I consider my gardening a delusional adventure. I always think I have more time, space and strength than I actually do.
I garden for some very good reasons: it’s therapeutic, meditative and completely addictive. My gardening habit frequently exceeds my physical abilities but it also heals me and focuses my attention on something greater than what limits me.
I grew up gardening beside my mother across the South and the Midwest. On my own, I’ve gardened in dry mountains and now in South Texas. My family is from the central plains area and both my grandmother‘s always had at least a quarter acre garden. I had one grandfather who was a farmer and and my other grandfather was a Midwestern school professor and administrator with two PhD’s, one of which was in biology. I grew up knowing the Latin names for most of what I planted, loving the direction that my insatiable questioning took me and having an idea of what I was doing (because gardeners with greater skills than I had, took the time to teach me.) I am now solid in my South Texas gardening skills, after a little longer than a decade down here. I also have about three decades of daily gardening experience. I hope I can help pass down some of the practical knowledge I have and showcase some of my gardening experiments (I am always trying out something new.)
Enjoying the garden in the beginning of this blog.
Crazygreenthumbs somewhere in the middle.
Crazy Green Thumbs 
I love your blog and feel humbled that you’ve chosen to follow mine. I have absolutely no illusions about my lack of ability in the garden but I hope to be inspired by you!
We’re all on the same road! I love your writing style! Patience and practice make anything better. I’m glad to see your climbing hydrangea start made it! And thank you so much for the compliment!
Hi there! Thank you for visiting my blog and for the like. I am an avid gardener, but still learning. Just recently bought a greenhouse and all the little organic pots and I’m ready for Spring! I enjoyed your blog and look forward to your posts!
Thank you! I’m enjoying yours too.
Encouraging to hear from someday today as we start our blog. We are generational gardeners too, third and fourth. We love sharing what we have learned with others and are often running into brown thumbs when we are plant shopping. Hopefully some of our mistakes will filter down and help them to be more successful.
There’s a lot of us out here helping in the digital world. There’s also a lot of misinformation out there. I see things online that lure new gardeners into time wasting practices or projects. Some of the advice is just silly. Hopefully we can help counteract some of that!
Great site. I too am a gardener. In fact I teach folks to garden as well for Okla. State Univ. great blog. I’m going to follow you. Thanks!
Thank you!
Thank you for stopping by my blog.
Thanks for the visit. In my early years huge gardens was the norm for my family. Thinking I wanted to escape such things I left that part of me long ago. Now, in my 50s, I am starting to see the value of gardening. I’ve started really simple, basically a herb / spice garden.
Don’t know where that will take me, retirement is still a few years away, but I am starting to enjoy it.
A Servant
Thank you for the comment! I think there are a lot of gardeners who have come back to it after a long absence. Time seems to draw us all back to our roots.
Thanks for visiting my blog Hanguk Babble. I consider myself a delusional gardener too, but I am resolved to hire someone to help me with my garden this year, so we can be delusional together. I look forward to reading about your gardening misadventures and triumphs. May all things grow in their season.
I enjoyed your article on language. Thank you for stopping by!
I saw that you visited my blog and liked my post on, starting to sow this year. I have been browsing through your site and have thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I live in Sweden so my climate and growing season is quite different from yours. I have started to follow your blog. I might pick your brain on some tips to help me be a better gardener. I did not know there is such a thing as seed trains. I am going to be researching that on the net.
Thanks Honey,
You are very welcome! If you can’t find a seed train you can always start one.
That is true but first I need to read how they work.I plan to research it. It sounds like a great idea.
Thanks honey
I never realized how much plants in general contribute to the feel of a house until we moved into a new house with no landscaping. Whether, landscape or house plants – plants make a house, a home. It’s funny, my husband is in the nursery business, and I never appreciated what he ‘actually’ does until my plant epiphany. I’m glad you’ve taken gardening under your wing and shovel – I hope you’re finding peace planting. You come from solid growing stock. 🙂
AnnMarie
thank you ever so much for stopping by my little corner of blogworld
If I had access to a nursery I’d be in serious trouble! My family moved every few years for my dad’s job. The yard was what sold every one of our homes. The downside was that my mother never saw her gardens mature. I have had the same experience. Hopefully we are in our last home and we’ll stay here until our kids are through school. Thanks for the compliment!
