Ah, I am of the more is more variety. I get a package of wildflower seeds and use up ALL OF THEM, which you aren't supposed to do and I end up with a whole backyard of gorgeous buds. Cosmos are great because they are so so big and hard to go wrong with.
Yes! I do this but with giant zinnias and cosmos. I end up with a garden full of color, and I can cut them and bring the color into the house too. And the cosmos tends to re-seed itself and comes back every year, which helps me in my mission to have the most colorful garden for the least amount of effort.
I did this! It was so fun! Put on your cute outfit and toss wildflower seeds all over like confetti. It’s the happiest thing to do. Then plant a container of impatiens on your window sill.
I can attest to this absolutely. I have always wanted a rose garden, but something always ate the leaves or shriveled the flowers. Until I moved to Oregon three years ago. I now have six rose bushes in my tiny backyard planted two and a half years ago. I leave for a few weeks and come back to 5-6 feet tall bushes with dozens of clusters of buds. Clusters! In each bush! I cut and cut and cut. I have two yellows, one each of red, white, peach, and pink. I bring bouquets of flowers into the house and give to neighbors. I tell the bushes to calm down. But they seem to know how deprived of roses I was my whole life and they’re making up for it. I love them!
Before planting roses though, you should check if the location is suitable. They do like quite a bit of sun. Other than that, I’d say go with the flowerseed idea and sprinkle wildly. Wild flowers can bring forth such surprises!
I recommend Knockouts and Buck roses. The Buck roses are so tough. Mr. Buck, who bred this variety, would stick the stock out in fields in Iowa and do nothing with them for 3 years. If they made it he kept producing them.
I have one that has survived my worst depression episodes and my wrist surgeries.
I was told years ago by some sort of rose-growing expert friend person that once the last freeze of winter has happened you should cut back the rosebushes ALMOST TO THE ROOT! No exceptions! I’ve always been too chickenshit to do this, though, which is why my rosebushes grow to over seven feet tall and crank out a measly two roses. Two very aromatic roses, though. Should I follow my friend's advice? Or am I being pranked?
You’re not being pranked. Cut, and then cut again. If a rose bush is healthy and strong—at seven feet tall it certainly must be—the more cutting you do the more lush and thick it will grow. Cut it into the shape you want. Maybe that’s a two-foot tall wide shrub. Maybe it’s a tall slim tree. A little fertilizer—if it blooms only sluggishly—will do wonders too. Every six weeks or so. And always bring roses inside. My friend who helped me with my garden was surprised when I didn’t have vases of roses inside my house. Why not? he asked. They die if I bring them inside! I countered. They die on the bush too, he said, and when they do, you’ll still have to cut them off. I’m learning fast! I have roses in my living and my dining room.
Pay attention to the amount of sun a plant needs, which should be on the plant tag - from full sun, partial sun, partial shade, full shade.. Putting a plant in the wrong lighting can doom it.
I am far from an expert, but do have over an acre of landscaping. What I've been doing is going to the local nursery and asking for either shade or sun-loving plants, depending upon where they will go. I also have to add the following qualifications - deer and rabbit-resistance. The past few years I've been adding drought-resistant plants to my area. Try columbine, impatiens, and fuchsias. Behind my house which gets next to no sun, I have heuchera (colorful, but no flowers) as well as brunnera. You might also have luck with rhododendrons. Deer or rabbits love azaleas so I don't plant those. I have native bleeding hearts all around my property, and each year sow wildflower seeds. Best of luck!
Island Karen, I am loving the "sowing of wildflowers" idea more and more! And your advice to simply go to the nursery and ASK for shade-loving plants is EXTREMELY helpful!
If you have a lot of deer, you can buy coyote urine and spray it on certain flowers. It SMELLS worse than skunk for a few days, so keep everything closed up while you do that. I would gladly send people some deer if I could. They get culled each year so neighbors can drive safely. The local nursery will help you if you tell them how shady/sunny your area is. Tell them if you want annuals, perennials, or both.
American Meadows can give you ideas. They have packages for wildflowers for your area, bulbs, shrubs, all sorts of stuff. I have been transitioning our lawn to clover (no more mowing! Pollinators! Bunny food!) The stands of iris and daffodils and crocuses come in all by themselves and do me the favor of spreading. The little white snowdrops are always the first up; the vinca/myrtle (blue flowers, ground cover for shady spots) and lily of the valley go where wherever the hell they want.
