Loving your stories about how you evolved as a gardener! My father worked in the nursery business for more than 50 years, and ultimately became a Master Gardener. I learned early about plants of all kinds. In our home, we have a complete library-sized section of books. I rarely look at them anymore, but I know exactly which one to open if I need a reminder about something. I did, fairly recently, use the Internet to find out about orchid care. I've always had pretty good luck with them, but I inherited a number of half-dead specimens that people at work were getting rid of. I followed a potpourri of online resources and put together a care plan. They all turned green, and have each bloomed at least once! Outside, things are much more difficult. We live in a Zone 3-ish region, at least in close proximity to the house. Our elevation is about 6,700 feet. It's quite dry in the summer, but we get more than 5 feet of snow in the winter -- more like 8 feet, this year -- and winter temperatures hang out well below zero for days (even weeks) at a time! I can't garden the way I once could. We might have 60 days a year without frost, but it's usually fewer than that. We've lived here for more than 14 years, and I'm still learning what will survive, and what I need to do to promote that survival. My beloved Siberian Iris really LOVE this climate (maybe because their ancestors were from Siberia?!?), but my Basil needs to live in a container perched on a garden cart so I can roll it into the garage on those summer nights when the temperature dips below 40º. We have huge numbers of birds that frequent our feeders and flowers, including 5 different species of hummingbirds (I also serve them homemade nectar). I've even seen Swallowtail butterflies in our yard, which isn't all that common around here. Must be doing something right!!!
Gosh, how rewarding, to learn how to care for the unique needs of each being within a challenging climate, and then to see that butterfly, like a (!) at the end of a beautiful sentence. Indeed. We cannot control everything, but to know that we have helped to make the world more habitable for just that one basil plant or butterfly -- it can give life such meaning and resonance when we really need it, can’t it?
Loving your stories about how you evolved as a gardener! My father worked in the nursery business for more than 50 years, and ultimately became a Master Gardener. I learned early about plants of all kinds. In our home, we have a complete library-sized section of books. I rarely look at them anymore, but I know exactly which one to open if I need a reminder about something. I did, fairly recently, use the Internet to find out about orchid care. I've always had pretty good luck with them, but I inherited a number of half-dead specimens that people at work were getting rid of. I followed a potpourri of online resources and put together a care plan. They all turned green, and have each bloomed at least once! Outside, things are much more difficult. We live in a Zone 3-ish region, at least in close proximity to the house. Our elevation is about 6,700 feet. It's quite dry in the summer, but we get more than 5 feet of snow in the winter -- more like 8 feet, this year -- and winter temperatures hang out well below zero for days (even weeks) at a time! I can't garden the way I once could. We might have 60 days a year without frost, but it's usually fewer than that. We've lived here for more than 14 years, and I'm still learning what will survive, and what I need to do to promote that survival. My beloved Siberian Iris really LOVE this climate (maybe because their ancestors were from Siberia?!?), but my Basil needs to live in a container perched on a garden cart so I can roll it into the garage on those summer nights when the temperature dips below 40º. We have huge numbers of birds that frequent our feeders and flowers, including 5 different species of hummingbirds (I also serve them homemade nectar). I've even seen Swallowtail butterflies in our yard, which isn't all that common around here. Must be doing something right!!!
Gosh, how rewarding, to learn how to care for the unique needs of each being within a challenging climate, and then to see that butterfly, like a (!) at the end of a beautiful sentence. Indeed. We cannot control everything, but to know that we have helped to make the world more habitable for just that one basil plant or butterfly -- it can give life such meaning and resonance when we really need it, can’t it?