Handing over the reins
By mngrrrrl
10 comments
The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. As knees and hips and balance start to feel like my annuals look about now, it’s time to think about how this gardening thing continues as I get older.
I’ve been hiring folks to help me with the garden for years, first for heavy work. Then, as the knees went first, for weeding. After falling over in the garden one too many times, I bought help with planting. This year, I turned over everything but the planning and the paying.
The results have been mixed. A friend owned a landscaping business, and with his approval I hired some of his employees to work in their off hours. That worked great until they moved on. Then I hired off of Craig’s List — got One. Weird. Dude.
This year, I totally lucked out. Found a lovely woman through an online referral. She had recently moved from a house to a town home and missed working in the garden. This year, she got some cash and I got the most well-tended garden ever. No weeds; the garden was fertilized on time; the Japanese beetles were picked off by hand; the shrubs were pruned. I can only hope she’s still willing and able to help next year.
Me? I tended my pots. This year I experimented with bulbs in pots – spring bulbs, summer bulbs, lilies, crocosmia, callas, you name it. I was underwhelmed. Next year, I think I’ll try grasses in the pots and see how that goes. But at least my garden looked great!
8 Oct, 2016
7 likes
Comments
Your garden looks beautiful. You are so lucky at finding her and i hope for you that she is happy to do it next year.Good luck with all your pots.
8 Oct, 2016
I too hope that lady is available for you next year, you hear of so many cowboys around that often do not really know the first thing about gardening, it must have been such a relief for you to leave the hard work in capable hands so you were free to tend to the pots, the photo of your garden is lovely...
9 Oct, 2016
Your garden is beautiful. You have found a very good gardener . Keep enjoying your garden and I hope your pots will be good next year.
Marjorie
9 Oct, 2016
Your garden is lovely, good luck with your pots next year, I am going to try some grasses also in pots.
9 Oct, 2016
It must be great relief to you to find someone who will care for your garden so well, and it certainly looks good right now. I think several of us worry about what will happen to our plantings when we can no longer care for them - glad you have solved your problem anyway!
9 Oct, 2016
Difficult to get someone to do your garden how you like. I did my customers' gardens for nearly twelve years and it was a wrench for me and them but I helped them find a lady gardener who could take over their gardens and most are satisfied with her which is good.
I have just planted up a lot of grasses in pots for the winter.Some moved from my borders which were a little crowded and some self seedlings in the borders. They usually do well, especially in the autumn spring and winter when they don't dry out too much.
I also have a Canna in a pot since I brought it with me when I moved two years ago but it hasn't flowered and hasn't even brown much this year but, my oriental and Asiatic Lillies seem to like life in pots.
9 Oct, 2016
A most interesting blog. Years ago when I wanted to work part time as a lady gardener all the old ladies said
" No thanks. I want a man."
Still wonder what they really wanted !
10 Oct, 2016
I'm glad you found someone to help you. It can be distressing when we can't do the garden for any reason.
10 Oct, 2016
It will always be there.
10 Oct, 2016
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This is the kind of story I like to hear. Great stuff.
8 Oct, 2016