tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post8905865539673802101..comments2024-03-28T18:40:05.789-04:00Comments on Writers Who Kill: Garden GriefJim Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090252530437277145noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-70914737993462274492017-08-07T22:16:43.722-04:002017-08-07T22:16:43.722-04:00Kait, we'll build new memories with our contai...Kait, we'll build new memories with our container garden, I'm sure. I hope you get to see your peonies soon.Linda Rodriguezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11913741596693442469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-17218612590311796002017-08-07T20:07:54.919-04:002017-08-07T20:07:54.919-04:00Oh, Linda, what lovely gardens! It will be hard to...Oh, Linda, what lovely gardens! It will be hard to leave them, and harder still to see them go. I am sorry that the new owners won't cherish them as you do. I am glad to read that you will be preserving some parts of the plants. They will always be sweet reminders. <br /><br />My peonies still live in on Maine, I miss them, and can't wait to get back to see them. One more year! Kaithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07758348842858993203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-29340337694876621482017-08-07T17:29:38.073-04:002017-08-07T17:29:38.073-04:00Julie, I'm taking some of my mother's iris...Julie, I'm taking some of my mother's irises and my gran's ditch lilies, but most of the sentimental value plants are much too large. *sigh* Linda Rodriguezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11913741596693442469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-88130858304945657462017-08-07T17:24:58.143-04:002017-08-07T17:24:58.143-04:00Judith, I may well turn to you for advice. Also, I...Judith, I may well turn to you for advice. Also, I do intend in a couple of weeks to take you up on your generous offer to help me pack and move. So you'll be hearing from me. (Run and hide if you're smart.)Linda Rodriguezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11913741596693442469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-3044873022425744952017-08-07T17:21:00.705-04:002017-08-07T17:21:00.705-04:00That's okay, Elaine. I'll tell him and he&...That's okay, Elaine. I'll tell him and he'll get a big kick out of it. :-)Linda Rodriguezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11913741596693442469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-19120964457434817402017-08-07T17:19:07.102-04:002017-08-07T17:19:07.102-04:00Susan, yes, three kinds of milkweed, front and bac...Susan, yes, three kinds of milkweed, front and back. Our city is not garden-friendly. I have a neighbor who's convinced that, if I don't have just grass, precision cut, that I'm lowering her property values, and unfortunately, our city codes are written so that, if a neighbor complains about any plant over 10 inches but less than 5 feet, it's declared a noxious weed. EVEN ROSES. I've had to go to housing court twice to defend my gardens so the city wouldn't come out and clear-cut my yard and charge me for it. It's cost me several hundred dollars in court costs and fines to keep my gardens. My son and his friend are making a decision that's best for a rental property. We're going to take some of the plants with us in pots, but lamentably few.Linda Rodriguezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11913741596693442469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-75180312885046275002017-08-07T17:10:05.494-04:002017-08-07T17:10:05.494-04:00Shari, that's what I'm doing with some of ...Shari, that's what I'm doing with some of my big houseplants--a notice on KC Freecycle for free plants. I have a big indoor garden, too, and the new house is much smaller. Thanks for the tip on David Austin roses. I'll look for them.<br /><br />Linda Rodriguezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11913741596693442469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-85394366511636020132017-08-07T16:42:12.046-04:002017-08-07T16:42:12.046-04:00When we moved to our current house after 18 years ...When we moved to our current house after 18 years in the old one, I left a ton of plants of sentimental value - my grandmother's irises, the peonies my husband gave me for our 10th wedding anniversary, the tree we planted when our son was born, the weeping willow my brother gave us as a housewarming present. The folks who live there now have kept almost everything. The family invited my husband to their son's high school graduation party a couple years ago (the son was one of my husband's students), so I went along and visited all of my plants. I got a little teary-eyed, but the gardens look better now than ever. And we're planting new memories at our new home.Julie Tollefsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01579825918764925361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-70263619231461811252017-08-07T15:37:38.379-04:002017-08-07T15:37:38.379-04:00I have been a potager for a long time. For the fir...I have been a potager for a long time. For the first 20 years of my adult life, I moved every 2 1/2 years. For the next 20, I kept thinking I would, but didn't. Pots are great. Take photos of your old plants and revisit them without guilt or work.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16347541509600493732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-30257557803212182142017-08-07T13:09:41.692-04:002017-08-07T13:09:41.692-04:00Oops! Sorry to your son, Linda. I guess for a rent...Oops! Sorry to your son, Linda. I guess for a rental extensive gardens would be a detraction. Knowing how houses are framed--I had worse suggestions, but I will keep my mayhem to fiction.E. B. Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16746747050278597888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-33397208293503506772017-08-07T13:00:39.250-04:002017-08-07T13:00:39.250-04:00Hi Linda,
