Yes, it's amazing how much can learn. I've been around about a year or so and have definitely come on - I find that I can now identify many of the plants people post, I have an opinion when people ask for advice, and when I was given a new gardening book last week I found myself tut-tutting and diasgreeing with some advice in it!
My friends and family dont seem to have quite so much faith in my ability though. On multiple occasions it's been pointed out what magically has appeared in the garden / alongside my house's roadside, only for me to point out that I would know about it already, given I planted it....
I'm getting a greenhouse soon (on order - sooo excitied) so hoping to do more seed growing and propagation, and proper veg garden. So expecting to learn much much more over next few years.
Also, I read that microbes in the soil improve brain function and mood - so the feel good factor from gardening is scientifically proven. Good enough reason for me...
Frank, I think engineers are different. My OH was apprenticed as a patternmaker, but then went to do a B. Ed in design and technology. When they got to the patternmaking bit, he ended up taking the class instead of the lecturer, as he said, he had a lot more practical experience. His twin brother teaches latin and has a B.A, an MA, a Ph,D and a cert Ed, but he always dismisses his brother as the one who likes to get his hands dirty ( never happier than when under the bonnet of a car). Should the apocalypse happen, I know who will be more use.
When I was ten, I was asked what was I hoping for for xmas. I said a greenhouse, I doubt it would fit on santas sleigh. The person asking gave me a very funny look.
Fidgitbones, once told engineers are quarried not born, they come with an inherent need to know how things work. Dad bought me the first Mechano at a very early age, Mother went ballistic, all those small screws and things will be lost in a week, a couple of days later a working windmill proved her wrong and every year that well loved Mechano was added to.
Dad a self taught mechanic would bring the truck in Saturday lunch time and it had to have a full maintenance ready for work Monday, over the years it was me doing the truck him in his beloved garden, we both loved what we did.
At 18 I was an Infantryman, loving it and already being promoted when MOD decided REME needed me more, they got a sour faced not wanting to be there in what I thought an inferior Corps, A sergeant fed up with my antics told me to pull out a box of bits, it was a Crossley Bus Engine notorious for being difficult things to work on as they had no timing marks. A couple of days later he came running as I fired it up and gave it revs forgetting to put the silencer on. All change and I got to be a WO1.
Gardening is much like engineering, build nurture repair where needed but best of all if it does not need fixing leave it.
Great attitude Frank, and loved your life story, especially the dynamo!
Apparently, in the RN (where engineering is what makes everything happen), one ME toolkit includes no fewer than eleven different hammers! And I once did woodwork with a bloke whose view on screws was that they only have threads on them so you can get 'em out.
Steve 309 yes sorry it did turn into a bit of a saga, the Tinsmiths shop in a REME workshop had more hammers than I had ever seen in one place, all with a use, most never used.
Gardening can be like that, I have a wall of tools for different uses and yet it is the same few get used for all purposes, most are tools Dad used for years before leaving them to me. The best one is a very long handled Dutch Hoe, I can sit in my sun trap and reaching out hoe the weeds without moving, ends up with a half circle of well hoed borders so then have to get up and do the rest, idle gardening does not work.
Some of it comes from experience gained over the years and some of it (probably most of it in my case) from repeating what I've read on here and hoping it's accurate
My grandad was in the REME, and my dad, and a cousin. The spanners in my dads garage range from tiddly little things to stuff suitable for a tank. Full set of imperial, full set of metric.
Fidgetbones, wondered where all the unit tools went we were changing tank engines on Luneburg with a set of pliers and a tin opener.
I have the same problem now, Dad can I just borrow whatever then have to go looking for it, at the moment I am missing a power washer, leaf lifter, lawn aerator and several hand tools.
ooh what lovely posts. I guess for me my first experience was digging ground elder out of a border every year from about the age of 5 ! My first house I was an eager gardener but didn't get much right, and hubby lost faith in my gardening skills. A new house, fab garden, lots of stuff to do and slowly I think I'm getting my husbands faith back that I have some idea of what I'm doing, as nothing is done without a lot of research.
I just need to not get a stripy lawn from not overlapping the lawn feed / moss control properly and how to get seedlings to grow straight and not all bendy as they always seem to do....
Fun times ahead I feel. Thank you for all putting up with my daft questions and there are a lot of them. I bore my friends to death talking about my garden so it is lovely to have you all here to share it with.
Posts
OK I'll correct that... my teachers hated it.
