The Orchid Garden

You know you're obsessive when…..

Question:

Speaking of obsessive — I bought a house with a large garden (about 1/8 acre) about 14 years ago. I now have a 20 acre farm, 4 rented acres of cropland, 4 tractors. Last year we traded the car in on a delivery van. (Of course I have a pickup truck also).

Response:

Sure fire cure for obsessive gardening: Go commercial. If you have to do it you won’t want to.

I’m afraid not. (My seeds are here! My seeds are here!)

Response:

I can not match anyone’s list; I have only had plants a few years, I have very litle space, I don’t have much knowledge about this, and I don’t have much extra money.  BUT.  I am currently playing housewife, and, yesterday, seeing all the pretty primroses, ramunculous, etc. for sale, I found myself thinking, "I have GOT to go back to work, so I can buy plants."

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…you take your colleagues out for lunch in the Ford Explorer and you hear comments like "it smells like s__t in here". Chad

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..I’m no longer ALLOWED to drive the family car since my secret hauling of rocks has sent it (twice!) to have shocks replaced. I now use an old Toyota liftback that can only hold so many rocks, and just so much manure (my husband describes it as ‘beshitted’)…and strangely enough, no one else EVER asks to borrow it.

That’s why my boyfriend got a truck.  My car was in the shop for shocks and struts.  All from gravel, potting soil, top soil, whisky barrels, etc….. Lynn Thomson, San Antonio, Zone 8

Response:

I can not match anyone’s list; I have only had plants a few years, I have very litle space, I don’t have much knowledge about this, and I don’t have much extra money.  BUT.  I am currently playing housewife, and, yesterday, seeing all the pretty primroses, ramunculous, etc. for sale, I found myself thinking, "I have GOT to go back to work, so I can buy plants."

Attagirl!

Response:

You must have either a boyfriend with a tiny thirst, or enormous amounts of seed.:) Sam McGredy OBN, 1A 75 Owens Rd., Epsom, Auckland 3. New Zealand. Fax 64 9 630-5761. Ph 64 9 630-3046

Response:

Somehow I can’t believe that making your boyfriend buy a pickup truck was a great sacrifice for him. Don’t all men want a pickup truck? You just gave him an overwhelming excuse. How about a tractor next?

Not till we get more land, and the classic VW out of the garage! Lynn Thomson, San Antonio, Zone 8

Response:

OK – here are a few more — 1.  You inspect your roses microscopically on a daily basis (sometimes several times a day!) to see how the new growth is developing.  Your eyes strain to find basal breaks where there are none, and your heart jumps for joy when you actually see one.  You inspect each cane meticulously to see where the new growth is developing. You never grow tired of this excercise.  In fact, when the foliage has completely developed and the blooms are going strong, you are still examining your roses every morning and evening during the week when you work, and numerous times on the weekend. 2.  You buy roses and assorted tools and fertilizers rather than make bigger payments on your credit cards. 3.  You read catalogs like they were books, and books like they were bibles. 4.  You can’t wait to get home so that you can check out rec.gardens.roses!  Thanks one and all for adding such spice and information to the rose growing experience.

Response:

                                           things, and

       and described the car that nobody borrows, so I thought I’d add:  some more obsessive rock things, and Each spring, before the new roses arrive, I head up the arroyos a few times in either Blue (my trusty 75 XLT), or my 74 Olds Ninety-Eight (the green Queen Mary), depending on which one’s behind in the driveway, and very carefully select the rocks that will surround the new roses, and hold down the 2 x 4 welded wire that I put over each of them to keep Callie Whitedog from getting the wrong ideas about places to dig.  Three rocks per rose.  I’m generally really particular about the rocks I pick up– have a California rock, a New Mexico rock, a Texas rock (though this one has part of New Mexico attached–it figures), and every other shape and color of rock.  Fascinating things, rocks. Hold in the moisture, good heat in winter, and also provide little havens for other neat stuff to germinate.  The 8 x ~90 perennial bed (with a few roses) is almost entirely covered in rocks. One more thing, rocks’re great for helping to identify roses whose pictures you have taken, and haven’t but the foggiest of ideas what they are (done this at night many times–this only works if you don’t move the rocks).  One last thing:  duck, if anybody starts throwing rocks. Imemydonchaknow

Response:

Now this is my kind of Texan.  I’m tired of the snipping and bad mouthing I’ve been hearing coming out of this great State….yea:) PatPaschal

