GrandmaT

sorry to hear about the accident and the outcome :(
but it hasn’t affected your joy for life, I can tell!

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

Thank you for your kind words. Yes, the accident was certainly unexpected and life is a bit more of a challenge these days; but that’s okay. God has shown me, through this new journey with Him, that life is good andI need to keep my eyes on all the blessings that surround me (grandchildren being one!!!). I have a very supportive and loving husband and family … what more could a “girl” want!!!! :-)

Besides, on good days I still can (with the help of a little sturdy gardening bench that Russel made for me) get my hands “dirty” ... and that is WONDERFUL!!! I really enjoy my flowers, both inside and out.

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

My Mom, 80, loves her vegetable garden. She’s had 3 hip replacements (yes, 3, – one broke due to poor materials) and we tried to convince her to let us put up raised beds but, “persistent” as she is (aka stubborn) she refused – at this point, anyway. I know that besides loving the exercise she also doesn’t want to appear “old” so adaptations are a no-no unless absolutely necessary.
I’m not 80 but the thought of raised beds is really appealing!! lol

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

Yes, raised beds are a VERY GOOD THING!!! I think that the ground gets lower after the age of 40!!!! I have fought with my body many a day to be out amongst my flowers; so I understand your mom’s “persistence”. We did find a very cool lawn mower that allows me to walk behind it with little to no effort … it is a type of self-propelled, but paces itself to me, not the other way around. So now with our new, tiny yard I can (on good days) do a bit of walking and gardening and feel very productive. With the little bench that Russel created, I can actually get on my knees (with the support of the bench) and use it to bend/rest/lay over as I garden (sitting is very difficult for me)—then use the stool to push myself to standing again.

The little bench came to be after I found myself (at our old house) in the middle of our large front yard, unable to get up … between crying, laughing and calling for my husband … we decided I might need a “little more assistance” if I was going to continue gardening —that was my rude awakening about being stubborn and in total denial about my physical limitation. You just so don’t want to give up your independence.

Yah, it’s been an interesting journey, that is for sure!

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

lol I’m sorry—just had to laugh at the “laugh, cry” combination resulting in need for a “little assistance”

ok so we need a picture of your bench! (the bench and “in use” – I am intrigued with the “lay over” option

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

Yah, it was a true “MOMENT” that is for sure!!! We have had quite a few with my injury. We just keep laughing cuz at times you look around and it is just silly. What more can I say …

However, there is no “lay over option” ... it’s just me laying over the bench to reach the ground … it gives me the support my back needs. Nothing fancy … just useful. And a picture of me using the bench … hmmmmmm, don’t think I want that “published” ... It is a simple, country style wooden stool/bench. Russel made it during his first woodworking days and it was my first (ever) attempt at being “artsy”. So this poor bench has been through the war, used by me for anything that I do at floor level where I need to be on my knees. Russel should probably make me a new one … as this one has paint, stain, dirt and only God Himself, knows what else all over it! But, I do love it ...

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

hahaha ok .. we need a “stand in” in the picture… Maybe Russel will volunteer to “pose” for the camera!! :)

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

Well let me give some thought to a picture … just for you … hee

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

sweet

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

Hiya, GrandmaT! You’re a five minute drive from me! I look forward to trading local shop secrets with you here!

-- Living on the square...Metro Detroit

i know, its been awhile since I’ve posted but I made up for it today haha, I hate how work gets in the way of playing in the dirt! hehe

Hi Grandma T. Thanks for the welcome. Another Michigan person! That’s where I moved here from. Just down the road from ya, actually. Anyway, thanks for the warm welcome. This site looks pretty cool so let me get my sea legs and I’ll be up and rolling with you folks. Going to try and get my seed order organized this afternoon…

-- Gardening in the North! (zone 3/4) http://www.HealthyLivingDIY.com

Well one big difference between here and Michigan is the season is shorter here. So that brings a few challenges. We have very hot, dry summers (most years). But short. So that’s got me into exploring season extenders. Fun projects! Will no doubt have more to say about that as things warm up!

-- Gardening in the North! (zone 3/4) http://www.HealthyLivingDIY.com

Season extenders… interesting!

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

haha, yes, I feel like I’m the only one on here that lives in a place where we only have two seasons, hot and cold no real inbetween. But its nice to see all the neat things that yall get to do up north with your gardening

ha yah, our weather makes it interesting, that’s for sure :)
Someone once asked why we Canadians spend so much time talking about the weather and the sun.. well, the weather is ALWAYS changing (and often from extremes) and the sun, well, when you don’t get it for weeks on end (well, grey skies that is.. not darkness) then the sun is a good friend that you want to have visit!!

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

That about says it for Michigan too!! Although today, BITTER COLD, is beautiful!!! We got about an inch of new snow and the sun is just shining. Looks like a glittery white “wonderland”.

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

Grandma T. I am still new at this having just joined the other day so I hope that I’m putting this in the right spot. The name of it is Datura and sometimes called Moon flower I think. Want some seeds?

-- Dahlitsa

Thanks for the welcome!!!

