Fresh Air and Sunshine Add Up to a Satisfying Day

By Val
@valmnz (17097)
New Zealand
October 14, 2015 11:40pm CST
As most of you realise, it's now mid Spring down here in New Zealand. The days are getting longer and warmer and I'm spending less time indoors. Spring can be a temperamental season here, but the last two days have been brilliant. I've had a busy day outdoors today, first of all pulling weeds from the garden then driving off to the green waste centre to dump them. Then, the next stop was the garden centre where I splashed out on a bit of potted colour to fill in some of the gaps in the garden. Back home the plants were planted and I realised I should have bought twice as many. The final effort for the day was to mow the lawn. I'm feeling tired and my cheeks are showing signs of having been out in the sun all day. I'm also feeling satisfied with my days work. I'm not a totally committed gardener, having come to it in recent years through necessity when my husband could no longer do it. However, I'm learning fast and I certainly enjoyed my day out in the fresh air and sunshine. The front garden is starting to look more like a garden and less like a weed patch. Soon I'll be into the vegetable section round the back. Are you a natural gardener? I know many of you are. Or, are you more like me, hoping what you pull out really is a weed? Maybe some of you have tips for me on how to manage this enoyable but mysterious activity?
29 people like this
26 responses
@MALUSE (69373)
• Germany
15 Oct 15
An old man told me this: Pull out everything in a garden. What comes back are the weeds. Then you'll know.
5 people like this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
15 Oct 15
I think that's what has happened here!
1 person likes this
@marlina (154131)
• Canada
16 Oct 15
@MALUSE That was certainly a wise advice.
• United States
15 Oct 15
i'm comin' to yer house! jest kiddin', but sure wish i could! i've gardened most'f my life 'n enjoy it immensely. that playin' in the dirt 'n figurin' out plants 'n how to make 'em happy brings me great joy. yepperz, i envy ya comin' into spring - warm sunshine 'n longer days. sigh... i'm really not embracin' autumn here in the u.s. 's fer tips? i aint familiar with schtuff in yer neck 'f the woods. perhaps visitin' with some other gardeners in yer area/'r those folks 't the garden center can help ya out? i'm prone to leavin' what some consider weeds 's some 've medicinal properties, others attracts beneficial insects to the garden 'n some 're native plants which i feel ought to be there.
3 people like this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
15 Oct 15
Our garden is so tiny. We live in a town house on a small section, so it sort of needs to be kept tidy!
1 person likes this
• United States
15 Oct 15
@valmnz yes ma'am, i reckon the neighbors'd give ya fits otherwise. i'm fortunate to live in the country 'n not pay mind to those folks drivin' by 'n frownin' 'bout my lil "weed patches" nor when i allow my grass to not jest go to seed, but to mature 'fore mowin' it. we're recoverin' from a long drought 'n i'm tryin' to get all back in balance.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160491)
• United States
15 Oct 15
I have the interest but not the energy or dedication. We are headed into fall here. I will get a running start on this new yard next year. Today I need to mow.
3 people like this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
16 Oct 15
Mowing is actually one thing I do enjoy.
@dodo19 (47315)
• Beaconsfield, Quebec
15 Oct 15
Glad to hear that you were able to enjoy your time outside. Hope you are able to enjoy more of it. I'm not much of a gardener. Although I don't really have the space for a garden. So, it's hard to say.
2 people like this
@dodo19 (47315)
• Beaconsfield, Quebec
16 Oct 15
@valmnz hopefully, you are able to keep it up. Good luck!
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
16 Oct 15
We have a little space so it's quite manageable really when I'm motivated.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (135381)
• India
15 Oct 15
You must know by now my passion for gardening. There are lots of nice things happening right now. Hope to see your newly developed garden. Waiting for pictures
2 people like this
@allknowing (135381)
• India
15 Oct 15
@valmnz I do not agree with you. Even a single plant that gives out healthy flowers is a matter of pride for the gardener
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
15 Oct 15
It's so tiny it's an apology for a garden. Not up to being shown to the world
@bluesa (15022)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
15 Oct 15
I am more like you, I hope what I am pulling out is a weed, I must say though that my potted cactus is looking quite fine. I am glad you enjoyed your day out in the sun. Do not forget to wear sunscreen! :-)
2 people like this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
16 Oct 15
I think I would recognise a cactus
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
16 Oct 15
@bluesa yes, I realised you meant that
1 person likes this
@bluesa (15022)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
16 Oct 15
@valmnz , ha ha ha! I meant I do not know much about other plants in a garden. The cactus, I have all figured out too, and since it can survive a desert, well...
1 person likes this
@much2say (55353)
• Los Angeles, California
15 Oct 15
That's great you've picked up gardening and are managing it quite well! My dad is a gardener by profession and he does bonsai - so he's the natural green thumb. But me, I have to try really, really hard. If anything I get super lazy and then neglect the poor plants - that's what usually happens. However the citrus trees we've inherited with the house are still thriving (that has been a grand experiment in pruning and such). And we have straggly rose bushes that we do absolutely nothing with because we want them to die - but they never do. The rest, since we have not gotten our act together to plant anything - is dirt!