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Cathey asked why I think I’m a obsessive gardener. 1. When you get a job at a nursery to pay for your habit. 2. You spend all your earnings on plants. 3. You won’t sell plants to customers until you have them in your yard first. 4. The only thing you read is gardening books. 5. A vacation with the family is touring gardens. 6. My husband made me a garden sign for my birthday with " Shannon’s Obsession" in bold letters for everyone to see. 7. When you are running out of lawn to dig up for new plants. 8. When you don’t know which garden news group you should read first.  Is it roses, ponds, greenhouse, perenials, orchids….. 9. When the only clothes you wear have a garden theme one it. 10. My husband says this is the short list.  I don’t see that I have a problem. I’m sure their are others out there like me.8-)  On second thought, maybe I should check myself into a gardeners support group!!!!!!! Shannon the Obsessive Gardener Zone 4 Idaho " … Know the enduring happiness that the love of a garden gives." – G. Jekyll

Response:

On second thought, maybe I should check myself into a gardeners support group!!!!!!! Shannon the Obsessive Gardener Zone 4 Idaho

Nah!  You just have to move to a warmer zone and then garden all year round!  The farther south I move, the farther south I want to go… Further and further till we finally reach our destination, Hawaii! Now, THAT is living! Victoria*

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Cathey asked why I think I’m a obsessive gardener. 1. When you get a job at a nursery to pay for your habit. 2. You spend all your earnings on plants. 3. You won’t sell plants to customers until you have them in your yard first. 4. The only thing you read is gardening books. 5. A vacation with the family is touring gardens. 6. My husband made me a garden sign for my birthday with " Shannon’s Obsession" in bold letters for everyone to see. 7. When you are running out of lawn to dig up for new plants. 8. When you don’t know which garden news group you should read first.  Is it roses, ponds, greenhouse, perenials, orchids….. 9. When the only clothes you wear have a garden theme one it. 10. My husband says this is the short list. I don’t see that I have a problem. I’m sure their are others out there like me.8-) On second thought, maybe I should check myself into a gardeners support group!!!!!!! Shannon the Obsessive Gardener Zone 4 Idaho

But Shannon, this is the support group….and don’t touch that dial, there’s nothing wrong with your television….

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Cathey asked why I think I’m a obsessive gardener. 1. When you get a job at a nursery to pay for your habit. 2. You spend all your earnings on plants. 3. You won’t sell plants to customers until you have them in your yard first. 4. The only thing you read is gardening books. 5. A vacation with the family is touring gardens. 6. My husband made me a garden sign for my birthday with " Shannon’s Obsession" in bold letters for everyone to see. 7. When you are running out of lawn to dig up for new plants. 8. When you don’t know which garden news group you should read first.  Is it roses, ponds, greenhouse, perenials, orchids….. 9. When the only clothes you wear have a garden theme one it. 10. My husband says this is the short list. I don’t see that I have a problem. I’m sure their are others out there like me.8-) On second thought, maybe I should check myself into a gardeners support group!!!!!!! Shannon the Obsessive Gardener Zone 4 Idaho " … Know the enduring happiness that the love of a garden gives." – G. Jekyll

RE: You and my wife should get together! Your list fits her perfectly except for the following. How about adding to your list: 1. A back deck/greenhouse to extend the growing season another month. 2. Trading off the ThunderBird SuperCoupe with only 13,000 miles on it for a Blazer because it will hold more pots in the back. 3. Spending almost a $1,000 on aqueriums last fall to winter over the goldfish, Koi and plants we had in a half whisky barrel last summer. 4. Canning so many tomatos last year we could feed a small country for a year, and we don’t even like canned tomatos. 5. A garage so full of gardening tools I had to sell the Harley to make more room for the new roto-tiller.  This is just a few things you didn’t have on your short list. Hope it helps with your future plans!

Response:

: But Shannon, this is the support group….and don’t touch that dial, : there’s nothing wrong with your television…. Yeah, this is a support group like the people who hang out at their local tavern is a support group for alcoholics.  "Tried this drink yet?  Have a taste. . . " I think I can match Shannon point for point on her obsession list, except I had to find a higher paying job than the nursery.  Again, that would have been like leading the drunk to the local bar or the junkie to the crack house. Where is the greenhouse board on the internet?  Haven’t tried that drink yet Cathy in MA z/5

Response:

Sure fire cure for obsessive gardening: Go commercial. If you have to do it you won’t want to.

Response:

Sure fire cure for obsessive gardening: Go commercial. If you have to do it you won’t want to.

Dwight: NOT TRUE, NOT TRUE! It is even more fun. In my old private garden, the pleasures were limited to only family and friends. Now thousands share the beauty. It’s always a kick to see people start to drool over a rose they’ve never seen, or beg for a rose I can’t sell them until next year. It’s immensely satisfying to grow 20,000 roses at a time from scratch and see them bloom for the first time. Work yes, fun yes. And it beats the hell out of wearing those suits. Michael Michael’s Roses

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -RE: You and my wife should get together! Your list fits her perfectly except for the following. How about adding to your list: 1. A back deck/greenhouse to extend the growing season another month. 2. Trading off the ThunderBird SuperCoupe with only 13,000 miles on it for a Blazer because it will hold more pots in the back. 3. Spending almost a $1,000 on aqueriums last fall to winter over the goldfish, Koi and plants we had in a half whisky barrel last summer. 4. Canning so many tomatos last year we could feed a small country for a year, and we don’t even like canned tomatos. 5. A garage so full of gardening tools I had to sell the Harley to make more room for the new roto-tiller. This is just a few things you didn’t have on your short list. Hope it helps with your future plans!

