My husband LISTENS?!?!?!

[vfem]

Ok every woman wonders if they listen, and if they care or not. I always ASSUMED he just did what I asked of him, and didn't care for what and why.

He wasn't a fan of the garden, and surely wasn't a fan of my chickens. He built my raised beds because they made me happy (and he did not want me touching his circular saw or table saw because he just bought them, and well... he liked my fingers attached). As for planting, he's had no involvement and didn't want to help.

However, after the first few months and watching me grow in the house all winter he did tell me he wanted grapes and apple trees... so that was the first sign he cared some. He even planted them himself.

Then yesterday he comes home and told me he had a job about an hour from here, and when he got there to help patch up the problem with their roof he had to walk out into their garden to find the home owners. He saw the guy out there battling with bugs on his Cabbage and trying to stake up his tomato plants. My husband suggested they tried DE for the bugs on the cabbage, and that tomato cages may work better then the small plastic stakes he was trying to use. Then he noticed their corn was all planted in one long row?!?! He pointed out that they should have at least 3 rows wide of corn so they pollinate properly. The guy said they may explain why when he did it last year the same way, he got tons of stalks and not one ear of corn.

OMG! I'm in shock... my husband actually listened and learned!!!

Pardon my shock

 

[rebbetzin]

Goodness, are we married to the same man??? My husband surprises me with ideas he give me for the garden, yet he seldom goes out in the yard.

When I get new flowers for the garden, he always says "Can I eat that?"

If it were up to him we would have rocks and dirt!! (lower water bills... he knows it makes me happy to putter in the garden, we have the most expensive veggies and eggs in the city!!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Well, see my problem is that when I started gardening it was my thing too. My husband didn't really care too much, so long as I didn't take out all of the lawn. Now he is really into the idea of growing veggies and fruit trees and such, so now he is actually questioning why I do the things that I do. Or he thinks he knows better . . . having read something here or there, but not having the practical know-how (or region-specific information that might differ from what he knows). So he is becoming exasperating. I have to remind him that I don't butt into his building projects.

The last obnoxious thing he said to me was that because I decided to plant one more row of asparagus around the perimeter of the garden, that I was creating a monoculture! LOL I hadn't told him I would be interplanting with strawberries, but I guess it wouldn't have mattered, since he knows better than me anyway. LOL

Beware . . . I think it is healthy for a couple to have different hobbies. Some couples may get along ok with the same hobby, but for others (people who generally prefer to work alone and unmolested) . . . it may not work out so well. LOL Our plan is for my husband to have his own garden to tend totally on his own, but he hasn't found the time for it yet.

 

[vfem]

Well, hubby is just NOT allowed in the veggie garden other then to harvest or play in the rocks with our daughter. I left the 'Orchard' to him... that is his project and I'm not taking care of those trees for him. Or the grapes... he needs to learn and do those on his own. However, like you said... he BUILDS things. His big hobbies are playing pool and he likes to work out at the gym. He has his own gym time and I just started working out... but NOT together.

My flowers do NOT interest him one bit... other then comments he makes about the 'curb appeal' and 'market value'. Which is fine... I don't think we'll live here forever... but the flowers are actually just to make me happy, and make things smell good to visitors.

You better set up a whole seperate garden for hubby... draw a line in the sand if you know what I mean.

 

[patandchickens]

Yeah, a majority of the couples I know where both parties are seriously into gardening have some division like "the front yard is mine, the back yard is yours" or "flowers mine, veggies and trees yours"

Pat, whose husband has not the faintest shred of any interest in anything not electronic (except our kids) (who do go 'beep' on a regular basis, so he may not actually be *aware* they are not electronic )

 

[DrakeMaiden]

LOL Thanks you guys, I feel a little bit better now.

Yes, Vfem, there has already been a line drawn in the sand about who plays in which sandbox, so to speak. I think he is just frustrated that he hasn't started his own garden yet. Also, I suspect he is a little put off by the thought of having to water his own garden space. He has enough maintenance chores around here without having to worry about keeping the plants content.

How funny, Pat.

 

[Rosalind]

It happens. Mine built garden gates for me this week, to keep the rabbits out. Last year the rabbits demolished the peas, and he's a big fan of sugar snaps.

 

[Purple Strawberry]

vfem I am sooo happy for you. I would be shocked also.

Angie :rainbow-sun

 

[momofdrew]

My DH has a slight interest in the garden especially growing potatoes but after 20 years helping me in the garden he still cannot identify a columbin from a lupin or burdoc from hairy vetch...he also hasnt learned not to walk off the path.... big foot is always crushing some unsuspecting plant right now it is my strawberries

I bite my tongue a lot cause having fibromyalgia I do need his muscle in the garden and if I start to complain he will stop helping...and I cannot split my daylillies by my self anymore...

 

[GrowinVeggiesInSC]

This thread is hilarious!
My DH is allowed in the garden with supervision. I left for the weekend a few weeks ago, and I was terrified he would kill something. I left explicit directions and he did fine.
He always brags about "our garden" and I just can't say, "uhhmmm OUR garden? Really? What do YOU do?" because I am just so glad he stays out of my hair. So yes, it can be "our" garden as long as he wants. heehee