You’re most certainly welcome. I hope you’re able to see your beautiful gardens grow into adulthood 🙂
AnnMarie
Thank you for visiting my blog and for the like! – I am very impressed with the way you write! -your gardening posts are unique and interesting. Unfortunately we can’t grow a lot of things up here in the north of Sweden but you have inspired my to try a few things! best regards
I’m not sure how it works in Sweden, but we have county sponsored agriculture groups that give classes and free advice. Hopefully there’s something like that near you. You are right, my season is very long here and things don’t always transfer well for shorter season areas. Getting information on the first and last frost dates for your area would be a good first step. Good luck and thank you for stopping by!
Thanks for dropping by and liking my post. Me and my lemon tree. Its going to be along journey 🙂
I like your lemon adventure! I hope it ends well for the tree and your interest in gardening. Everyone starts somewhere! I understand your frustration with fruiting trees and the amount of information out there to care for them. Good luck!
Thank you for “liking” our blog, and I was delighted to see you are a gardener. My husband and I both love to garden. We like in southern Oregon at 4000′ feet elevation, which gives a bit of a challenge to gardening. We also have a sun problem (too many trees) but onward we go, and happily every year. My mother has written her memoir about living in Texas in the 30′s and 40′s called “Always Going”. You may find this a fun read, as you live there as well. She mentions that “gardens” were needed by all, but ‘flower gardens’ were unseen.
Luckily we live in a day when ‘flowers’ are loved as much as food!
Enjoy the spring!
Alexis Campbell Jansky and Richard Jansky
Solo Press II
solopress2.wordpress.com
The last place we lived was Colorado Springs. That’s about 6000 feet, so I understand the challenges of higher elevations. Thank you for stopping by and good luck with that computer!
Thank you for visiting my blog! I look forward to reading through your blog so I can hopefully have a successful garden this year!
Gardening is indeed therapeutic. I look forward to learning for about it. Good luck to you with your plants and thank you for adding beauty to the world.
I liked your article about it being a coping skill. Thank you for coming by and commenting. I hope you enjoy getting back into gardening.
Thanks! I certainly hope to.
Love your blog – and especially love Newman! I need to keep notes like you do on your seeds and planting – every year I mean to, but life kind of gets in the way.
It became a necessary habit when my kids were little. I got so little sleep that I couldn’t remember anything so I started writing things down. Habits take a while to cement. Just keep working towards your goal of keeping notes. You may not get it this year (or even next) but your intentions will eventually work out in a way that you will be able to keep track of what you need. Good luck and thank you for visiting!
What a lovely blog! Well done. And thank you for visiting thebeautifulkingdinwarriors.wordpress.com. 🙂
Thank you! I’ve enjoyed yours as well.
My grandpa loves to garden and I think I have a bit of his green thumb. I mostly worked with growing house plants, but I am planning on starting a little herb garden on our balcony within the next month. I will have to share some pictures and let you know how the little garden project comes along! I’ll be checking your page often as you have some good advice, tricks, and recipes!
I’m glad you came by! Good luck with your adventures in Guatemala! I will look forward to your photos.
Thank you for visiting my blog. I love what yours is about. I use gardens, and plant life, as metaphors in my poems quite often. I grow sunflower microgreens in containers on my patio and hope one day to grow MUCH more. Peace. ~ Michael
I enjoy your poetry channel. Thank you for stopping by!
Hello.Yours be a most efficacious site in every sense of the word. Perhaps you may provide some insights into my own problems with my rain-forest garden – in Kuala Lumpur. My breath is bated. Kindly, Dr.E
Your best bet will be a local expert. Someone from agriculture, a nearby university or someone who has been gardening there for years. I can answer some questions, but the rules for gardening change across geographic areas. The tab that says “gardening basics” at the top of the screen on my blog is best place to start. Thank you so much for reading my post. I am glad you enjoyed it!
thanks for stopping by my blog and for the like. Gardening huh? I don’t even have one 😀
Your analysis of the evolution of humor was great! It’s okay if you don’t have a garden…yet. 😉
Thank you for stopping by and giving me a like. I don’t do much gardening, but have enjoyed looking around your site.
You’ve got some great quotes on your site! I enjoy them a lot. Thank you for stopping by!
