trends in gardening, 2010

[Hattie the Hen]

I think bid has it there! In the past those who were poor always had a tough time & they had to be frugal -- there was no choice, other than illness & ultimately 'the workhouse' when you got thrown out of your home because you could no longer pay your rent or do the work for which you were given a 'tied cottage' & a very small wage.

These 'tied cottages' always came with a relatively large garden where you were expected to grow all your veg & fruit, keep poultry & a pig. You & your family worked this space after they returned from a very long day of very strenuous work. Moreover it was frowned upon if you gardened on Sundays!

They worked the soil with very few simple tools to provide their large families with basic wholesome food. They bartered what they had as surplus & they tried to look after their extended family as well. They were wonderful at 'stretching' what they had. Goods like shoes & boots were mended & handed down till they fell apart. Pots, pans & tools were handed down the generations & valued like gold.

I can still remember the tail end of all that just after World War II. But I think that the generation that lived through that time & the Depression
had a determination that this life should not continue. I can understand this but they threw out so many of the good things along with attaining the good. Balance is always necessary IMHO ....!

:rose Hattie :rose

 

[wifezilla]

20 years ago I was cheap, now I am frugal.

 

[ducks4you]

20 years ago I was cheap, now I am frugal.

Rock on--me, too--cheap, now "frugel"!!!
I know of a stable owner who bought a run-down structure, replaced the roof and the rotten wood, and even pulled out the bent nails, re-straightened them, and re-used them. MY HERO!!!
now passed on

 

[ducks4you]

Seriously, though, this is going to be good business for the stores that count of hobby gardeners. I pride myself on using my stuff until it totally wears out. Here are the items in question, NONE NEW:
1) New really big wheelbarrow (2005) Kept the old one, and still have MIL's tiny garden wheelbarrow--they are ALWAYS put away in a building at night
2) Work Gloves--finally gave up on 3 pairs that cannot be resuscitated--one pair for daily chores, one pair for breaking up dirt, one pair for chemicals (that I don't want on my hands, like fly lure), 4 riding gloves (1 leather, 3 synthetic)
3) 3 old pairs of work socks--until they're totally worn out
4) 4 pairs of old sweatpants--same as above
5) 5 pairs of work sneakers--same as above
6) 2 pairs of muckers (1 has cracks, but I can use them in the Spring when it's dry)
7) 1 pair, full-length cheap "Wellies"
8) Leather Riding boots--1 old pair English (embarrassing condition), 1 pair paddock boots, 1 pair Military Boots (Repro for CW), 1 pair Black Western boots
9) 1 set Walls lined bibs, and lined jacket, for when it's REALLY COLD!!!
10) 1 winter lined duster-length slicker, for rain/snow mix
11) Denim jacket, oversized with holes, to wear over sweaters for mucking out stalls in the winter (saves wear and tear on my Walls)
12) T-shirt collection--odd ducks that I wear in the warm weather for chores
13) 2 winter hats, one stretchy to go under my Walls jacket, one with a brim that I line with a "holey" 100% wool, old hat (mucking only!!)
I'm SURE that I missed some articles of clothing here!! I rotate and hang everything after I wear it, so I won't have to put on anything wet when I do the minimum, 2 daily feedings of critters.

DH complains that I wear too many rags when I ride/work the horses with him, so I'm keeping some clothes that I DON'T wear to clean anything, so I won't embarrass him!!

 

[journey11]

Hey Mary, I didn't mean to sound like I was looking down on urban gardeners! I say, you go girl! I really didn't mean that the way it sounded. I was referring more or less to the "hot off the red carpet" tone of the article. 'Round here we don't have any red carpet, just red clay, and I graduated with a lot of people who promptly ran from here to the big cities once they could!

 

[Lavender2]

journey ... I was thinking the same thing... 'huh? this is new?'
I am in a rural/farm area ... but many urban gardeners around here have been growing vegetable gardens for years.
I know a few of them who have out grown their yards and are renting plots at the community gardens.

I grew up in the urbs not far from here. Almost everyone had/has a vegetable garden, fruit trees, a patch of rhubarb, some herbs, etc.
Seems strange to call it a new trend...:/

I don't get into the 'big' cities much though, only when I must.
Last summer when I was in a St. Paul neighborhood I almost asked my husband "where are we?"
Out on the boulevards, for many blocks, were gorgeous vegetable gardens!... HUGE tomato plants, arbors and trellises covered with beans... sections of herbs and flowers etc ... and a big sign that said 'Organic ONLY!' It sure made me smile!!

Most sensible trend since blue jeans! Hope it hangs around as long!!

( I did manage to resist all the garden bling and special space age technology in the article ... whew ... )

 

[ninnymary]

Hey Mary, I didn't mean to sound like I was looking down on urban gardeners! I say, you go girl! I really didn't mean that the way it sounded. I was referring more or less to the "hot off the red carpet" tone of the article. 'Round here we don't have any red carpet, just red clay, and I graduated with a lot of people who promptly ran from here to the big cities once they could!

Journey11 - No offense taken! Here in California, especially the bay area people are really getting into eating organic and locally produced food. Hopefully the next step will be for some of these people to become gardeners. We can never have enough of them. Maybe if we had more gardeners some of our bad farming practices would stop or at least slow down.

mary

 

[vfem]

There is a thought, really... what would farmers do and how would they react if the home gardener got so common again, and farmers markets blew up to be such huge successes...? How would American Ag react?! What would there trends in sales determine they do to compete then?

What would be a significant dip in sales or demand mean?

Questions one should ask!

 

[wifezilla]

How would American Ag react?!

I think we have already seen some of it!

Honestly it has to be frustrating for farmers. Here they are following the business model that has been pushed by big ag , the government, extension agencies, banks, etc... and then us pesky customers say "No thanks. We think what you are doing is bad for our health, bad for the animals and bad for the environment."

It's enough to make their heads "asplode".

 

[vfem]

It's enough to make their heads "asplode".

LMAO