We have a big milkweed stand for the monarchs. Since sweet husband’s mobility is decreasing he changed his volunteer job at the living museum to the horticulture center, so we get advanced notice of plant sales- just put in a bunch of sunflowers, bee balm, black eyed Susans, echinacea, borage, oregano, and parsley. We have lots of mint (pepper-, spear-, lemon balm) which spread like wildfire but I love that, because they smell so good when we walk in them and I make a good slug of mint jelly every now and then to go with lamb. And catnip, seeds itself in every year. A bunch of other flowers that usually seed themselves in; we’ll see what comes up this year.
Got some volunteer violets that are lovely but the bunnies usually make short work of them (hope the clover will attract their attention first). It’s impossible to kill rhubarb and it’s so easy to make yummy stuff with it, so that’s coming along. SH’s 15-yr-old asparagus bed is still producing nicely untended; we’ll let some go by into ferns and the bees love that.
We put in about 18 single little sticks of lilacs all around the old house years ago; they got big enough to flower in a few years and now they’re massive.
My philosophy of gardening is native plants only and no fussing, i.e., it thrives with whatever is in the dirt and comes down outta the sky or it doesn’t belong in my yard. Good thing I always thought like that, because neither of us can kneel on the ground or get up off of it anymore. So now of a nice day we sit out in the air chairs and read, converse, watch the birds and little rodents bop around, and enjoy being old. I recommend it.
I agree! I agree, Auntie Beans. Native plants! And how marvelous your lilacs must be!
But listen, I am THRILLED with your recommendation for American Meadows. I, naturally, had never heard of it, and had no idea such a splendid notion existed!! But now I do thanks to you!
If you have a lot of trees and shade be sure to get things that are known to do well in those conditions. Vinca/myrtle and lily of the valley do great and require just about no care once they get going. If the trees are mostly deciduous you can get away with things that sprout and flower early before the leaves come on, like snow drops, daffodils, and my favorites, crocus. These are also not yummy for squirrels and deer — look for “deer-resistant” if those are your neighbors. Remember that while you are all set with your cute gardening outfit and motivation now, we ain’t getting no younger and things that will do well with little attention later will be a boon. If you have a lawn, consider microclover, which is pretty and never needs mowing. I know there are directions for preparing the soil and all that but I just get out there and strew the seeds and they seem to get going ok. Not as efficient but easier, lol.
Ooh, that sounds so lovely, Auntie Beans. We will most def need photos!
I would add, be wary of violets. I made the mistake of inviting a few of them. Within two years, they commandeered my property. Seriously so.
Violets reproduce aggressively by seeds both above ground and below ground. Further, the gnarly bulbous roots eat up serious real estate strangling everything in their circumferential land grab. Very inhospitable. Violets can be like cancer. They refuse to allow any other living thing the space to survive. Perhaps I encountered the wrong sort of violet. Be warned.
What’s your soil like? Send your soil samples to the closest soil lab and they will tell you if it needs amendments. Also good to know: your USDA zone. Otherwise:
🌿 Ornamental Plants for Shade + Wet Soil
• Ferns (e.g., Osmunda regalis / royal fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris / ostrich fern) – feathery, dramatic, love soggy shade.
• Astilbe – fluffy, feathery flowers, elegant in clumps, thrives in wet shade.
• Ligularia – bold leaves, tall yellow flowers, doesn’t mind being waterlogged.
A.S. your delicious ideas about wild ginger, bugleweed, foamflower.....ALL NEW TO ME.... are wonderful. Your advice about ferns, hosta, cardinal flowers and soil sampling, SUPERB!!
So glad I inspired you! I still consider myself a gardening apprentice. Spending time in my backyard garden brings me joy, even if I still dabble. Lately I’ve been working remotely there, from my hammock…😇
you glorious forest-hearted gardener-in-the-making! You may not have a single flower yet, but you've got curiosity blooming, and that’s how every lush little jungle begins.
With all that water and just a wink of sun, you're describing the perfect stage for a woodland-style shade garden—something gentle, enchanting, and very forgiving. Think of it less as “gardening” and more like inviting the understory to stay for tea.
Here’s where I’d start:
🌿 Hostas – practically unkillable, they come in swirls of green and white and thrive in damp shade.
🌸 Astilbe – looks like tiny fireworks on stems, loves moist soil, and brings in pollinators.
🌱 Ferns – the wilder, the better. They'll whisper to your raccoons and charm the bears.
🟣 Bugleweed (Ajuga) – a low, purple carpet that says, “Yes, I do belong here.”
And if you want to grow something edible among the critters: mint. It thrives in shade, laughs at soggy soil, and might even scent the paws of passing raccoons.