I came to your site to thank you for your comment on my foray into the blogosphere. 🙂 Recently, I completed the Master Gardener program but I do not have a lot of experience yet. Reading your posts is like playing in the garden.
Thank you so much! I look forward to seeing more of your writing.
Thank you for stopping by my blog
I have to thank you for the post on lamb and mutton. I didn’t know my cuts before. It’s great information. Thank you for stopping by!
thanks for stopping by and the like on my recent post. I enjoyed looking through your site. Best Wishes!
You have some breathtaking photos! Thank you for coming by mine.
Thanks for dropping by my blog and giving a ‘Like’
Unfortunately I do not have green thumbs as the thing that thrives in my little potted planter is cacti 😉 but I firmly believe in gardening and have created a green thumbs and toes program for seniors as part of my social work! Keep up the gardening! 🙂
Thanks for coming by! I set up this blog to teach beginner gardening. Everyone starts out doubting their ability. I hope your program is extremely successful!
Thank you for recently visiting my blog site. I am sure some of us novice gardeners can gain new knowledge and insight from one with your expertise and skills. The best to you in your gardening. I am still working on mine. 🙂
Thank you! I love to share and hope to help spark gardening adventures! I’m glad you stopped by.
If I have trouble with my gardening projects I will come on over to your site and ask you some questions. The way my husband and I love collecting rock and driftwood (all shapes and sizes) we may have more rocks in our ‘garden’ than flowers to decorate it with. 🙂
We collect rocks from our travels too. I even have some that my grandmother collected, so it’s a family tradition. If you have questions I will try to answer them. Your county extension office will have the best answers, though. Good luck!
Thank you. Happy rock hunting. We have that in common too. I’ve been collecting rocks since I was a little kid. 🙂
Thank you for visiting my blog, and liking my Prayer 3 reflection. You might want to try Prayer 1 and Prayer 2 as well.
I am a beginning gardener, though like you my folks always had a huge garden. Back then there were 7 of us to maintain it, and my daddy was an excellent farmer/gardener, as was my mum back in the day. I’m still learning and plan to visit or follow your blog for tips soon. I’m relatively new to blogging and still learning my way around.
I think we’re all learning as we go as gardeners. One of my favorite parts of being out tending my plants, is engaging my memories from childhood. I’m glad you came by and commented.
Thanks so much for liking my recent post. I’m new to blogging so it gives me a real boost just to know that someone is reading my work! I look forward to pouring through your wonderful site for practical tips and advice. Wishing you well
You write well! I enjoyed your take on spring from your daughter’s window. Thank you for coming by!
Thanks for visiting my humble little blog. I’m adding you to my reader and look forward to reading your future posts. Happy gardening!
I loved your open letter to peat! Thank you for the chuckle! Sometimes: it’s just time to move on. 🙂
Hi – thank you for visiting my blog – I’m afraid I’m not very prolific! Love your posts – I’ll follow from now on as I’m also a very keen gardener.
Thank you for visiting! I appreciate it.
It looks like there’s plenty to learn from your blog! Gardening is one thing I aspire to do one day, so thanks for sharing your experience.
Thank you for coming by and taking a moment to comment! I appreciate it.
Thanks for liking our post on geokult-travel.com 🙂 Your blog looks fav, so we are following 🙂
Thank you for coming by! I appreciate it.
*fab!
I really enjoy reading your blog, especially since I live in Zone 3 and the only flower I’ve seen in the yard so far this “spring” is a Snowdrop. This was a huge cause for celebration!
Thank you for coming by! I’m glad you’re starting to warm up enough for some bulbs to bloom. Enjoy the spring greening!
I used to have a green thumb but have given up due to time, drought and seemingly wasted efforts. I guess I will have to live vicariously through others for a while. Someday I hope to move east and begin again. I’ll keep reading your tips for that hopeful time! Thanks for the like on my post, first ever…I guess I better start being insightful.
Everyone has to work to get a out of the brown thumb stage. It becomes more of a system integration rather than a single skill. Thank you for taking the time to comment! I appreciate it.
Awesome! Your blog explains itself: a lots of details and efforts. It is beautiful and healthy to have something therapeutic and meditative as a hobby. Probably more than a hobby for you. Thank you for this nice blog!
