Now it’s more than a mere holiday celebrating a large and top-heavy bird: there are potatoes, dressings, gravy, and homemade rolls to be feted as well. If, in the midst of all this artery busting fare, one finds the strength to count blessings, so much the better. All whilst watching your team lose the big game on the telly.
I prefer to sidestep the stomachache, this week at least, and sing the praises of a few of my favorite gardening things. Not out loud, you’ll be relieved to hear (my alto isn’t that impressive, just ask the church choir director). I’ll keep it short, you have a Thanksgiving menu to plan.
I am thankful for:
1. felcos (I have number 10). Thank goodness for the Swiss and their national fetish for precision. If you haven’t tried a pair of quality pruners like these, you’re probably missing the tips of a few fingers, like me. I finally made the investment and haven’t regretted it.
2. compost. If you don’t understand the science behind it, just think of it as a magic soil additive. Improves silt, clay, sand, and everything in between. Improved a soil so infertile, it blew around like an Oklahoma dust bowl under a spruce tree at my house. Now the “dust bowl” is home to a small sun and drought tolerant garden. Thank you decomposed clippings, thank you!!
3. ornamental grasses, bergenias, and viburnums. Easy, gorgeous all-arounders at my (former) place. Not glamorous enough to win the crown, but gets the Miss Congeniality award. I planted them everywhere, all around the yard. No regrets. I do have to spray the bergenias and viburnums with,
4. plantskydd. Keeps those pesky, gigantic deer cousins at bay. If you garden in Alaska, moose damage is a fact of life.
5. other gardeners. The wit and wisdom of my fellow gardeners is inspiring! The local Master Gardeners have been having some great programs and tours the last few years. A great way for me to meet new people that know their stuff.
What garden products/plants/resources make you grateful?
When we are all so stuffed with Thanksgiving goodies that we cannot get up out of our chairs it gives us a lot of time to count our blessings too. LOL!
ReplyDeleteI am thankful for the last roses which still are surprising me once in a while, for great and giving gardeners, amen on the deer repellent because the lilies had a chance to bloom this summer.LOL! This winter I will be no doubt thankful for garden shows. LOL!
Seeing your beautiful bergenias made me a little sad. Mine were lost to the drought this summer. I had had this clump for three years. The first time I was able to get it to grow and then this blasted drought set in. Sigh~~ I am thankful that most all has survived...so far.
ReplyDeleteTurkey Day? More like Tofu Day. I can't keep my felcos from rusting.
ReplyDeleteThanksgiving? I thought it was just another day to watch football:)
ReplyDeleteYour bergenias are so pretty and the grasses, too. I've stayed away from bergenias because I thought they all grew very tall. Looks like I was wrong and need to check them out for spring planting.
donna
A lovely post, as usual. I very much agree when it comes to being grateful for those reliable plants that would win the "Miss Congeniality" award - It is just so nice to be able to enjoy them even when all your experiments failed and you really have not given them much attention...
ReplyDeleteI'm grateful for any plants deer don't touch and voles/chipmunks don't tunnel under and eat; my husband's willingness to help in the garden when I need it; volunteer plants that surprise me with unexpected bounty or blooms; my soil knives - I don't garden without them; and the room to have six compost bins. Actually I'm thankful for much, much more but you asked for five and these popped into my head. Happy Turkey Day from you sophisticated blogger friend at Joene's Garden.
ReplyDeleteI was thankful for my Felcos but my husband just broke them. In his hurry to cut down the trumpet vine, rather than use the saw, tried to cut a 2 inch OD vine with the pruners Dah...snap. He never does anything around the house, but took a minute bit of pity on me because I cracked a rib moving heavy garden pots.He new I wanted to get up on the garage roof and would not be able to move the ladder. I guess I was thankful he did offer to do the chore. Well, I don't really sound all that grateful do I?
ReplyDeleteFunny coincidence. Nothing to do with Thanksgiving but I have been praising my (not Felco) secateurs on my latest post.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving when it comes. (Is that the right thing to say?) I think I'm glad I don't have to eat a Thanksgiving meal. I find Turkey too dry and am rather fed up with squash. I also get the impression that one is expected to eat more at Thanksgiving than we are at Christmas and that sounds daunting. Apart from that - I'm thankful for celebrations. They are really important for the well being of humans.
So - have a lovely thanksgiving.
Esther
P.S. I'm thankful for cinquefoil and buttercups. I too moved into a garden with ghastly soil. It has improved over the years with compost but at first nothing but buttercup and cinqufoil would grow - they made the ground green and gave us cheerful yellow flowers.
E.
Dear Christine, I am also thankful for the items you list, except plantskydd is new to me. Happy Thanksgiving! Pam x
ReplyDeleteI guess I could say I'm grateful not to have moose in my backyard! I bet they're huge in real life!
ReplyDeleteFor products, I love my sluggo. I haven't found anything else really useful. It stops the slugs from destroying all my hostas.