Monday, February 04, 2008

Eight Signs Of A Gardener

As Lloyd Grossman said "who would live in a house like this?". This was inspired from Kylee's post about someones household items that signify they are a gardener.
http://ourlittleacre.blogspot.com/2008/01/can-you-tell-im-gardener.html
I had a quick look around at what signs of Gardening madness there was in the house.
Mine are much more obvious than pictures, ornaments, and garden hats. I do have a hat though, a sheepskin flat cap, very Yorkshire or Del Boy.
The First sign is an obligatory Gardens note book. My scribbled seed lists, planted seeds, and garden summer plans are all written in here. My fermenting imagination draws and writes, puts arrows, and dreams come together in the book. Not as grand as the nice Ten year diary with spaces for minimum and maximum temperature, but good enough for me to keep track of umpteen projects. I guess if I do not lose it then I can look back at what I dreamt of, and how it turns out..ready for another growing season better than the last one.

The second Sign is bird books. This is a free booklet I got from the Rspb. Garden birds are a big part of my day now, just watching them for a while lowers my blood pressure. This simple booklet has advice about attracting the birds, plants for wildlife, what to feed them, how to have feeders and water stations, and of course a simple list of what common garden birds you might be able to see.Its normally near the blue chair by the back door with the binoculars.

Hmmm, The Third sign of a Gardener is Seeds. My seed packets in a Terrys Chocolate orange tin. The seed packets are almost as bright as the coloured wrappers around the single chocolate segments. These should be eye candy :)

The fourth sign is Garden shoes like Clogs.
For Oldroses my well worn xmas present gardening shoes from Town and Country. These are usually near the backdoor ready to slip on. (In fact I have them on now). I love the earthy green colour and the footprints they left in the snow the other day. Daily use has moulded the cloggie parts to my size 11 feet! I got fed up of getting mud on my trainers. At least these wash clean.

The fifth sign is gardening related magasines or booklets from the RHS. Hils keeps me supplied with her magasines. These can be found lying on the sofa, coffee table, or upstairs in the bedroom. I love the photos, the plants, the gardening letters, and suprisingly the adverts from garden sheds to organic products to seeds..
After a day in the garden what better way to unwind than reading and being inspired.

The sixth sign is what books are in the house.
Books bought and given. A gardener is quite easy to buy for with so many books, and items related to the garden. My fav book from above is the Heirloom Garden, an American book about heirloom plants that have been passed on between generations, and survive in wild gardens where they wait to be found. Like Foxgloves and the Madonna Lilly! The gardeners yearbook is so nice that I have not written in it. I guess I need lined paper to write on. I do not like writing on books..
The seventh sign is paraphanalia like tools or twine lying around the kitchen especially if your backdoor leads to the garden. Also bags of compost sat on the kitchen floor.
Gardening tools that always seem to end up in the Kitchen, washed and dried after being used in the borders to dig holes for new plants, or to upend perennial weeds.

The Eighth sign of being a Gardener is the home becoming an extention of the garden.
The Kitchen sink has been press ganged into an ersatz growhouse, it is being taken up by plant pots and seed trays. The Amaryllis Apple Blossom is two feet high now but too floppy so its being leaned against the window. Chilli plants nestle with pots of Basil seedlings. The Phalaenopsis sits on top of the baby Venus Flytraps in their mini greenhouse. The seed trays have Agastache, Heliotrope, poppies, and Evening Primrose.
There you go! Eight signs inside the house that my passions are outside in the trees, shrubs, flowers, and wildlife outside the door.

11 comments:

The Diva said...

Ah, yes, my house is similar.~~Dee

kate said...

How true that is - before we realise it, our kitchens (and often the rest of the house) become extensions of our gardens.

I enjoyed reading this post and seeing those garden clogs. I can't wait to get mine out.

Do you keep your Venus Fly Traps standing in some water?

Kylee Baumle said...

You certainly have brought the outside inside! Love it! You talk about the garden tools making their way into the house...well, my kitchen tools sometimes make their way out to the gardens!
So you're growing heliotrope from seed. Have you done this before? If so, is it easy?

David (Snappy) said...

Thanks Dee,Its good that we have similar houses.I only have six roses planted or in pots so far.I need a bigger garden to have ninety!
Hi Kate, The Venus Fly traps are standing in water.I bought a dinky pot with the seed/sand mixture, and a dry soil mix wrapped in muslin cloth. I soaked it so it expanded, then put the seeds/sand mix on top.I made a mini greenhouse and have stood the pot in rain water in a milk carton bottom.So far two seeds have germinated!They are slow growing however.I did a lot of research on the flytraps but that is for a future post!I cant wait to see your gardening clogs :)
Thank you Kylee, My knives sometimes make it outside into the garden too.I have become resourceful in the way of using household items for the garden if I dont have the proper garden variety!
I have never grown heliotrope from seed.I bought them last year on a whim.They have sat with the other seed packets waiting for me to unleash them.About a dozen have germinated so far!I have my fingers crossed I can grow them into baby plants.I just planted the seeds on the top of moist compost in a seed tray and covered with cling film..
I'd run out of clear covers :)

OldRoses said...

I have 7 out of 8 signs. All 8 if you count my blog as my (virtual) garden notebook. Great job summing up us gardeners.

Unknown said...

What great light you have in your kitchen to grown houseplants in! I'm jealous. My house tends to be on dark side, so I can only grow houseplants that can survive with minimal indirect light.

Very nice post!

David (Snappy) said...

Thanks Oldrose I'm glad you made it onto here to comment.Blogs can serve as virtual notebooks.I must be old fashioned liking pen and paper...
Hi Claire,The Flat was very dark in comparison to the house.If its light the kitchen receives a lot of light! If its overcast its not as bright, but the plants are nestled under the glass.

Kerri said...

Ah yes, I admit to having all the signs :)
Two bedrooms upstairs are looking pretty messy with over-wintering plants right now, but I feel blessed to have the free space. Too bad if any of the kids want to spend a night or two in their old bedrooms :)
Your weather seems so much milder than ours. The white Hellebores are so pretty, and I enjoy seeing your birds.

David (Snappy) said...

Hi Kerri its like having green guests when you over winter plants.the weather has been pretty mild past few days but the hellebores are tough and could manage cold weather.i love the birds too.

Sue Swift said...

Wow - I score 6 out of 8 and I only have a balcony ...
Sue

David (Snappy) said...

What a beautiful Balcony you have too Sue!You are an inspiration in what you can grow in a small space.You have thought how to maximise the flowers and use the space for effect.
You think what you CAN grow and not what you CANT.
Six out of eight signs is not too bad, Not as mad as me then :)