What kind of gardener are you?

[ChanellG]

...I don't like planting flowers because I always end up killing them. I don't know why. So, my mother has taken the helm, and decided to plant flowers herself. She is amazing in that department!

Vegetables are a lot harder to grow than flowers! Maybe you're just overdoing it because of what it takes to get your other plants to where they need to be. I've lost a few houseplants to overwatering. Mabe you should ask your mother her secret.

 

[ChanellG]

Hi ChanellG,
I am also an experimental gardener... We also try to maximize use of our land ...to keeping chickens and bees too.

Wow, that sounds more like farming. Your post reads a bit like spam or self-promotion though, particularly with that link in it. I like the idea of maximizing growing space. I'm looking into vertical options now.

 

[JessiFox]

Well I'm too much of a newbie to really classify myself at this point but I'd love to be an avid grower...in particular I want to grow things that I can eat/use in cooking, though I'm not oppose to pretty flowering plants by any means. I'd also like to just be more knowledgeable in general, even if I don't plant everything that I'm knowledgeable about.

 

[spikerfreelancer]

I mostly deal with hydroponics throughout my house, I have herbs in the kitchen, lettuces on the porch, and tomatoes, peppers, and beans in the living room. I love it because I always, and I mean always have fresh vegetables.

 

[megankl]

Me and my husband I think definitely fall into the gardening geek category! Us too, we freak out at the sight of any new leafs, flowers, produce. It is awesome. We love to grow as much as our balcony can hold and have been satisfied with our harvest every year! I don't think there will ever be a summer that we don't garden, it is like feeding our soul!

 

[kammy]

I have being planting flowers and veggies from a tender age; i think that a lot to do with me being a loner and just enjoys my own company but i think the greatest joy i get from gardening is just seeing the seeds that have planted flowering and producing food that i can consume...it's just a great satisfaction for me...even if i don't get it right at times...i always considered myself to be a gardener.

 

[Primalclaws1974]

Although I understand "plant/flower" people can be in better spirits around plants, I don't see much of a need for caring for a plant unless there will be a yield at the end of the cycle. There is nothing like being rewarded with fresh, delicious produce at the end of your labors. I try to harvest seeds so that I don't have to be modified seeds in the store next year. I actually feel a little bad when I kill the plant or it dies on its own at the end of harvest.

 

[Cereus]

I enjoy planting flowers since I love different fragrances and the prettiness of blooming flowers. A nice bouquet brightens up my day and the sweet smell of different flowers such as rose/lavender is rather soothing. I do want to give growing veggies a go and do some experimentation, but that's not for a while.

 

[kevinkimers]

We intend to pretty much create a micro farm on our land (what else are we going to do with 40 acres). We want to grow at least 85% of what we eat and also have it for our chickens we intend to raise (if my boyfriend gets his way we will have goats to... YUCK!). So I guess you would call us "crazy" gardeners. LOL We will also have flower gardens as well because most flowers make great herbal teas and medicines.

 

[Primalclaws1974]

We intend to pretty much create a micro farm on our land (what else are we going to do with 40 acres). We want to grow at least 85% of what we eat and also have it for our chickens we intend to raise (if my boyfriend gets his way we will have goats to... YUCK!). So I guess you would call us "crazy" gardeners. LOL We will also have flower gardens as well because most flowers make great herbal teas and medicines.

May I ask why you want to grow 85% of your food? I attempted to raise chickens and vegetables a while back, but it really didn't save me money. If anything, the chicken feed was more expensive than the eggs and meat I got. As for the vegetables, they were nice to have, but for the amount of work I put into it, it wasn't worth saving a little bit of money. Most vegetables aren't expensive. My garden wasn't huge, and it was time consuming. I cannot imagine trying to plant on a large farm.

 

[claudine]

I'd love to be able to grow 85% of my food too, even if I couldn't save any money this way. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I believe that store-bought fruits and vegetables aren't healthy at all. Who knows what chemicals they were treated with

 

[kevinkimers]

May I ask why you want to grow 85% of your food? I attempted to raise chickens and vegetables a while back, but it really didn't save me money. If anything, the chicken feed was more expensive than the eggs and meat I got. As for the vegetables, they were nice to have, but for the amount of work I put into it, it wasn't worth saving a little bit of money. Most vegetables aren't expensive. My garden wasn't huge, and it was time consuming. I cannot imagine trying to plant on a large farm.

LOL a lot of people think we are crazy but we live 46 miles from the nearest town. Shopping is not to easy. Also, we just like the idea. We are tired of all the crap people are putting into the foods and vegetables may not be expensive, but fruits and meat are. Why buy what we can produce ourselves. Not to mention.... we want to see what we can do. Besides, we have 40 acres of land.... what else could we do with it.

 

[ChanellG]

LOL a lot of people think we are crazy but we live 46 miles from the nearest town. Shopping is not to easy. Also, we just like the idea. We are tired of all the crap people are putting into the foods and vegetables may not be expensive, but fruits and meat are. Why buy what we can produce ourselves. Not to mention.... we want to see what we can do. Besides, we have 40 acres of land.... what else could we do with it.

Good for you! Whether you successfully grow 85% of your food or 8% of it, it's your right to do so. I believe with careful planning and strategically chosen crops that are suitable for your climate you can do it. You can also trade with others in your area who are growing and producing their own.

Are you familiar with square foot gardening? Are you planning to grow vertically? Do you plan on canning and freezing what you produce? Have you thought about high-yield plants? How harsh are your winters? How hot are your summers? Will you build a greenhouse?

 

[ChanellG]

I'd love to be able to grow 85% of my food too, even if I couldn't save any money this way. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I believe that store-bought fruits and vegetables aren't healthy at all. Who knows what chemicals they were treated with

Not just the fruits and vegetables, @claudine! You have to watch out for the hormones and antibiotics in the the meat, poultry, and even the farm raised fish. It's a little frightening to think about, even before you get into GMOs. You have good reason to be paranoid.

Even when you grow your own at home, you still have to be concerned about what chemicals and pesticides your neighbors are using that could drift into your garden or get into the water table. So many people really just don't care.

 

[ChanellG]

We intend to pretty much create a micro farm on our land (what else are we going to do with 40 acres). We want to grow at least 85% of what we eat and also have it for our chickens we intend to raise (if my boyfriend gets his way we will have goats to... YUCK!). So I guess you would call us "crazy" gardeners. LOL We will also have flower gardens as well because most flowers make great herbal teas and medicines.

I keep thinking about chickens (bees too!). Even though I don't really eat chicken, and I'm not crazy about eggs, it would be good to have the eggs for some dishes and know they are not Frankenfood. Chickens are also good at patrolling the garden for unwanted pests that go after your plants, but then you have to worry about snakes and larger chicken predators. Of course, the issues all depend on where you live.