-- '"Inthedirttn" Zone 9

Welcome to the flower show! We hope you enjoy the time spent on your GardenTenders website.

-- One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade; Chinese Proverb - Zone 5B

Thanks for the welcome GrandmaT. MsDebbieP (my mother-in-law) introduced me in the early days but I hadn’t been up to much gardening. Now that Spring is here, I’m ready to dive in again.

-- Former plant killer. Current plant damager.

... your MIL is one terrific lady!!! I look forward to getting to know you …

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

:)
Karla is one terrific lady (BIG PROUD SMILE) so you will enjoy getting to know here GrandmaT :)

Hey Karla, we’d have fun driving around trying to find Canning Perennials together lol
Oh well… at least we’ll get to do Ikea :)

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

And, very adorable granddaughter!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yup, I totally imagine that Karla is one terrific woman!!!

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

Grandma T

I didn’t see you all day. I must be blind too, lol,lol

You sound like a happy lady.

Is there a way to post to a ceertain person, like quoting?

Just wondering

-- NS Zone 5B 200 KM East of Halifax cheers Bunting------Having a place to go – is a home. Having someone to love – is a family.

Love the new icon GrandmaT.Those flowers are just so lovely.

-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more

Hey, love the Avatar: it looks just like you “sound”!

-- Eklectic, Follow my Bliss, South East Ontario 5a

Well thanks … I do love those little flowers! :-)

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

Thank you for the warm welcome!

-- puce, zone 5a

HI GRANDMA T I`M STILL HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE LANGUAGE WHATS A BERM ? AND DONT SAY THAT FLESHY BIT YOU SIT ON, IS IT A ROCKERY ?
LIKE THE NATURAL MILK CHURN I STILL THINK ITS CRYING OUT FOR PAINTED ROSES !!!!
REGARDS MIKE

-- MIKE MILTON COMMON U.K.

Yes, and some day I may just paint those roses on that milk churn of mine!!!! :-)

Berm – official definition.
A narrow ledge or shelf, as along the top or bottom of a slope.
b. Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, & West Virginia The shoulder of a road.
c. A raised bank or path, especially the bank of a canal opposite the towpath.
d. A mound or bank of earth, used especially as a barrier or to provide insulation.

However, here we are using it to describe a small bank of earth, or hill located in Bon’s yard. She has created a lovely garden on this “Berm” or small bank of earth or hill. Hope this helps Mike!! :-)

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

HI GRANDMA SORRY I ADRESSED MY QUESTION TO YOU BY MISTAKE (ANOTHER SENIOR MOMENT) BUT THANKS FOR THE REPLY WHICH WAS MUCH APPRECIATED
REGARDS MIKE

-- MIKE MILTON COMMON U.K.

No problem Mike … always glad to help … :-)

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

Fairy Door, in your house, I’ll have to add you as a buddy.
I’m still planning my first one. I’m thinking a aircraft door.
Maybe DebbieP can come up with one.

-- "Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati"

Gary … we know (or assume) that Fairies fly … so an aircraft door I think is most appropriate!!! :-)

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

Hi grandma T thanks for the reply on page and was wondering do you monitor this site of gardentenders? If so I have received a private msg. from a kissvivi (Lina) and saw that she was privated msg’s others on the site. I am a very happy married man and father of 2 and you can imagine the response my wife had after I showed her this msg. after all I assured her this is for gardening and learning from each other’s tips and tricks. So please beware and everyone else also.
Thanks for help,
David

-- David

Hey GramT I like your new buddy icon. :-)

-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more

I was just re-reading your bio. Did you know that according to Native Tradition you are not a full-grown woman until you reach the age of 52?

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

Thanks Bon, fun changing them out ever once in a while … and really MsDeb. I can understand that. By “old traditions” a woman of 52 would have been married for a long time, raised a family and now assisting with grandchildren; kept a home running and lived through many experiences; good and bad. She would have wisdom to pass along to younger women.

Nice to know I am a “full grown woman”—hahaha!!!

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

New Buddy Icon for fall/winter … much more fitting don’t ya think?? :-)

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

could you please teach me how to change my profiles picture

Be my pleasure … it’s pretty easy. Sent ya a PM Bluestorm …

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

wats an pm

thanx i read your message i understand everything exept i dnt know where the browser button is could u tell me.

A “PM” is a personal message … or personal email

You will see the “browser button” once you select “replace” under your buddy icon or profile picture. It comes up as a “second step” after selecting “replace” ...

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

thanx so much for the help xxxx

Apr.16/09
Really like your new spring buddy icon GramT.

-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more

So you’ve got a wild bunny too. I love mine, only wish he’d show up. One guy who has shown up is Pepe L’Pieu. Or Mr. Skunk, if you prefer. He’s taken up residence under my back deck and I catch a whiff now and then when I’m outside. The other night he was out by the driveway just snooping around under the oak tree. We almost bumped into Pepe getting out of the car, but I luckily caught sight of the white stripe and tip on his tail . We scrambled back into the car before he you know what.

-- PlantBuddy

Thanks Bon … I love that we can change our icon’s at our whim!!

