, and to have an excuse to go barefoot and stick my arms to the elbows in dirt. Whenever I'm truly stressed, dirt is my relief. |
marsue
Cabot, AR
(Zone 7b)
January 14, 2008
9:08 AM Post #4399797
|
| Quoted: | | Whenever I'm truly stressed, dirt is my relief. |
That made me laugh, boojum! I feel the same way. Even though I usually wear gardening gloves, somehow I always manage to get dirt under my fingernails! LOL I love it!! |
irisloverdee
Lebanon, OR
January 14, 2008
10:12 AM Post #4400006
| I do it for all of the above! Lucky:)
D |
chickenrancher
Nova, OH
(Zone 5b)
January 14, 2008
12:00 PM Post #4400421
| other because there wasn't an "all of the above" and for independence. |
KyWoods
Melbourne, KY
(Zone 6a)
January 14, 2008
1:16 PM Post #4400771
| Wow, boojum, all the way up to the elbows? You must have good soil there--I can't go in six inches without hitting a rock or clay. LOL |
daylily2006
Golden Valley, AZ
(Zone 8b)
January 14, 2008
1:20 PM Post #4400786
| gotta echo the 'all of the above'
"Who plants a seed beneath the sod, and waits to see, believes in God"
Gardening, grandkids and tortoises...just doesn't get any better than that! |
boojum
Shelburne Falls, MA
(Zone 5a)
January 14, 2008
2:05 PM Post #4400967
| Old dairy farm soil. Plenty of rocks but very nice soil! |
bbrookrd
nantucket, MA
(Zone 7a)
January 14, 2008
3:02 PM Post #4401212
| Boojum, To my very green thumb friend, you forgot to mention the huge number of roses, iris and DL's, plus all the rest which makes up your stunning garden, aside from the 200 orchids. Plus what about all the epiphyllums, cactus and Hippeastrum? I think your garden is the result of more than sticking your "arms to the elbows in dirt ", it is more likely that you are "up to your neck in dirt" and loving every minute. You should be miss mellow from all your work. Patti |
boojum
Shelburne Falls, MA
(Zone 5a)
January 14, 2008
3:46 PM Post #4401424
| Too bad that's not true! Can you tell that Patti comes over??? |
WigglyPaw
Hastings, MI
(Zone 6a)
January 14, 2008
4:36 PM Post #4401658
| It started when I was very young. It was an overwhelming need to plant things and have them grow.
I ordered 10 trees (sticks) from the back of a magazine one year, I was about 10 years old, and sent perhaps $2 in the mail for them. I planted them in and around my parents home in Long Island,NY. They were very mad that I did that. They had landscapers come every week and do the property and gardeners that did the plant picking and positioning. My trees were not on their list...so they were pulled out and discarded.
I am thrilled to say, it has been 45 years now, and on the property, is a magnificent Sugar Maple, right where I had planted it, and off to the side of the house, is a almost 100 foot tall Oak. I get a thrill when I see them, which is about once in 40 years...lol
My parents were worried about me, caring for and planting seeds and sewing and riding horses and cooking. I was NOT normal to them.
I continued studying on my own about landscaping and plants, really getting into Lithops and Japanese gardens. My services were hired beginning in 1968 for a estate on Long Island. I planned and executed a 7 acre Japanese Garden, that now, is a study in how well planned landscapes withstand the test of time and neglect...The bamboo garden has grown to immense proportions, rocks have sunk and grown over with moss and fungus. concrete benches are skewed and deep within groves where they were originally on a cleared path.
You can vaguely see the old paths, the slight bumps of granite outlining where the paths once were. My garden there has grown in stature due to the ancient look of it and the untouched quality of the bamboo groves. Asian families coming to the NY area for visits, try to include a visit and an invitation to this site. It is still privately owned and maintained...but not for long. The original
owner is a widower now and I think the property will be sold for the value of the land for development. All the final traces will be gone, but thats what keeps me gardening.
I have an article I saved about a gals mom, who had recently moved to a 5 acre nothing home, and her mom who is 83, has started clearing the land and planting another landscaped garden. She thinks this might be her "final garden".
So, I checked "other" for the need to garden. I think its fun, but I am not laughing. It is much more emotional for me. I think I am pressured by the wind and the sun and the earth to do this as a gift of prettiness for the other humans who can enjoy looking at it.