Leaving a thriving garden is one kind o...Hi Linda,<br /><br />Leaving a thriving garden is one kind of sorrow, but knowing some idiot is going to destroy a working habitat for so many other species for a water-guzzling, useless lawn is a tragedy. I think I saw milkweed on your list - I can't get it to take here in my CA garden, but kudos to you for that.Susan C Sheahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18225627756540127032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-27300792770619898332017-08-07T12:25:54.630-04:002017-08-07T12:25:54.630-04:00Hi Linda,
The last house I had to leave had only a...Hi Linda,<br />The last house I had to leave had only a walled patio, so I did container gardens and loved it. The only things that ever survived my black thumb were some fabulous David Austin roses that I was sad to leave behind. (My old neighbors tell me that the roses are still thriving). They are pricey but boy are they tough. Maybe you could put a Free Plants notice on craigslist? might also drum up business for your son's rental.<br /><br />And Elaine - I'd worry about you but I'm too busy laughing!Shari Randallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16425493627354028820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-44350970490022754752017-08-07T12:11:16.796-04:002017-08-07T12:11:16.796-04:00Mary, I'm not a member of a garden club. I was...Mary, I'm not a member of a garden club. I was always too busy to join one. We are planning on taking some of our favorite memory-laden plants with us in big pots. I've told neighbors on the street they'll be welcome to dig up whatever they want, but no one's interested. Linda Rodriguezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11913741596693442469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-3989412192815499202017-08-07T12:04:32.566-04:002017-08-07T12:04:32.566-04:00Gloria, those goldenrod aren't weeds. They'...Gloria, those goldenrod aren't weeds. They're native perennials and provide food and egg-laying environment for many butterflies. So just welcome them in. Large gardens can become too much to handle as we get older and develop mobility issues. I think the pot gardens will be lovely and allow us to keep gardening right up to the end.Linda Rodriguezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11913741596693442469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-7001536011325983372017-08-07T11:59:00.343-04:002017-08-07T11:59:00.343-04:00Warren, This house is about the size of a nice con...Warren, This house is about the size of a nice condo, but standing alone with its own tiny yard. I think we'll be happy there with the pots of plants.Linda Rodriguezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11913741596693442469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-82059908763621363452017-08-07T11:56:43.845-04:002017-08-07T11:56:43.845-04:00Margaret, I know what a gardener you are, so knew ...Margaret, I know what a gardener you are, so knew you would understand. Thanks for the tip on Drift roses. I'll look for them.Linda Rodriguezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11913741596693442469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-22800908256354974182017-08-07T11:52:03.353-04:002017-08-07T11:52:03.353-04:00Elaine, LOL. I wouldn't do any of that to thes...Elaine, LOL. I wouldn't do any of that to these guys. They're my oldest son and his childhood friend, who have set up a company to buy property, renovate it, and rent it. They are giving us a good deal and doing us a favor, but as a rental property in a city where I've literally had to fight in court to keep my gardens, it's simply smart business to clear-cut and put in grass.Linda Rodriguezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11913741596693442469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-90920997928404071492017-08-07T11:47:54.679-04:002017-08-07T11:47:54.679-04:00I moved a few pet plants from my mom's house t...I moved a few pet plants from my mom's house to the condo to this house, but nothing extensive, and I was sad that my sister got rid of some of my mom's favorites when she inherited the family home (are youngest siblings less sentimental? Might be study there for someone). The new owner took even more out (and painted the cabinets white, covering the carefully matched wood grain, but that's another story). Are there garden club members who might want some of the plants you aren't taking? It would be fun to visit your plants' descendants in new gardens. When the Y took out all their irises and day lilies, my friends filled my trunk with some of them, and my neighbor and I gave them a chance in new ground, saved from the ending up in the dumpster. Some made it. ;-)Storyteller Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03807705866873141004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-79986659453285644012017-08-07T11:44:25.073-04:002017-08-07T11:44:25.073-04:00Jim, I grew up moving constantly--my dad was caree...Jim, I grew up moving constantly--my dad was career Navy--so I wanted my kids to have a stable, rooted childhood. And then it was just easier to stay put, even as things got harder to deal with. I have no regrets about