I think I would get along fine with your wife. I also have a 8×12 greenhouse I didn’t spend a $1,000 on aqueriums, but just added a few more thousand and made a beautiful pond with a stock tank heater in it for the winter. I think you should do this.8-) Your wife was actually careing for your saftey when you sold the Harley. We bought a Bronco and also a small trailer and they sit outside all summer. No, there is nothing wrong with your wife. Happy gardening.  It has been fun receiving all the funny responses about their gardening obsession. Shannon the Obsessive Gardener Zone 4 Idaho " … Know the enduring happiness that the love of a garden gives." – G. Jekyll

Response:

RE: You and my wife should get together! Your list fits her perfectly except for the following. How about adding to your list: 2. Trading off the ThunderBird SuperCoupe with only 13,000 miles on it for a Blazer because it will hold more pots in the back.

Well, I certainly can’t extend upon your list, or Shannon’s.  Our two story house resides on a limited 6,000 sq ft of land and the seperate garage has to go somewhere…meanwhile, when my husband and I married,   he suggested I trade in my 10 year old Bronco II, which I was perfectly happy with (I might add) for another.  He bought me a Mercedes.  I warned him that this was not a good idea. Four years later, when he saw his gift pull into the driveway and it appeared that small trees were driving the car, he finally began to have second thoughts… He really loves it when I visit the local Stone Yard for special landscaping rocks…he never knew how strong I was until the first time he saw me unload that trunk, and I complimented him on the available trunk space.   Leigh Anne

Response:

Man, you all have me beat.  I only made my boyfriend buy a pickup truck to haul garden stuff.   Oh, and he complains about the space the seeds are taking in the beer refrigerator.  Guess he’s lucky I don’t exhibit! Lynn Thomson, San Antonio, Zone 8

Response:

My wife has the Mercedes – I drive a Jeep with the license plate PasRose which I bought for the obvious reasons. You know you’re obsessive when you’ve got a bank of four refrigerators in your "rose room" for holding blooms for the show. You also know you’re obsessive when you’re on a first name basis with about every nurseryman or woman in town and they are willing to send a car for you if your Jeep is in the shop.

Response:

It was hilarious to read all the posts on this thread.  Keep them coming and here are a couple more to add to the list. A family of two owning three cars.  The third is a van used strictly for hauling plants, rocks, bricks…. anything having to do with gardening. I’m not fond of vans but they sure come in handy for such purposes. My Christmas gift request of hubby a few years back was for him to build a box to haul roses to shows.  He asked for my specifications….. mistake on his part!!!  We ended up with a box that measures approx. 3 1/2′ tall by 4′ long and 3′ wide and will hold 53 HTs.  Ended up costing over $500 to build; took him a good 3 months to build it and another 2 years to catch/fix the areas where it leaked!!!!  Yes, it does fit in the van mentioned above.  That was one of the prerequesites.   Now, I’m trying desperately to come up with a way to get blooms to the Seattle Nationals.  Suggested he haul the box on a UPS flt but so far, he’s not biting.   There are limits, and I suppose I went over the line with that last request <grin Pet!!  You’ve got me beat with FOUR refrigerators to store blooms. I’ve only got three <grin Rachel/Louisville/Zone 6

Response:

..I’m no longer ALLOWED to drive the family car since my secret hauling of rocks has sent it (twice!) to have shocks replaced. I now use an old Toyota liftback that can only hold so many rocks, and just so much manure (my husband describes it as ‘beshitted’)…and strangely enough, no one else EVER asks to borrow it.

Re: Hauling rocks.  I am a serious mineral collector.  Many of my specimens are of musuem level quality and I have taken a number of geology classes in order to better appreciate the composition of the minerals, and from this exposure I have picked up a sincere appreciation for, you guessed it, rocks and dirt.  I’ll get excited over dirt, if its an interesting color (like you find in Co. or Az). So, when I woke up to the fact that there were landscaping stone yards, hauling in specimens from all over the country, I went nuts.  I had to have one of this, two of that… And, they had to be handpicked.   I have since promised my husband no more rock hauling in the car (heck, I put a moving blanket, in the trunk, under the rocks).  Peace in the family!  Fortunately, I have about all the specimens that could interest me, for now. Leigh Anne Houston

Response:

Man, you all have me beat.  I only made my boyfriend buy a pickup truck to haul garden stuff….

Somehow I can’t believe that making your boyfriend buy a pickup truck was a great sacrifice for him. Don’t all men want a pickup truck? You just gave him an overwhelming excuse. How about a tractor next?

Response:

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