I am a simple man. I don’t need much and already have everything I could have ever dreamed of. Kind of sounds like a Lynyrd Skynyrd song, huh?
When it comes to gardening, I keep it real basic; give me my shovel, a pruner, a rake and a wheelbarrow and I can do some serious damage. I mean, c’mon, will you look at this goofy, simple tool (pun intended):
Every once and a while though, I’ll dream bigger and what better time to share my “wish list” with you than during this holiday season. Some of these items may be completely unattainable, but what the hell, Oprah once told me I should always physically write down my dreams and that will help them come true through some sort of cosmic force. Well Mrs. Stedman, I’m putting it to the test right now.
1)A few years ago, I read a story in Better Homes and Gardens about a man who had an amazing greenhouse built on his property in Connecticut. The family would trek through the snow and eat dinner there each winter evening and it was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. I dream about doing the same or even just a chance to play around in the dirt while it is snowing outside. The ultimate winter escape. I’ll take this one from BetterGreenhouses:
2)All gardeners cherish their pruners and I am no different. Admittedly, I cheaped out in the past; pruners are pruners, right? Um, that would be “no”. A few years ago, my wife bought me a one handed pruner from Felco and I’ve never looked back. Super light, comfortable grip and cuts like a champ. Well, I’m now ready to add to my Felco collection. I would love to get a new pair of loppers or two-handed shears, like this:
3)I have been reading a lot about gardening styles in Germany, specifically, the extensive use of ecologically smart, native perennials. The design is to combine them in a wild, prairie like manner and I would kill to check them out up close and personal. Well, I found this and dared to dream. Could I ever take off two weeks to do this? Nope. But it is fun as hell to dream about it. Check out the Karl Foerster garden in Potsdam:
4)I order the majority of my perennials and shrubs from Bluestone Perennials and have NEVER been disappointed. So, again, I’m dreaming big and would love an unlimited lifetime supply of all I can find in their online catalog. Here are a few I’ve already been eying up:
Ligularia Britt-Marie Crawford |
Hakonechloa Aureola |
5)Last, but not least, I want a gigantic vacuum that will suck up all the standing water that engulfs my yard each winter/spring:
And while I’m thinking big and bold, I want it to be a giant Roomba that I can control from inside of my house with a remote.
Well that’s not asking for too much is it? One can only dream.
ONG
I’ll bet the upscale garden magazines offer sun rooms that have easier access. It could be attached to one’s home so that one can use it during snow storms and rainy weather. That is of course, if the greenhouse is climate controlled.
It breaks my heart to see water pooling on your property in spring. I’ll bet its related to the reason you were unable to grow Roses.
Shame on the developer who did not grade the property with a gentle slope away from the house up to the property line where he should have installed French drains.
Shame on him too for not removing the earth around the house that was intensely compacted during construction. Ordinary compacted earth is bad; Compacted clay earth is unbearable.
Given the size of your property, amending the soil to alleviate the problem will cost big bucks.
I love all your ‘favorite things’, and I just bet you’ll find at least some of them under the tree this year. I don’t know how many Felco pruners I own anymore, my son bought me one for every day of the week, and I swear I use them all. The lopper type are Awesome with a capital A. We have a homemade el cheapo greenhouse we put up in March where I can potter around when there’s still snow on the ground, but a fancy shmancy one would be awesome to own (and throw dinner parties in!)
May all your dreams come true, including a humongous Roomba complete with remote (or maybe, a riding one?) so you can rid yourself of excess water! Barring that, maybe plans for a rain garden/bog?
Send that list to Santa fast!
I want the greenhouse too.
You want a vaccum cleaner for Christmas?
Should I get you one in pink?
😛
I love my Felco tools, they are great products. Glad to see I am not the only one who needs giant suction on the water in the yard. Luckily some of the water has disappeared already. I think I bought this house because it had a greenhouse. They are great but always get bigger than what you think.
That sounds completely reasonable. Felco kicks ass, so they are on my list too. If we are talking Opera worthy lists, a greenhouse would be on mine too!
I hope you get what your lookin
g for.
(honestly I don’t know what happened there!)