AND, so glad you got back into the car before “you know what” plantbuddy!!! That would have been just awful!!! Hope you can get them out from under your deck soon …

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

Okay, had to change my icon to honor my Rudbeckia “Totos” and “Prairie Suns”. Their “offspring” did not multiply for me … ;-)

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

Is your new icon your prairie suns?

-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more

They are the Rudbeckia Totos … I love them as well … and hoping they might return too.

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

I love that new avatar! Looks just like you”sound”!

-- Eklectic, Follow my Bliss, South East Ontario 5a

Well thank you kindly, “E”

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

It would be pretty harsh without a garden or patio I think. It’s great that you keep going in it. This is a wonderful site for encouragement and friendliness too. Sorry about your accident also GrandmaT. Maybe you will heal in time.

-- Desktopgem

Thank you Desktopgem … yah, I agree life would be harsh with out a garden or patio; and ours is just big enough for this gal. Thanks for the kind words regarding my accident … it’s just the way I am now and it’s okay. I’m “fixed” as much as they can fix me … haha!!!

And as for the site … Oh how I do love this place. It is full of such wonderful people (like yourself). We all love to share our gardens, knowledge, encouragement and a bit of our lives and of course laughter!! Nothing better than a gardening site that is a bit of a social forum as well.

Glad you have found us and have decided to be an active member. :-)

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

Hello GrandmaT…
Just wanted to say your Garden is beautiful;... hope to have on like that one day!! So, have you always live in michagan??? like it? ive driven thru when i moved out to colorado in 00’ (only lved out there for a year.. then back to jersey ) ... .. seems like a nice place.

-- TT

Early teens through adult life has been spent in Michigan … and I do love it here. As a child I lived in Colorado, Maryland and Alabama.

Thanks for checking out my gardens Tonya … I do love to putz . This house and yard are just perfect for me and hubby now. Be sad to leave it, when we do … as we are trying to get ourselves out to Arizona to join our children and grandchildren. But in the meantime; I am enjoying my “little patch” of dirt and invasive concrete – hahaha!!!!

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

O ok.,, nice to hear you like it there… but i get that you want to be by your family,,,, most of mine are in PA, NY & NJ.. so.. were all pretty close by.. thats one of the reasons i moved back from denver, missed my family to much.. :) :) you;ll have to check out my new projects.. i jsut cant stop! ha ha

-- TT

I like all your colorful flowers, especially the row of bright yellow day lilies that boarder the drive. Your yard and house look like an inviting, friendly place to visit. And thank you for your kind words, welcoming me to Garden Tenders. I look forward to chatting with you too!

-- Robin, Massachusetts - "Live simply so others can simply live." M. Gandhi

Thank you for checking out my garden page … and such kind words. :-)

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

What a strange message. Sounds like SPAM to me.

-- jroot

That last message, Grandma, was because of a SPAM posting which Mbulla has removed. Honestly, I wasn’t commenting on your posting of 141 days ago. LOL

-- jroot

I also saw that spam! He was a fast worker but Mbulla was even faster!!

-- Eklectic, Follow my Bliss, South East Ontario 5a

No problem folks … I knew it was spam … LOL!!!

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

I have loved checking out your projects! You’re a pretty amazing lady.

-- http://www.profenceworks.com http://www.productionfenceworks.com http://www.orlandofencecompany.com http://www.fencesavannah.com

Hey Grandma.. Stopped by cuz I was thinking about you.. Hope all is well on your end! Have you moved to AZ yet?? ;)

-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b

Nice to hear from ya Scott … no move to AZ yet, but we are one house down … sold it around Thanksgiving time to a wonderful young family who loved the house as much as I did; so handing over keys was a real pleasure. Sooooooo, now one more house to go … geez, I can almost see us moving now … LOL!!!

Me and mine are doing well … spent Christmas out in AZ as usual with the kids and grandkids … it was wonderful. Now just getting back to the routine of it all …

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

nice to see you back, GramT—missed you!

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

Isn’t it nice to sell your house, with all its warm family memories built over the years, to someone who you believe will take care of it? This will probably be your last cold, snowy winter before you move to Arizona! Good luck selling your house.

-- Robin, Massachusetts - "Live simply so others can simply live." M. Gandhi

Glad to hear all is well! :) Now, be sure and let me know when you head out to AZ.. Got a nice patch of Sedum sitting by just ready to be chucked into an envelope for you.. :D

-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b

Oh I will Scott … looking forward to planting those Sedum at our new home; whenever we “officially” get out there.

Thanks Ms Deb …

And yes Robin, God did indeed answer a prayer of mine … selling to a young family who would love and take care of “my” house …. and raise their family there as we did. And of course we won’t mention NOT having TWO house payments … hahahaha!!!! God is good …. :-)

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

I’m so glad to see you ‘back on line’, GrandT. I got your comment on Facebook but for some reason couldn’t find where it came from. I don’t understand FB very well. It’s not as easy to use as this forum.
I hope you are able to sell your house as planned and get your start off to AZ. And I hope you are able to take your ‘pot garden’ with you. :-)

-- 'To plant a Garden is to believe in Tomorrow'