(copy and paste from Memorial site) My dh has always loved gardening and we have always had a garden. It is very hard for him the last 2 years because he can do so little. He can see it from his recliner so that is good. I am lucky son in law likes to garden and we are keeping it going. When dh gardened he did not want anyone else in HIS garden. I could not hoe to suit him, I could not plant to suit him so we reached a unanamous agreement I would leave it along and can and freeze his harvest. Last year was the first time I could have free reighn and I really enjoyed it (until mid July). I canned tomatoes, green beans, pickles, beets and froze corn.
I think the Master Gardner courses would be fun also. My friends husband, who has early AD, is taking those courses this year and has a raised bed ready to plan his garden. My dh is self taught and "doesn't need anyone to tell him how to plant a garden". He is quite docile now except wanting to plant beans and corn in MARCH.... Your salad and tomatoes sound good......
For those able, you might want to consider having a raised bed. I mean one that can be reached when they are standing without bending over or if in wheelchair reach. I saw it on TV once they were showing a senior living center where they had gardens at various heights. The residents that loved gardening loved it. They each were given a section. If you can get them, depending on how tall - old claw foot tubs work great.
We have one here - I filled the bottom full of dead branches broken up, then dirt (this way took less to fill up and provides great drainage). We use that for the herb garden so the bunnies stay out!
If everyone saved those confounded styrofoam pellets that we all got at Christmastime, they fill the bottom of pot plants quite nicely and create a drainage area. Wonder if we had a bushel or more of them, if they could also work in the bottom of raised garden plots....Can't imagine why they wouldn't. We're only talking a few inches of them with soil on top.
That only works if they are styrofoam. If they are the edible ones (made from soy or something), they dissolve as soon as you put water on them. Last summer I bought a plant and wanted to fill the bottom with the 'peanuts' so I would use less dirt. I put them in, pour in the potting soil, planted the plant, turned on the water and they came floating up and dissolved. What a surprise!!!!
Charlotte I used the peanuts to promote drainage in my orchids and they turned to mush as soon as they got wet. When ever I break a clay pot I always save the shards for drainage. Here in Florida there are no stones in the soil like I used to find up north. Everything here is just sand.
Glad to see someone else got that surprise - they are good for the environment, but not good for potted plants! The broken clay pots are excellent - that is what I put around the drain in the claw foot tub, then the branches on top. They will take a loooooooong time to break down and give excellent drainage.
Reviving this topic to tell an amusing gardening story. We have a groundhog who lives in the bank below our lawn, who has been happily grazing on the lawn most days. But we had someone mow the lawn yesterday morning, and yesterday evening I saw the groundhog had climbed into the raised bed garden by the lawn and was eating my 6 inch tall sugar snap peas. I had to replant the sugar snap peas. But after yelling at the groundhog, I went out with my husband's urinal and poured it on the wood of the raised bed. This morning the groundhog was grazing at the far end of the lawn, so I think it worked.
I had that particular raised bed put in at the end of my husband's patio with the idea that he could pick his own tomatoes. But he never showed much interest. There is a larger raised bed in a sunny place by the road that is my main vegetable garden. It is less convenient for the groundhog, but I treated it too.
Pam it is almost like marking your territory, or should I say, your husband's territory. Hmmmm...getting ideas for nosey neighbors lol... Maybe that naughty groundhog will clear out and tell all his buddies to stay away.
Yesterday I had a new liner put in my 10,000 gallon water catchment tank. They had to drain the old water out of the bottom to get the funky old liner out. Must have been about 2000 gallons in there, and I moved the drain hose all around the yard, to plants that rarely get watered, as it is dry here and only the precious get it.
I am expecting some RAPID growth spurts all around soon!
I put in a 4 x 8 raised bed this year and am looking forward to the produce in a couple of months. I wanted Jim to feel involved in the construction so he pulled out bent nails and put the washers and nuts on the carriage bolts. He needed instructions every time on how to do it but I think he was happy to be part of the gang. I'm glad too, but it does kind of feel like I just added one more thing that has to be tended.
I'm a little obsessed with finding out what is eating my baby plants! Grrr...even in a raised bed the critters find the tenderest shoots.
I do not enjoy gardening,but my neighbor does and tells me to help myself to any thing in her garden,which is quite large since she cans and freezes almost all thei food.How lucky can I get?I do love the outdoors but would rather watch the birds.