Yes, it's amazing how much can learn. I've been around about a year or so and have definitely come on - I find that I can now identify many of the plants people post, I have an opinion when people ask for advice, and when I was given a new gardening book last week I found myself tut-tutting and diasgreeing with some advice in it!
My friends and family dont seem to have quite so much faith in my ability though. On multiple occasions it's been pointed out what magically has appeared in the garden / alongside my house's roadside, only for me to point out that I would know about it already, given I planted it....
I'm getting a greenhouse soon (on order - sooo excitied) so hoping to do more seed growing and propagation, and proper veg garden. So expecting to learn much much more over next few years.
Also, I read that microbes in the soil improve brain function and mood - so the feel good factor from gardening is scientifically proven. Good enough reason for me...
Frank, I think engineers are different. My OH was apprenticed as a patternmaker, but then went to do a B. Ed in design and technology. When they got to the patternmaking bit, he ended up taking the class instead of the lecturer, as he said, he had a lot more practical experience. His twin brother teaches latin and has a B.A, an MA, a Ph,D and a cert Ed, but he always dismisses his brother as the one who likes to get his hands dirty ( never happier than when under the bonnet of a car). Should the apocalypse happen, I know who will be more use.
When I was ten, I was asked what was I hoping for for xmas. I said a greenhouse, I doubt it would fit on santas sleigh. The person asking gave me a very funny look.
Fidgitbones, once told engineers are quarried not born, they come with an inherent need to know how things work. Dad bought me the first Mechano at a very early age, Mother went ballistic, all those small screws and things will be lost in a week, a couple of days later a working windmill proved her wrong and every year that well loved Mechano was added to.
Dad a self taught mechanic would bring the truck in Saturday lunch time and it had to have a full maintenance ready for work Monday, over the years it was me doing the truck him in his beloved garden, we both loved what we did.
At 18 I was an Infantryman, loving it and already being promoted when MOD decided REME needed me more, they got a sour faced not wanting to be there in what I thought an inferior Corps, A sergeant fed up with my antics told me to pull out a box of bits, it was a Crossley Bus Engine notorious for being difficult things to work on as they had no timing marks. A couple of days later he came running as I fired it up and gave it revs forgetting to put the silencer on. All change and I got to be a WO1.
Gardening is much like engineering, build nurture repair where needed but best of all if it does not need fixing leave it.
Frank.
Great attitude Frank, and loved your life story, especially the dynamo!
Apparently, in the RN (where engineering is what makes everything happen), one ME toolkit includes no fewer than eleven different hammers! And I once did woodwork with a bloke whose view on screws was that they only have threads on them so you can get 'em out.
Steve 309 yes sorry it did turn into a bit of a saga, the Tinsmiths shop in a REME workshop had more hammers than I had ever seen in one place, all with a use, most never used.
Gardening can be like that, I have a wall of tools for different uses and yet it is the same few get used for all purposes, most are tools Dad used for years before leaving them to me. The best one is a very long handled Dutch Hoe, I can sit in my sun trap and reaching out hoe the weeds without moving, ends up with a half circle of well hoed borders so then have to get up and do the rest, idle gardening does not work.
Frank.
Some of it comes from experience gained over the years and some of it (probably most of it in my case) from repeating what I've read on here and hoping it's accurate
My grandad was in the REME, and my dad, and a cousin. The spanners in my dads garage range from tiddly little things to stuff suitable for a tank. Full set of imperial, full set of metric.
Fidgetbones, wondered where all the unit tools went we were changing tank engines on Luneburg with a set of pliers and a tin opener.
I have the same problem now, Dad can I just borrow whatever then have to go looking for it, at the moment I am missing a power washer, leaf lifter, lawn aerator and several hand tools.
Frank.
ooh what lovely posts. I guess for me my first experience was digging ground elder out of a border every year from about the age of 5 ! My first house I was an eager gardener but didn't get much right, and hubby lost faith in my gardening skills. A new house, fab garden, lots of stuff to do and slowly I think I'm getting my husbands faith back that I have some idea of what I'm doing, as nothing is done without a lot of research.
I just need to not get a stripy lawn from not overlapping the lawn feed / moss control properly and how to get seedlings to grow straight and not all bendy as they always seem to do....
Fun times ahead I feel. Thank you for all putting up with my daft questions and there are a lot of them. I bore my friends to death talking about my garden so it is lovely to have you all here to share it with.