No hoeing required—just a trowel, some compost, and your marvelous mischief.
From one wild-hearted being to another: just plant one thing. Let it teach you the rest.
Local nurseries usually (but not always!) have good advice. You should say you’re specifically interested in native plants, as those will do well in your area and they will support the local pollinators.
Begonias! Impatiens! Pansies and violets! Lily-of-the-valley! Geraniums! These all thrive in shady places.
Also, even though they're not flowers, per se - FERNS. Ferns go bananas in shade and moisture.
Critters should stay clear of flowers - they like produce. And that is just a perpetual problem - I've seen people who've used bloodmeal (stinks of death), mothballs (stinks, in general), and cayenne (woe betide you if you forget that you've put it on your plants) with mixed results.
An interesting question, since it's not clear what you plan to garden. At our advanced age (+75) I think a lot of gardening is organized around disability. It certainly is in my case. I thank the gods that my wife, who is my age, is viscerally attracted to baby plants and fertile earth.
Health info: And be sure to protect yourself from ticks. Tuck the legs of your pants inside your socks and use some permethrin on your clothes to repel them. If one gets on you, just pluck it off and flush it or entomb it in scotch tape. Do NOT try to smother it with petroleum jelly or piss it off with alcohol— those won’t work and will cause it to disgorge its virus-laden burden. Most tick-borne diseases require a long attachment period, so you’ll be fine.
Also, tetanus loves dirt and loves it that gardening predisposes to puncture wounds that close right up, so make sure your tetanus vaccine is up to date (only needed every ten yrs). Get it and forget it.
For instant gratification and flexibility nothing beats containers. They can be moved (or wheeled, if big and heavy) to just about anywhere. Want to create a garden room? Containers can frame it out and become more dimensional with “layers” of them arranged in groups.
So. Many. Possibilities.
Say the word, and we’ll meet at your local nursery for plants and soil and some basic pots, after we scour your place for all manner of interesting and unusual containers. We’ll get you started with colorful annuals that thrive in shade and partial shade, and include an assortment of white flowers that will glow in the evening.
It doesn’t have to be fancy, it just has to make you happy. 🌱🌻🌸💚
Ah, I am of the more is more variety. I get a package of wildflower seeds and use up ALL OF THEM, which you aren't supposed to do and I end up with a whole backyard of gorgeous buds. Cosmos are great because they are so so big and hard to go wrong with.
Oh! You and I love an English garden, Caroline!!
Come over and we can have tea and cupcakes.
YES!!!!
This is very cute and I hope it happens!! 🥹🩷
I am dreaming of lots of icing on the cupcakes!
Yes! I do this but with giant zinnias and cosmos. I end up with a garden full of color, and I can cut them and bring the color into the house too. And the cosmos tends to re-seed itself and comes back every year, which helps me in my mission to have the most colorful garden for the least amount of effort.
I did this! It was so fun! Put on your cute outfit and toss wildflower seeds all over like confetti. It’s the happiest thing to do. Then plant a container of impatiens on your window sill.
It IS the happiest thing to do! They are all coming up now and that makes me even happier. Plus, I love impatiens!
The only thing I know for sure is that you have to be mean to roses. Don't coddle them. Pretend they are mediocre white men and give'em hell!
HA!!! Brynne!!! I will be cruel!!!
I can attest to this absolutely. I have always wanted a rose garden, but something always ate the leaves or shriveled the flowers. Until I moved to Oregon three years ago. I now have six rose bushes in my tiny backyard planted two and a half years ago. I leave for a few weeks and come back to 5-6 feet tall bushes with dozens of clusters of buds. Clusters! In each bush! I cut and cut and cut. I have two yellows, one each of red, white, peach, and pink. I bring bouquets of flowers into the house and give to neighbors. I tell the bushes to calm down. But they seem to know how deprived of roses I was my whole life and they’re making up for it. I love them!
Before planting roses though, you should check if the location is suitable. They do like quite a bit of sun. Other than that, I’d say go with the flowerseed idea and sprinkle wildly. Wild flowers can bring forth such surprises!
I Beg Your Pardon I Promised You A Rose Garden 🌹🥀
I love hearing your rose stories. You inspire me!
I recommend Knockouts and Buck roses. The Buck roses are so tough. Mr. Buck, who bred this variety, would stick the stock out in fields in Iowa and do nothing with them for 3 years. If they made it he kept producing them.
I have one that has survived my worst depression episodes and my wrist surgeries.
