Essentially since I moved out of my parents’ home to go to university I’ve been wanting a garden of my own. At one apartment I was able to dabble a little in a small raised bed that ran the length of the sidewalk leading to the side door, our apartment’s private entrance, but aside from that I’ve never really had the outdoor space available to me to do any gardening. In Toronto, I didn’t even have a balcony where I could set some pots. Ten years I’ve been itching to plant a garden, and with our move to the country, I expected I would finally have a chance.
Unfortunately, the landlord listing the house has thrown a wrench in our plans, and I haven’t wanted to commit to planting anything just to have the house sell a few weeks later. I would be too attached to my plants to leave anything behind, but I wouldn’t want for the plants to get settled only to have me dig them up again.
To get around this, virtually everything is in pots. Aside from half a dozen plants that I brought back from my parents’ old house in Halton, which went into the ground, everything else has been placed in plastic pots of various sizes. When I actually sat down and counted them this afternoon, I was astounded to discover I have 45 pots sitting in my “garden”. Plus another dozen that are in the ground. Where did I get all these plants?
This should reveal a little about me: I’m a hopeless plant addict. I also have 20 potted plants indoors, about as far as I’ve wanted to try pushing Dan’s tolerance (he also has a couple of indoor plants, but emphasis on couple). There’s just something extremely satisfying about caring for a plant and watching it flourish and bloom under your care. And then, there’s also just something about a plant.
Although I’m up well over 60 plants in my outdoor garden, despite the fact that I’ve been trying to keep things small with the expectation of moving this summer, I just can’t help myself. There are dozens more that I left on the nursery’s shelves in an effort to exercise some “restraint”. But you can be sure that they’ll find a spot in the garden once we’re settled in at our next house…
Nice photos. I hope you get your garden soon :-)
What, you have to prepare to pull up stakes already? Darn.
I feel for you! I too have an innate love of gardening and after venturing out on my own had to wait years to be able to have some land to work. Gone now are the days of the townhouse being surrounded by brick and nothing but a concrete patio (not even grass!).
I had to work my way up as my wife begrudgingly gave ground to the garden but now I have 3 vegetable/fruit gardens on our property, besides flower gardens. This year I started a community garden initiative in the closest town nearby, the plot there makes 4.
I think everyone should have a “kitchen” garden to grow fresh vegetables/herbs. Out here people have so much space, land, etc. and many can’t be bothered. Then there are people like us who yearned to be able to nurture our own plants/soil.
I am considering partnering with a local organic farmer up the road to create a CSA next year.
The only thing holding me back now is time and energy!
i’m getting into propagating and collecting seed so i can feed my addiction more cheaply!
As far as I’m concerned that’s the only way to garden!