What makes You an "Easy" Gardener?

[ducks4you]

@Zeedman, you REALLY need to get some cats to patrol your garden!
Plant some catnip next year?...maybe?...get your neighbor's cats to work FOR YOU!
I was aMAZED when my 7 kitties killed ALL of the rats who were living under my chicken coop, INSIDE of the run, where they couldn't patrol, but they killed every one of them, including the young ones.
I don't have a mouse problem, and they frequently discard extra mice.
I heard from a Vet Tech many years ago that mice are the Perfect food for a cat, all of the nutrients that they need.
AND, they love to hunt them.

 

[Zeedman]

@Zeedman, you REALLY need to get some cats to patrol your garden!
Plant some catnip next year?...maybe?...get your neighbor's cats to work FOR YOU!

Well, I've got plenty of catnip growing wild on the home plot, and we sometimes spot a feral cat we named "Mama cat" after it raised a brood in one of our window wells. Sadly, as much as I love cats, house cats are out of the question... I am severely allergic to them. Besides, the cats would need to roam freely to be effective, and in a suburban setting, the neighbors might not take kindly to that.

 

[baymule]

At our old house, we lived next door to the cat lady who fed all the feral cats for seemingly miles around. There would be 40-60 cats in her driveway every evening for the food she set out. They sprayed pee on our house, porch, yard, pooped in the yard and in my garden. I can vouch for the "neighbors" not appreciating cats running all over the place. LOL LOL

 

[flowerbug]

At our old house, we lived next door to the cat lady who fed all the feral cats for seemingly miles around. There would be 40-60 cats in her driveway every evening for the food she set out. They sprayed pee on our house, porch, yard, pooped in the yard and in my garden. I can vouch for the "neighbors" not appreciating cats running all over the place. LOL LOL

we've just been reading news reports of a certain area not far from here that was being used as a feral cat feeding station. someone was tresspassing to bring in shelters and food. it was raising a stink. the owner didn't want it happening there and the township ordinance inspector got the call as it was really stinking up the place. the county animal control would not assist since they will not trap or control feral cats (what are we paying them for then?!).

 

[digitS']

"2020 wasn't a good year for them."

Enough seasons of experience and we all know this feeling. There aren't many immediate gratification moments with gardening. With many garden varieties and a temperate climate, it's a 12 month wait with tedious downtime, then, anxiety at every step. I'd say that a gardener has to be a curmudgeon stick-in-the-mud but, I know that off-season imagination and harvest joys are very important to "easy gardener" me and my motivation.

The instant gratification thing: I sometimes wonder if that isn't why I have this orientation towards leafy greens. Touting vitamin values is just an excuse. Quick and easy - hopefully . Flowering comes later; fruit comes later; seeds come later, still ...

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

"2020 wasn't a good year for them."

Enough seasons of experience and we all know this feeling. There aren't many immediate gratification moments with gardening. With many garden varieties and a temperate climate, it's a 12 month wait with tedious downtime, then, anxiety at every step. I'd say that a gardener has to be a curmudgeon stick-in-the-mud but, I know that off-season imagination and harvest joys are very important to "easy gardener" me and my motivation.

The instant gratification thing: I sometimes wonder if that isn't why I have this orientation towards leafy greens. Touting vitamin values is just an excuse. Quick and easy - hopefully . Flowering comes later; fruit comes later; seeds come later, still ...

Steve

Steve, are you calling me a stick-in-the-mud? I don't see myself in that way, haha. Radishes are quick and easy! They're also good in soups to add some crunch.

Mary

 

[Nifty]

Wait!

I realize that I have been around since Moses was in the whale but it must have been @Nifty who referred to this as the easy garden.

Of course, the title may have been a mistaken translation from the original hieroglyphics.

Steve

LOL! This.... all of this!!!!!

 

[Nifty]

I'm loving this thread! Thanks for starting it @digitS' !!!

I mean something like this: I want success. So, I like diversity -- how can the stellar performance of the tomatoes, the okay performance of the peppers, and the poor performance of the eggplant be anticipated? After decades of experience, I can't even be confident of a guess.

Hmmm... good ponderings and questions. Now you have me thinking more about my own success (and sometimes lack-thereof) with my garden!

Something else that makes gardening easier for me under this heading I suppose is a wishy-washy attitude. Of course, I'd call it flexibility.

Ok, this is just a brilliant statement and wonderful perspective. Ya, I definitely need to adopt this!!!

 

[Nifty]

Hmm... all the earlier talk about rodents resonates with me. We've never had problems with mice, but DEFINITELY issues with rats. Under the house, up in the attic, around the coop. It's been such an issue controlling them.

So... we got a rescue feral kitty and let her out of her cage on Saturday. She's already killed two rats!!

 

[flowerbug]

Hmm... all the earlier talk about rodents resonates with me. We've never had problems with mice, but DEFINITELY issues with rats. Under the house, up in the attic, around the coop. It's been such an issue controlling them.

So... we got a rescue feral kitty and let her out of her cage on Saturday. She's already killed two rats!!

View attachment 37284

is the rescue feral kitty friendly enough you can be sociable? or very standoffish? it looks like a nice kitty to me.