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Do you garden on your own?

GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
edited October 2023 in Plants
I am the only one interested in gardening in my family. As a child my maternal granddad Harry  enjoyed growing veg but no one else in my immediate family is  bothered.
Sometimes I think it is because they get fed up of hearing me talk about gardening in all it's forms, they roll their eyes and stare into space.
I have often thought, actually I am lucky, I can be selfish and plant what I want when and where I want. It can be a peaceful place where I loose track of time.
Do you garden by yourself or is there a conflict of interest between you and another gardening family member?
Perhaps you would love to have a chat to a fellow gardener whilst you work? 
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
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  • WAMSWAMS Posts: 1,960
    I do everything and I like it that way.
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    I do all the gardening but I'm often presented with plants that I wouldn't personally want in there.

    My mum does her garden but dad doesn't touch it, his domain is the allotment we share (one end each) and mum doesn't touch that.
  • LG_LG_ Posts: 4,360
    WAMS said:
    I do everything and I like it that way.
    Same here. OH would help if I needed it, but he doesn't offer and I don't ask. The rest of the family enjoy the resulting space and indulge me waxing lyrical / dragging them down the garden to look at things, but don't get involved. I share plants with my siblings who like a bit of gardening but aren't as obsessed as me. 
    'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
    - Cicero
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    OH builds the house. I do the gardening
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • rowlandscastle444rowlandscastle444 Posts: 2,612
    We share it. I do the heavier tasks, and she digs, weeds, etc.
    I also do most of the fruit picking, and ALL of the preserving and bottling.
    She often prunes more severely than I would like. 
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    My father enjoyed gardening, especially growing tomatoes and cucumbers, but the rest of my family are completely disinterested! I have friends and neighbours who are keen gardeners though so we often exchange thoughts by visits, phone and email. This forum is also an important check point and source of inspiration!

    I like working in my garden alone though, with only the sounds of nature to accompany me. Having someone to chat to would not be welcome - if I can hear neighbours or builders/workers nearby, I’ll go out walking instead of gardening!  The sounds of birds, bees, water, wind in the trees etc are a major part of the gardening experience, not to be ruined by the sound of chatter or human activity - unless they are also gardening!
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    I used to work for a couple, gardening was their life. They would eat, sleep and drink it.
    Sometimes they would fall out about small things in the garden some times big things. He cut Clematis Niobe to the ground by mistake and she was very cross, it flowered beautifully.

    They were experts on hellebores and gave a talk to the garden club. They couldn't agree on the exact name of one of the plants and had a row! Sounds terrible but they were both so passionate. No longer with us but would love to hear them discuss a garden dilemma they were skilled plants people.
    They didn't have their own areas or borders but shared it all.

    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I do the deciding of what goes where,  OH doesn’t know anyway,  but he does all the lawns,  edges,  maintenance,  and pick axe’s out any huge plants gone past their best.
    He’s just axed out a huge patch of Crocosmia and a big dahlia tuber. 
    He does all the compost making,  I can’t turn it now very well,  and he sees  to all the recycling and bins. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • NormandyLizNormandyLiz Posts: 788
    edited October 2023
    I do just about everything except the compost and mowing the bits Cedders the robo mower can't do, they are my husband's contributions and very welcome ones too. His only other input is in decisions (occasionally), usually on the very few areas we disagree. I wanted bigger trees but he has a thing about them in the garden, so we went for smaller ones. He would like completely open around the perimeter, nothing blocking any view even of the road, but I'm winning that one, gradually.

    He will help me with heavy stuff if I ask or if I'm not feeling well, but I do most of that too as I get a great sense of achievement in creating beds and, currently, building a greenhouse (I have had help from a handy man). 

    I'm a very solitary bug so working on my own is my ideal. By coincidence, nearly all of the friends I've made here are gardeners of one sort or another and we chat, exchange seeds and plants, and 3 of us are visiting a Westonbirt inspired garden in a couple of weeks to do a tree/shrub seed workshop (I did their cuttings workshop a month or two ago, it was great). 

    I don't think I'd have it any other way.

  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    I do all the gardening myself. OH isn't interested. He will come and help for a few minutes if something needs two pairs of hands, like getting a large plant out of a large heavy pot, but those things are rare. I only garden with someone else if I'm at my parents' house or my sister's and I'm helping them in their garden.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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