My knockout roses are spectacular this year! Very low maintenance and gorgeous color.
Byrne 😹😹😹
Auto correct stay back. Brynne!
I was told years ago by some sort of rose-growing expert friend person that once the last freeze of winter has happened you should cut back the rosebushes ALMOST TO THE ROOT! No exceptions! I’ve always been too chickenshit to do this, though, which is why my rosebushes grow to over seven feet tall and crank out a measly two roses. Two very aromatic roses, though. Should I follow my friend's advice? Or am I being pranked?
You’re not being pranked. Cut, and then cut again. If a rose bush is healthy and strong—at seven feet tall it certainly must be—the more cutting you do the more lush and thick it will grow. Cut it into the shape you want. Maybe that’s a two-foot tall wide shrub. Maybe it’s a tall slim tree. A little fertilizer—if it blooms only sluggishly—will do wonders too. Every six weeks or so. And always bring roses inside. My friend who helped me with my garden was surprised when I didn’t have vases of roses inside my house. Why not? he asked. They die if I bring them inside! I countered. They die on the bush too, he said, and when they do, you’ll still have to cut them off. I’m learning fast! I have roses in my living and my dining room.
Use my genral approach to situations like this -- try it on one of them as a warning to the others!
Okay, guilt-free gardening is on its way. I just have to show these thorny fuckers who’s boss around here.
Pay attention to the amount of sun a plant needs, which should be on the plant tag - from full sun, partial sun, partial shade, full shade.. Putting a plant in the wrong lighting can doom it.
Will do, Tom!
I am far from an expert, but do have over an acre of landscaping. What I've been doing is going to the local nursery and asking for either shade or sun-loving plants, depending upon where they will go. I also have to add the following qualifications - deer and rabbit-resistance. The past few years I've been adding drought-resistant plants to my area. Try columbine, impatiens, and fuchsias. Behind my house which gets next to no sun, I have heuchera (colorful, but no flowers) as well as brunnera. You might also have luck with rhododendrons. Deer or rabbits love azaleas so I don't plant those. I have native bleeding hearts all around my property, and each year sow wildflower seeds. Best of luck!
Island Karen, I am loving the "sowing of wildflowers" idea more and more! And your advice to simply go to the nursery and ASK for shade-loving plants is EXTREMELY helpful!
Excellent suggestion to mind the wildlife. You can ask at the nursery if your critters will eat this or that plant. Deer eat a lot of pretty blooms!
Good! Good! Yes, Pamela I will ask about the deer. I had not thought of it.
If you have a lot of deer, you can buy coyote urine and spray it on certain flowers. It SMELLS worse than skunk for a few days, so keep everything closed up while you do that. I would gladly send people some deer if I could. They get culled each year so neighbors can drive safely. The local nursery will help you if you tell them how shady/sunny your area is. Tell them if you want annuals, perennials, or both.
There are also deer repellents.
American Meadows can give you ideas. They have packages for wildflowers for your area, bulbs, shrubs, all sorts of stuff. I have been transitioning our lawn to clover (no more mowing! Pollinators! Bunny food!) The stands of iris and daffodils and crocuses come in all by themselves and do me the favor of spreading. The little white snowdrops are always the first up; the vinca/myrtle (blue flowers, ground cover for shady spots) and lily of the valley go where wherever the hell they want.
We have a big milkweed stand for the monarchs. Since sweet husband’s mobility is decreasing he changed his volunteer job at the living museum to the horticulture center, so we get advanced notice of plant sales- just put in a bunch of sunflowers, bee balm, black eyed Susans, echinacea, borage, oregano, and parsley. We have lots of mint (pepper-, spear-, lemon balm) which spread like wildfire but I love that, because they smell so good when we walk in them and I make a good slug of mint jelly every now and then to go with lamb. And catnip, seeds itself in every year. A bunch of other flowers that usually seed themselves in; we’ll see what comes up this year.
Got some volunteer violets that are lovely but the bunnies usually make short work of them (hope the clover will attract their attention first). It’s impossible to kill rhubarb and it’s so easy to make yummy stuff with it, so that’s coming along. SH’s 15-yr-old asparagus bed is still producing nicely untended; we’ll let some go by into ferns and the bees love that.
We put in about 18 single little sticks of lilacs all around the old house years ago; they got big enough to flower in a few years and now they’re massive.
