Gardening: Perfect Pastime or Pretty Lame?

Sometimes I wonder about the questions here. What can we attack today? Let's see--wearing socks: Totally cool or totally bogus? Eating breakfast: really radical or so five minutes ago? Seriously.

I for one have enjoyed this particular line of questioning. Lol
But of course...I'm biased. \m/

and so rewarding in the end when all the plants have grown and all that empty space in your yard has been filled.

If things start to fall apart gold will be worth nothing (can't eat it) only if 1) you have enough land and 2) can grow enough food to survive will you have a chance in a world gone mad.

It'll be a head start at least.


...and it sure makes the neighborhood smell good. \m/

Keeps people busy, especially with old age. And they get rewards out of it! Sounds pretty cool to me! I hope I become a gardening Grandma! lol

GREAT "FEEL GOOD" THERAPY FOR ME!

Therapists, psychologists and physicians all agree, that gardening can be very soothing for the tightly wound, and an excellent source of relatively non invasive exercise. It is also one past time, that has the added reward of being good for you when consumed. I would add that it provides much needed "green space" in an already over built world...Just a thought...

Very relaxing.

I planted some peppers yesterday.

I'm tempted to put 'pretty lame' and mainly because I'm trying to clean up and maintain my garden right now. Taking liberal coffee breaks on Sodahead.
**Fair warning: One of the very reasons I bought this house was because it had a huge garden, apple and cherry trees, bushes and I decided I was going to get right into gardening life:
IT IS REQUIRING MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF NON-STOP WORK. Sometimes REALLY HARD WORK lol. It took me about 4 hours of sweat and backwork to get 30 potatoes. I'm scratched and tired attaining about 50 raspberries and I don't even want to talk about apples.
so yeah.. it is a great pastime and all but I'm pretty sure I wish we were retired and picked more easy things like carrots lol

a vegetable graden is the first hallmark of independence. In fact, everyone should have an apopcalypse gardne'. Even city dwellers. I have a garden - and I don't plan sharing with the lazy and unprepared. The more things you'll need, the more vulnerable you'll be. There will be a time that a head of lettuce will equal a box of bullets. Speaking of which, now is the time to buy gun and PRACTICE with it. Not when you need it.

I wouldn't say lame, but it's just not my thing. I have a black thumb. I'm an animal person, not a plant person. I'd rather run a wildlife sanctuary than a garden (which is one of my goals in life).

Actually, it sounds like a noble pursuit...Just a thought..

Just not for me though. Where I live, it's either too cold or too hot to go outside anymore. Never anything in between. :\

you're too young for such complaints... buck up buckeroo, because you're exactly the type of person I won't be sharing the results of my work with. We are headed for meltdown; the like of which, no one predict. Survival will be for the prepared, not those who will need.

Who are you and why are you trying to argue with my opinion?

Relax, and don't let the doomsayers get you down. I was actually just curious about where in California your from? (I'm a fellow Californian transplant to Utah) I noted your description of the weather, and was just wondering...Peace

Thanks. :)

Ah okay. I'm in Modesto, right in the mid-valley. Ten or so years ago, it used to be kind of nice, but it's gradually changed to serious flip-flopping weather for spring and autumn once (literally blazing clear hot one day and cloudy cold and wet the next), and the summers are usually enough to kill if one doesn't have A/C and proper hydration.

Winters are pretty OK though.

Once upon a time (when the earth was young), I used to pick vegetables and fruit in that area. Was one of many of my summer jobs. I can remember it being pretty damn hot then. Last couple of years, the weather has gooten way weird here too. Seens mother nature has a trend in mind. Anyhow, all I can say now is that I still miss California. I moved here from north San Diego County (Oceanside), and I miss the beach. I lived about a hundred yards from it Anyhow, nice talking to you...Peace

a fellow sodaheader with 3 kids of my own (the youngest about your age). I am not arguing with your opinion; everybody has one, feel free to exercise it. But since I've been your age and you've never been mine, I was doing you the favor of providing information you can use now instead of waiting for later when you will need it. The internet will be one of the first casualties of our lives ceasing as we know them. My observation is MY opinion.

That is a measure of caring for my fellow sodaheaders. Of course, if my friendly advice is too beneath you, - good luck. As I said; We are headed for a meltdown, the likes of which, no one can predict it's depths. Survival will be for the prepared, not those who will need. Some will coddle their hurt little feelings and some will stand strong... do what you wish.

... okay, well thanks for sharing your life story and legacy with me. But if we really are headed for meltdown, I'll be here enjoying my days while they last. If things really do come to doomsday - nuclear apocalypse, Mayan Prophecy, etc - I couldn't care less if I survived it. I want to LIVE and be happy, not survive and be miserable, even if that means dying young.

me thinks taitafa is a wee bit wacko following conspiracy theories???

Me thinks you might be right....

I'm not wacko, I've left our shores to parts of the world that were reminescent of hell - we in the US are generally inured against such images and therefore don't know how bad bad is. There things at person should never see that remain in conciousness for a long time - if not life.

We've been lucky - that translates into naive. Besides, a wacko person has one trait - they're the last to know of it... I've had professional psyhce evalution for my jobs and they're comfortable with me. But there is no conspiracy - it's all out in the open. There wil be unforseen events like the current economic slowdown with the record setting slow recovery.

If you need a pastime and don't have anything better to put your time to.

Love to garden!!! It soothes the soul, and refreshes it also.

Every year it's like watching the kids grow, the parallels are unreal.

While I can't say it would be my perfect pastime, it certainly isn't lame. In fact, it's quite nice to have fresh fruits and veggies whenever you like, and there is a certain satisfaction and sense of accomplishment in making a meal out of food you got from your own garden, you just wont get from the supermarket.

We love it and have really gotten into in this year so we know what one of our hobbies will be when we both retire next year!

Perfect pastime? Maybe. A particular need for survival? Definitely. That's if the person is planting vegetables. It's much better than having to buy from the grocery store.

Easy enough, even I've had some luck.....apparently the key is "green side up".

I enjoy planting and growing things.Getting dirty is an added bonus.

It's not for me, but it does look nice when someone does a decent job. If others enjoy it, that's great. I would rather spend my time doing other things though.

I guess it depends on what you like to do. Growing your own food, processing it, and having it on hand is a very satisfying thing. Also, harvesting your seeds to share with others and to use for growing the next year, is a great way to be self-reliant.

Fresh vegetables at the end of the summer - tomatoes that aren't as hard as baseballs, onions, rotten tomatoes that you can throw at your rival, beans and habanero peppers you can deviously use in that casserole you're taking to the family reunion.

with all the junk that is being put in our foods today having a garden not only saves a little on the grocery bill put you know that you grew it and it's safe to eat.

....isn't quite what I think of gardening but pretty lame isn't a rational description. I've grown my own vegetables in the past. Once had a large garden with 2 friends. This was hard work in the beginning and time consuming throughout since we went organic. But the vegetables were as good as they get. Nothing compares to eating something fresh off the plant or tree. Never got into landscape gardening but know several people who do for aesthetic pleasure and relaxation. Don't garden now in suburbia since 2 old growth oak trees shade nearly the entire back yard. And really, I'm not into gardening.