Growing your Zen Garden

[Appleblossom]

A few years ao a student of mine tried to get me to buy a whipper snipper as they were 'on special'. I couldnt convince him that it was counter to my whole gardening concept and that I didnt have a lawn mower for good reasons.  He was mostly a decent chap who had stood against a toxic dump in our area ... but still the economic rationalism ran deep in him.

[Terry]

yes i have just four plants (and am trying to keep one of them alive at the moment).  they say if you can keep a plant alive it proves that you can and are coping.  I got a hardy succulent for this reason and have kept it alive.  i also have a rather demanding peace lily that wants watering all the time and it has rewarded me by flowering profusely this december which seems significant and beautifully celebratory.  i have another little polyp of a plant that looks like seaweed - it is also a succulent.  Succulents are very independent and like their own company and don't want to talk much.  If i dont manage to keep them all going i simply go out and buy another however two out of three succulents in my household are very well and don't need any help from anyone, thank you very much.  they are a little joy to look at and try to tend to and provide a little diversion and occupation.  I was (and am not) never a green thumb in particular but this small foray into plant life at home has given me just a taste of how rewarding it could be tending to a garden as part of one's health and happiness therapy.

[Appleblossom]

Love your personalisation of plants @Terry.

I think your wise to get replacements when you want and not to read too much into whether they live or die ... sometimes I am naughty and break off a little from council plants as they are mostly easy to propagate.

Or maybe thats me just being a bit mad about being told too much about how to propagate faith ... I wanted to learn other more basic forms of propagation as well.

[Appleblossom]

@Former-Member  PPssst Over here!

I get the feeling your place is more Aussie bush than Zen in style ...

but probably truly Zen in Spirit

[Former-Member]

Thanks for tagging me to this thread @Appleblossom, great idea for a thread @CherryBomb,

I just had a skim through the 4 pages. wow!!! so many great ideas already. Almost feel not good enough but we're all on different levels, with much to offer - so I hope all current gardeners will pop over now & then.

Appleblossom. I relate yo your 'Grief Garden' and have seen thr gardens of a couple of grieving mums at Compassionate Friends. Some have the same of their departed carved in old hardwood chairs, gates etc. I started a purple rock garden last year, in honour of my girl. She loved purple so I have purple iris, dasies, lavender, petunia, rosemary & a few others for contrast. The council made me remove all her previous aunaments from her headstone plot so I have started another garden area out back for them to be included. I think she likes it. Its under her fav tree she loved to climb up the back. Interesting the year she died that beautiful purple/white flowering shrub sprung up on its own under her tree by the fence, think its called 'Yesterday Today & Tomorrow (forever)' which blew me away - so symbolic. Oh I miss her.

I have so much to share about my garden challenges & successes.
- the giant prickly cactus beachball
- pesky possums
- potting section
- wheelburrow garden
- failed vegies hardens
- bora, and more bora, help!
- dead popla local gardeners are too scared to remove for me - the call it a 'dangerous tree' (for goodness sakes)
- the fig tree, mulberry tree, aunamental peach trees & jacaranda sprouting up everywhere, my frangipani propagation,

Just to name a few. Bit this will do for now. Thanks again Apple, let's resurrect this thread, wtg! xox

[Former-Member]

Hi @AppleblossomAppleblossom, your pics finally came through  above, are they cabbage? Quite like the Japanese look pic too. This as a photo of the Rock Garden I built out front in memory of my girl. Have you been in the garden this week? We have lots of rain this week so everything is sure gonna cone along now, including the grass. Have a hood day today sista xox

[CherryBomb]

Oh, I'm so happy this thread has been brought back to life @Former-Member and @Appleblossom. 

I love your garden @Former-Member, and the symbolism of the 'Yesterday Today & Tomorrow (forever) is amazing. 

Here's a pic of some flowers I picked from my garden last year. I must admit, I haven't really done much. I think the previous occupants must have set the garden up because in winter time, the garden really comes to life all by itself.

Hmmm, who else do we know that gardens on here?

[Phoenix_Rising]

I love playing in the dirt, it makes me feel super calm.

[Appleblossom]

Heu @Phoenix_Rising Thats my line .. playing in the dirt .. my new giant sandpit for grownups etc etc .. its about experimenting and lloking and caring and watching.

Its not about .. self crit re .. a seedling did not take .. or pressure .. Itry and breed my plants tough so they are drought tolerant .. etc.

Yep @Former-Member Its a weird giant cabbage plant.

[Former-Member]

Me.....I do too. Hadn't seen this before. This is my old garden, I loved it. Hoping to recreated bits of it one day. I just need to see if I can hold onto this place before I plant out the garden. I still have lots in pots but it's tough growing natives in pots. I lost a few this summer 😢. I just have to keep them alive one more year before I know if they can find their permanent home