I don't have the time to look and sit and enjoy it...LOLOL dig dig dig
thank god for winter and the time to recuperate, go to the physical therapist and doctor and hospitals to repair the damage done by all that lifting and hoisting and plant moving. I have always had my operatons in winter time, for the repair and recuperation time before spring comes.
sorry for this long letter. just always a gardener and wanting to share.
Regards,
sheri 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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ceejaytown
The Woodlands, TX
(Zone 9a)
January 14, 2008
7:10 PM Post #4402310
| Sheri - Thank you for that wonderful insight into why we garden. Gardening is just part of our souls - our legacy. Not long at all...
"Who plants a seed beneath the sod, and waits to see, believes in God" So true. Gardeners deal with miracles on a daily basis. |
marsue
Cabot, AR
(Zone 7b)
January 14, 2008
7:34 PM Post #4402399
| Beautiful story, Sheri. Thanks for sharing it with us. |
lavender4ever
(Louise) Otoe, NE
(Zone 5a)
February 9, 2008
1:34 AM Post #4514682
| I know how you feel too! I have been obsessed with gardening since I was a child. My mother often said I was a throwback since the only gardener was my grandmother and she gardened until she died in her 70's . I still remember a particular plant she grew called snow on the mountain. I think it must have been a euphorbia it was lovely to look at but had a very medicinal smell and attracked wasps! That is a memory from when I was 5. |
Connie_W
Austin, TX
(Zone 8b)
February 9, 2008
4:43 AM Post #4514879
| There is also a "Snow-on-the-Mountain" Camelia bush, or at least it's mentioned in Harper Lee's To K a Mockingbird |
penpen
North Tonawanda, NY
February 13, 2008
10:09 AM Post #4532619
| I garden to provide natural nectar plants for my hummingbirds. |
ezgroonly
Fountaintown, IN
(Zone 5b)
February 26, 2008
2:12 PM Post #4591275
| I didn't sign on when this poll was open, but here's my reason for gardening: My mom had a large perennial garden with a few annuals mixed in, and during the growing season, she always had at least one lovely small bouquet in our living room, and one near the kitchen sink, to enjoy while we/she did kitchen chores.
I'm currently not the gardener that she was (she was at home full-time, and she had the same sunny garden for 55 years!), but in the seven different gardens that I've originated over 46 years, it has been my joy to bring in a bit of whatever is in bloom, to enjoy small bouquets, and now, to remember my mom. |
sidekicks2003
Courtenay, BC
(Zone 7a)
March 5, 2008
9:12 PM Post #4627484
| The enjoyment of not being couped up indoors, no chemicals in the fruit n veggies, exercise, being out with the kids ( pets). And suppling fresh food at the table right out of thr garden with flowers from the yard in center table. And finally just standing and admiring the finished pictures. Work well worth the effort. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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mommie
Weslaco, TX
(Zone 9b)
March 6, 2008
5:06 PM Post #4630599
| I garden because I just love to see things grow. I love the beauty of an unusal plant & I try hard to find them. You should see my bananas grow!! |
PamSheetz
Plainfield, IL
March 30, 2008
3:22 PM Post #4731030
| My love for gardening as well as houseplant growing is medicine for soothing my state of mind and soul. Nothing calms me more than to tending to my plants, flowers, and vegitables. |
plantnative
Howell, MI
March 31, 2008
2:21 PM Post #4736022
| I have kids plants don't talk back. I also love watching things grow. Our yard is full of wildlife which I enjoy. Lastly when people said you'll never get anything to grow in that rocky clay soil I knew I could prove them wrong. |
PamSheetz
Plainfield, IL
April 1, 2008
3:39 PM Post #4741694
| To plantnative--I'm new to posting on these forums--but I chuckled out loud to your entry, so I thought I just had to send a comment along :) !
I must agree with you re: "Plants don't talk back" :) What I didn't mention while "I'm gardening for my soul" --Is that it's actually my MAJOR Mom Down time! Time spent watering, deadheading, pinching, pruning, while enjoying the sight, smell, and taste of what I've grown--whatever--makes a much more sane mommy :)
Yep, I know clay--Chicagoland is also full of rocks & clay! And working that soil is a good distressing activity in itself!! LOL!
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