My philosophy of gardening is native plants only and no fussing, i.e., it thrives with whatever is in the dirt and comes down outta the sky or it doesn’t belong in my yard. Good thing I always thought like that, because neither of us can kneel on the ground or get up off of it anymore. So now of a nice day we sit out in the air chairs and read, converse, watch the birds and little rodents bop around, and enjoy being old. I recommend it.
I agree! I agree, Auntie Beans. Native plants! And how marvelous your lilacs must be!
But listen, I am THRILLED with your recommendation for American Meadows. I, naturally, had never heard of it, and had no idea such a splendid notion existed!! But now I do thanks to you!
If you have a lot of trees and shade be sure to get things that are known to do well in those conditions. Vinca/myrtle and lily of the valley do great and require just about no care once they get going. If the trees are mostly deciduous you can get away with things that sprout and flower early before the leaves come on, like snow drops, daffodils, and my favorites, crocus. These are also not yummy for squirrels and deer — look for “deer-resistant” if those are your neighbors. Remember that while you are all set with your cute gardening outfit and motivation now, we ain’t getting no younger and things that will do well with little attention later will be a boon. If you have a lawn, consider microclover, which is pretty and never needs mowing. I know there are directions for preparing the soil and all that but I just get out there and strew the seeds and they seem to get going ok. Not as efficient but easier, lol.
Ohhhh…now I want to come and just walk around and talk to your garden.
Any time. 😁 It’s pretty unruly so the language might be a little rough, but it has its charms.
This is my life now. I love it too much. I spend most of my day outdoors munk, lizard & bird watching. So relaxing.
Ooh, that sounds so lovely, Auntie Beans. We will most def need photos!
I would add, be wary of violets. I made the mistake of inviting a few of them. Within two years, they commandeered my property. Seriously so.
Violets reproduce aggressively by seeds both above ground and below ground. Further, the gnarly bulbous roots eat up serious real estate strangling everything in their circumferential land grab. Very inhospitable. Violets can be like cancer. They refuse to allow any other living thing the space to survive. Perhaps I encountered the wrong sort of violet. Be warned.
Impatience definitely! And I'm not a gardener, but that stuff loves shade and comes in a variety of colors.
I am, Diane! I am extraordinarily impatient!!!
😁
Impatiens may be what you're suggesting Diane? Auto correct ):
Heeeeee.
Oops, meant to say impatiens. 🙄
What’s your soil like? Send your soil samples to the closest soil lab and they will tell you if it needs amendments. Also good to know: your USDA zone. Otherwise:
🌿 Ornamental Plants for Shade + Wet Soil
• Ferns (e.g., Osmunda regalis / royal fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris / ostrich fern) – feathery, dramatic, love soggy shade.
• Astilbe – fluffy, feathery flowers, elegant in clumps, thrives in wet shade.
• Ligularia – bold leaves, tall yellow flowers, doesn’t mind being waterlogged.
• Hosta – classic shade-lover, likes moisture (just protect from slugs).
• Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) – white or pink flowers, native to wet shady spots.
⸻
🌼 Native & Pollinator-Friendly
• Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) – deep red flowers, hummingbird magnet, tolerates full shade if moisture is high.
• Blue flag iris (Iris versicolor) – graceful, water-happy, tolerates partial to full shade.
• Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) – bright yellow flowers in early spring, a real bog beauty.
⸻
🌾 Ground Covers & Low-Growers
• Wild ginger (Asarum canadense) – low, lush, spreads well in damp shade.
• Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) – sweet spikes of flowers, loves shade and moist woodland soil.
• Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) – spreads like mad, tolerates wet and low light.
Among veggies: I hear dino kale grows well in shade, among other dark leafy greens such as the wonderful mizuna, which thrives even in winter!
A.S. your delicious ideas about wild ginger, bugleweed, foamflower.....ALL NEW TO ME.... are wonderful. Your advice about ferns, hosta, cardinal flowers and soil sampling, SUPERB!!
So glad I inspired you! I still consider myself a gardening apprentice. Spending time in my backyard garden brings me joy, even if I still dabble. Lately I’ve been working remotely there, from my hammock…😇
Great list!
A fabulous list! And agree 100% re: the Ajuga lol. There’s no holding her back if she’s happy.
I live on the 58th floor of a high-rise. No yard. No garden. No hoeing—unless it’s metaphorical and comes with cocktails.
But you? You’ve got bears, raccoons, opossums—and the sudden urge to dig. Darling, don’t.
Hire yourself a handsome young man to trim your hedges.
And I do mean…your actual hedges.
You’ve got the outfit. Let him bring the tools.
You stay fabulous and slightly dangerous from a safe, seated position.