the decision to leave this house and know we'll be happier in the new one. But the gardens...Linda Rodriguezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11913741596693442469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-69084342568810004342017-08-07T11:41:22.184-04:002017-08-07T11:41:22.184-04:00KM, I will be able to do that, and I hope thy won&...KM, I will be able to do that, and I hope thy won't cut down the crape myrtle, Rose of Sharon, species rose, and butterfly bush, which all are very large and long-established. One can hope.Linda Rodriguezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11913741596693442469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-58426765352030584542017-08-07T10:59:46.669-04:002017-08-07T10:59:46.669-04:00When I left my last home, it didn't have as ma...When I left my last home, it didn't have as many gardens because my then husband mowed almost everything, so it wasn't until I bought my old farm house with plenty of acres that I was able to start putting in gardens everywhere I wanted them. My son who lives next door and mows behind my barn with a riding lawn mower wants me to get rid of some of the gardens so he can mow there, too. It's not going to happen. Unfortunately, because of lots of rain as well as being sick in June, weeds have moved into every garden. Since people who come to visit are still impressed with the beauty of my back yard with trees and gardens blooming and everything so green, I have decided to not worry about it and consider it's all nature's garden, weeds and all. I have hundreds of daylilies and they still bloom even surrounded by goldenrod and other weeds. I've lived here 27 years now, and I have no intention of ever leaving here and leaving the trees, rhododendrons, azaleas, the row of rose of Sharon blooming now, the rose gardens, hundreds of hostas in the shadier areas. And then there's my blueberry patch, and too many perennials to even mention. Gloria Aldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13581719606924364447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-6404373889598242332017-08-07T10:44:07.360-04:002017-08-07T10:44:07.360-04:00Judy and I have plants in pots in our condo. It...Judy and I have plants in pots in our condo. It's quite nice.Warren Bullhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07789270258599769915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-19890858458839513182017-08-07T09:25:03.388-04:002017-08-07T09:25:03.388-04:00Lovely gardens! The same thing happened to me: the...Lovely gardens! The same thing happened to me: the new owners ripped up my glorious perennial bed and threw hundreds of dollars of daylilies, daisies, brown-eyed susans, asters and daffodil bulbs in the street. A neighbor called to tell me. I told her to round up the garden club and "rescue" the plants.<br /><br />When we moved from Atlanta to Cincinnati, I filled boxes with coneflowers and stokesia, and even some Vermont wood violets a friend gave me. All are thriving.<br /><br />In northern Ohio, I could grow rhododendrons and lilacs. In Atlanta, I couldn't, but discovered sasanqua camellias. In Cincinnati's yellow clay soil, hydrangeas thrive (with acid soil amendments)as do knockout roses. <br /><br />I miss my gardens and Atlanta pine and dogwood woods more than the houses. But every move brings new challenges and delights.<br /><br />"Drift" roses are a smaller version of knockouts, and suitable for pots.Margaret S. Hamiltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07979191318652199350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-72113805456511341902017-08-07T08:39:50.197-04:002017-08-07T08:39:50.197-04:00Okay--I'll kill the joy. I left my garden, dan...Okay--I'll kill the joy. I left my garden, dancing! The soil in Northern VA was carted off by the developers and sold to the highest bidder. I had to recondition whatever was left (mostly red clay fit to throw on a wheel). It produced little bounty. <br /><br />Your gardens are lovely, Linda (chocolate mint!?), and I hope your pot garden at the new place works out. I tried that before (tomatoes) and they never grew as well--all except the dang cactus, which I hated. I somehow forgot to get it into the house before a frost one year prior to moving. It was dangerous and too large to move. <br /><br />Yep, I murdered the prickly thing. Now you know my worst--but total mass murder of an entire garden your buyers are planning--I'd make them pay for that. Make them pay for their own home warranty, dump some horse apples on your garden before you leave, line your foundation with dried animal urine (available at garden centers) to attract skunks to your property, start a not so good compost heap in the backyard, making sure everything has anaerobic stench. E. B. Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16746747050278597888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-8780677197688348682017-08-07T07:04:07.441-04:002017-08-07T07:04:07.441-04:00The longest I have lived in any one place is my cu...The longest I have lived in any one place is my current abode, which we built 12 years ago, so I have no idea what it feels like to leave a residence of 42 years. As much as I know it is important to let go of places I once owned -- I'm still drawn like a moth to flame whenever I happen to visit an area to see what the current owners have done. Fortunately, it's just curiosity now; I have no psychological investment in whatever changes they've made.<br /><br />~ JimJim Jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15090252530437277145noreply@blogger.com