How much do you use your garden?

[Danauk]

It's late at night here in England and I am sitting out in my garden after a beautiful hot day (swinging on my swing seat with my lanterns lit loving my wireless internet connection!). I have spent most of the day outside or in my garden room. I have lived here for 7 years, sonce our house was built and have noticed that my neighbours do not seem to use their gardens much (excpet to hang the washing out.) I am out in my garden most days and nights (in the summer.) We have spent a lot of time on the garden so we can enjoy it both at day and night and it is finally at the stage where we feel it is finished. DH and I work a lot so our garden is small, simple and easy to maintain (simple planting, cobbled beds so we don't have to weed much, a water feature and a pond with fish and frogs and a waterfall going into it and a swing seat at the back with vines growing over it and a brick BBQ. DH has installed subtle low voltage garden lighting for night time and I have put in a few lanterns here and there.) To me my garden is another room in my house.
So how much time do you spend in your gardens? Do your neighbours seem to use their gardens as much as you do?

 

[bobbiwoz]

Your garden sounds lovely!

I love to read by my pond. I feed birds and often get distracted from my book to watch fish or birds. I do not sit in the garden every day, once or twice a week, perhaps. However, I have some feeders by windows, like the computer window right here, and I often see birds and look out at the flowers from inside as well.

I only have one immediate neighbor and she likes to read outside but in her driveway where she can see her lovely plantings in the front of her house. She's out there more often than I am.

Bobbi

 

[nocnurse]

Oh every day! I haven't figured out how to relax in it though. Every time I sit down I spot something that needs to be done, so up I get. There just seems to be a never ending stream of projects and WEEDS! Maybe the yard is too big, maybe summer is too short, maybe cloning isn't such a bad idea after all!

 

[grinningghost]

Oh every day! I haven't figured out how to relax in it though. Every time I sit down I spot something that needs to be done, so up I get. There just seems to be a never ending stream of projects and WEEDS! Maybe the yard is too big, maybe summer is too short, maybe cloning isn't such a bad idea after all!

We are exactly the same! I sit down on my deck, ready to relax, and then I look up and see a weed, or a piece of paper that flew into the yard - and I get up - and that's it. The next thing I know, I'm going into the house to get a bag to put ALL the weeds into.

 

[sorcerormickey]

We really don't 'use' our garden much yet. Right now it is still mostly a blank canvas that I am working on. Currently, I am planting a shrub border/fence and we are planning on doing a large pond either this winter or next. Lots of work still to be done. We do sit out on the lanai, which is surrounded by flowers and a small pond.

Our neighbors on one side have a wooden fence up, but all that is in their yard are 2 trees - their kids are usually playing out there. The other neighbors (no fence) have a blank backyard as well - only 2 trees - very sad to me.

All I have so far in my backyard are 9 palm trees, 3 hibiscus, 3 crape myrtles, 2 (soon to be 4) brugmansias, and lots of perennials. Still need to add a few more shrubs, trees, and of course the pond! (I'm tired just thinking about it!)

 

[rockyroad]

We moved into our house 20 years ago and it was five acres of former cotton field that was plowed plant grass seed. There was not one tree and the birds had no where to even stop. They just passed over. I now have many trees and lovely shade. And oh yeah, many birds.

But it seems kind of senseless somehow. I work like the dickens out there in the spring as there is always more to be done than can be done, but the mosquitos make it almost impossible to enjoy the yard.

 

[chessie]

I have my coffee on my deck amongst my beautiful planted containers and bubbling fountain almost every morning. I sit there off and on till the sun covers it, then it is pretty much off limits because of the heat. Once the sun has started to set, it is again a wonderful pleasure to dine or sit and listen to the birds and watch the occasional wild life.

I have my work space in my studio situated so that I can see my butterfly garden through the window without moving. What wonderful inspiration. I also have a bench outside facing the butterfly garden but I don't sit there very long or often. The birds seem to make a mess of it.

 

[mommytotwo]

I go into my garden everyday. Right now since we have green beans growing, we pick them every morning and in the afternoon. I had also planted a variety of different flowers from cosmos, wildflowers, and poppy. Then I had seedlings that will go into the garden when they are ready. Since I came home from our vacation, I have been spending extra time in the garden weeding it.

 

[DebºoºS]

Nocurse said"Oh every day! I haven't figured out how to relax in it though. Every time I sit down I spot something that needs to be done, so up I get. There just seems to be a never ending stream of projects and WEEDS! Maybe the yard is too big, maybe summer is too short, maybe cloning isn't such a bad idea after all!

Dittos on that! I'm outside every chance I get & sometimes that includes relaxing even if it is with a coffee cup in hand planting my thoughts.