With admiration (and zero mud under my nails),
Zee Zee
Dearest E. Jean,
you glorious forest-hearted gardener-in-the-making! You may not have a single flower yet, but you've got curiosity blooming, and that’s how every lush little jungle begins.
With all that water and just a wink of sun, you're describing the perfect stage for a woodland-style shade garden—something gentle, enchanting, and very forgiving. Think of it less as “gardening” and more like inviting the understory to stay for tea.
Here’s where I’d start:
🌿 Hostas – practically unkillable, they come in swirls of green and white and thrive in damp shade.
🌸 Astilbe – looks like tiny fireworks on stems, loves moist soil, and brings in pollinators.
🌱 Ferns – the wilder, the better. They'll whisper to your raccoons and charm the bears.
🟣 Bugleweed (Ajuga) – a low, purple carpet that says, “Yes, I do belong here.”
💜 Lungwort (Pulmonaria) – awful name, dreamy flowers. Mottled leaves, pink-and-blue blooms.
And if you want to grow something edible among the critters: mint. It thrives in shade, laughs at soggy soil, and might even scent the paws of passing raccoons.
No hoeing required—just a trowel, some compost, and your marvelous mischief.
From one wild-hearted being to another: just plant one thing. Let it teach you the rest.
With mud under my nails and joy in my voice
Jxoxo
Local nurseries usually (but not always!) have good advice. You should say you’re specifically interested in native plants, as those will do well in your area and they will support the local pollinators.
Begonias! Impatiens! Pansies and violets! Lily-of-the-valley! Geraniums! These all thrive in shady places.
Also, even though they're not flowers, per se - FERNS. Ferns go bananas in shade and moisture.
Critters should stay clear of flowers - they like produce. And that is just a perpetual problem - I've seen people who've used bloodmeal (stinks of death), mothballs (stinks, in general), and cayenne (woe betide you if you forget that you've put it on your plants) with mixed results.
suggest never use mothballs. for anything. toxic.
Oh, I completely agree. My insane landlord in Brooklyn used to use them. BAD IDEA.
Lilly of the Valley love shade and love to propagate and they are lovely! Roses need sunlight so they won't do well in shade.
Columbine and Primrose also love shadeand are very pretty!
Lobelia has pretty purple blooms and hates heat. Bleeding hearts( like us Libs hehe) are pretty and deer resistant.
Have fun!
An interesting question, since it's not clear what you plan to garden. At our advanced age (+75) I think a lot of gardening is organized around disability. It certainly is in my case. I thank the gods that my wife, who is my age, is viscerally attracted to baby plants and fertile earth.
Hydrangeas, Luv!!!
Lord, I love a hydrangea!!! I have about one square foot of sunlight.....and I shall try it!
Oh my.... Ok, that's good to know. So your lighting is mostly shade or partial shade. My backyard is like that.
Oh and don’t forget a good set of clippers, a shovel, and a rake. And make sure to slather yourself in sunscreen to protect your beautiful self 🩷🩷
Health info: And be sure to protect yourself from ticks. Tuck the legs of your pants inside your socks and use some permethrin on your clothes to repel them. If one gets on you, just pluck it off and flush it or entomb it in scotch tape. Do NOT try to smother it with petroleum jelly or piss it off with alcohol— those won’t work and will cause it to disgorge its virus-laden burden. Most tick-borne diseases require a long attachment period, so you’ll be fine.
Also, tetanus loves dirt and loves it that gardening predisposes to puncture wounds that close right up, so make sure your tetanus vaccine is up to date (only needed every ten yrs). Get it and forget it.
Gawd yes!!!!! I pull a tick off two or three times a week!
I wear tights under my clothes. Ticks can't get through from my waist down. Waist up is another matter!
Been there!!! Luv U!
For instant gratification and flexibility nothing beats containers. They can be moved (or wheeled, if big and heavy) to just about anywhere. Want to create a garden room? Containers can frame it out and become more dimensional with “layers” of them arranged in groups.
So. Many. Possibilities.
Say the word, and we’ll meet at your local nursery for plants and soil and some basic pots, after we scour your place for all manner of interesting and unusual containers. We’ll get you started with colorful annuals that thrive in shade and partial shade, and include an assortment of white flowers that will glow in the evening.
It doesn’t have to be fancy, it just has to make you happy. 🌱🌻🌸💚
Kim!
I can actually DO this idea!!!!!!
Of course you can! And it will be a perfect reflection of you. Gardens always are. 💚
O!!!
A reflection.
EEEEEEeeeeegads.