1 person likes this
@much2say (55353)
• Los Angeles, California
16 Oct 15
@valmnz I should do that! YouTube is great for learning "stuff" - the lemons and oranges here would probably feel better if I did instead of treating them like Frankensteins!!!
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
16 Oct 15
I found some good videos on pruning on YouTube last year
1 person likes this
@kevin1877uk (36988)
16 Oct 15
I love being out and about but I'm no gardener lol.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
16 Oct 15
I'm an accidental gardener, I came to it by accident.
1 person likes this
@kevin1877uk (36988)
16 Oct 15
@valmnz I'm glad you are loving you accidental gardening.
@jstory07 (139350)
• Roseburg, Oregon
15 Oct 15
I am done with yard care for the year. I turned the water outside off for the year
2 people like this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
15 Oct 15
I love the way our seasons are different.
@wiLLmaH (8802)
• Singapore, Singapore
15 Oct 15
I do not have a green thumb but I love to have a garden on our future home :) my hubby will take care of the gardening. :)
2 people like this
@wiLLmaH (8802)
• Singapore, Singapore
15 Oct 15
@valmnz Thanks for the advise. ;)
2 people like this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
15 Oct 15
Make sure you join in and help him! Mine did it all for years, so when the time came that he couldn't I had to learn everything from scratch. Thankfully common sense helped see me through till I learned a few things.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (470821)
• Switzerland
15 Oct 15
I learned to take care of a garden and to plant vegetables when I was very young and spent my vacation days in the farmhouse of my grandmother. For what concern the weeds I have a rule, if they grow fast, spread everywhere and are healthy, pull them out, they are weeds!
2 people like this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
15 Oct 15
Lots of those here. Our section used to be the back yard of a hundred years old house and had been neglected in recent years. The weeds really took hold as permanent residents.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (470821)
• Switzerland
15 Oct 15
@valmnz Nothing is growing right now in the garden, except dandelions! I cannot believe they are blooming even in Autumn.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
15 Oct 15
I'm putting my garden to bed for the winter and I'm rather envious of you having your growing season ahead of you. I only took up gardening in my 60s, and just learnt by trial and error. It's not the end of the world if you pull out a few things that aren't weeds .
2 people like this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
16 Oct 15
Mine is definitely trial and error Janet.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
16 Oct 15
I am totally not, I killed bamboo once... I am with you, bring on the advice, or better yet, come be my adoptive grammie and teach me!
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
16 Oct 15
Impressed with your killing bamboo. I would have appreciated your skill there about 20 years ago where the corner of the house we lived in grew bamboo faster than I'd ever imagined.
1 person likes this
• Centralia, Missouri
17 Oct 15
@valmnz I bet I could kill it, lol, I have a black thumb I swear.
1 person likes this
@mom210 (9117)
• United States
15 Oct 15
No really a natural one, but I do like it and give it a whirl. I get better all the time, by the time I die, maybe I will be good at it and they can put it on my tombstone
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
16 Oct 15
Yes, I do seem to be getting better all the time too.
1 person likes this
@mom210 (9117)
• United States
16 Oct 15
@valmnz I can see it now It will say "wonderful mother, Fantastic gardener." "We will miss her tomatoes!"
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
17 Oct 15
This is the time of the year when the cruise ships are dropping in to New Zealand and Australia. I think you can find many tourists snapping pictures of everything they can see. Perhaps you can see those tourists when you get to the nearest port! I wonder if you are going to plant tomatoes or some herbs. You will have a great harvest in autumn if you work hard now.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
17 Oct 15
The cruise season does start in October, but doesn't really get into full swing for a few months. I often see the cruise ships in Wellington. Yes, we do grow some of our own herbs and vegies too, but have a very little section in which to do so.
@marlina (154131)
• Canada
16 Oct 15
I love, love gardening, it is the most satisfying of my hobbies.
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
16 Oct 15
I'm learning to enjoy it.
• United States
15 Oct 15
You have a place to dump weeds? Interesting. We just toss ours on the lawn and grind them up with the tractor. Or they get thrown in the woods. I wish is were spring here instead of fall.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
16 Oct 15
Our city has a depot for green waste disposal then I think they turn it compost and sell it.
1 person likes this
• United States
16 Oct 15
@valmnz Our county doesn't even recycle.
• United States
15 Oct 15
We're at opposite seasons with Fall here now. All my little potted flowers are gone and I won't be planting anything until next spring. However, we've been having some beautiful weather in the 70 degrees and it's still warm enough to enjoy being outside
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
16 Oct 15
Enjoy those days, the cold days will come.
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
15 Oct 15
I had an organic farm for a long time @valmnz . With wintertime coming to a lot of people, where you are, you'll be able to raise our spirits by what you do in the garden.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
16 Oct 15
Or maybe raise your pity for my beginner efforts!
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
15 Oct 15
You are making me jealous. Spring is my favorite season, but it's fall here now. I really enjoy pulling weeds by hand, but my gardening is poor - not enough sun and too many animals.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
16 Oct 15
Autumn or fall is actually my favourite season.