Thank you for the compliment! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you for looking at my post and liking it! You have an interesting and great blog 🙂
I’m glad you liked it! Keep up the good work on your cafe design.
Thank you for liking my silly paper mache blog entry. Come back to see my Borg cartoon later today. 🙂 I will be looking around your blog as well.
I’ve never attended a comicon event, but they look like a blast! I hope you blow them away with your mask.
Thank you for following my blog. I am not a gardener by any means but I do go out there about once a day to water my veggies and fruit trees, weed and give some love. I hope you enjoy my writings, they are more about the intangible things in life!
Thanks for taking the time to comment! I appreciate it. I enjoy your musings.
It was providential that you stopped by my blog. My mother, who grew up in North Georgia, and knew all the botanical names of things, passed away last week. I was telling my husband that I hadn’t listened as carefully as I wish when I was a child, and there was so much more to learn from her. He replied that I should learn about gardening in her honor, and there you were on my blog. I look forward to learning here.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I hope I can help start your gardening journey. That is a beautiful way to remember someone. Every time I’m in the garden I think of my late grandmother. In my mind I’m a little kid again, wandering around watching her pull weeds and tend her plants. I’m honored to be a part of your journey.
Thank you. I’ve already followed your links to find out what I’m dealing with as far as soil, zones, and extension offices in upstate New York.
I spent some time in my parents’ yard, remembering much as you describe, following my mother’s path from flower bed to garden.
I love it! Any advice for apartment dwellers with terrible lighting (west-facing windows), too much heat year-round and too much humidity? Even our air plants don’t want to survive here!
There’s a lot of plants that can take just about anything you throw at them. Logees.com has a list of houseplants under “indestructible”. You can get some ideas there. They are not my favorite nursery but they do carry an incredible variety of plants. You should be pretty safe with low light plants like “closet plants” (Spathiphyllum aka peace lily) Potted plants need their soil replaced or the plant needs to be repotted to a larger diameter pot annually/bi-annually to keep them healthy. Good luck!
Thank you for telling me about the need to replace soil. I have a special pine tree from my fathers funeral in a self draining & watering planter because it like consistent moisture, but not soaking. Recently it’s been looking poorly, but it is such a slow growing plant I did not want to replant to larger container, nor can I really afford it, as these double pots are quite expensive. I never knew of the need to change the medium. Thank you again
I have plants that were my grandmothers. A few are from my grandfather’s funeral. These have been in pots for up to 15 years. The soil gets depleted with watering. When the plants start to go into a decline, I know it’s time to look at the roots and the soil. Good luck!
Greetings from the European side of the Pond and thank you for liking my latest blog post. As a blogging newbie, it’s great to have a little encouragement.
Your knitting is incredible! One of these days I’m going to make time to learn to knit in earnest. I am very new at it and tend to go back to crochet when I’m frustrated!
I like your blog very much… thanks for visiting mine!
Thank you for coming by. I appreciate it!
Thank you for visiting my blog! Of course, I came to check yours out and I love your posts and information. We moved to a house last year that has lovely but neglected landscaping and your posts will be so helpful (I never knew about chill times). I look forward to learning more!
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I hope you enjoy reworking your yard!
Your delusions are brilliant! Thanks for visiting mine ~ Sea
Thank you for coming by. I appreciate the comment!
I appreciate you taking the time to visit my blog today! Blessings!
Thank you. I’m glad you could come by!
Hey, thanks for visiting and liking my blog. I really appreciated it and enjoyed visiting your lovely blog, too. Thanks again.
I loved your ruler craft! Thank you for stopping by!
Thanks for liking my review of the book “Eco-Thrifty.”
I have put the book on my “things to buy” list. I agree with you on the elitist turn that the green movement has taken. Some of the “solutions” I’ve seen are ridiculous. Thank you for coming by! I appreciate it.
I am glad that you enjoyed my post on “Gardening Salad Serveware”…thanks for stopping by my site. I love the idea of gardening and look forward to being able to spend some more time doing it. The photos on your site are so crisp and I love how they look. I enjoyed the one of the sun shining through your fence. The giant grubs…not so much. 🙂 You have a great blog with fun info.
Thank you! Uncommon goods is a great site. I’ve gotten some interesting things from there. I hope you do get some more time for gardening. I appreciate your comments!