Welcome to The Lounge for another week.
This week it’s all about Power.
The links are below.
Our neighbours are mad keen gardeners.
Mr and Mrs Robo, on the other hand, are a bit younger, so we aren’t as earnest yet. We’re getting there. I predict that gardening will feature more prominently in our lives as we grow older.
Gardening can be boring at times, especially if it’s tiring, repetitive work. But there is a great sense of satisfaction to be gained from an afternoon in the yard.
And no-one denies you a few cold beers throughout the day.
A few weekends ago Mr Robo had an epic gardening session. It involved hiring a lopping crew to remove some damaged trees.
What resulted was a mound of mulch that took up most of our front yard.
Our gardener neighbours spotted the mulch pile and we offered it to them.
This began another epic session of moving the mulch to their yard.
Our gardener neighbours wanted the mulch to re-pot their orchid collection. To say thank you for the hundreds of dollars worth of free bark, they gave us one of their orchids. Mr Robo gave them one of our cold beers.
I don’t know a great deal about orchids but if I have any questions I will ask my neighbours.
Nature encourages communication. It can create the most wonderful conversations and build beautiful relationships.
Nature is a great teacher. Nature is a wonderful companion. Nature is all-consuming. Nature is God. Nature is about discovery. Nature is about giving.
Nature is a powerful thing.
The power of the garden should not be underestimated.
Garden much?
Love,
Robo X
RoboMum 
October 10th, 2013 at 20:51
For four years I have wanted to garden. But all I managed when moving into our new home was ripping out forty three rose bushes (with a newborn, they were impossible to tend), and endlessly weeding the bare garden beds since. To my horror, I have learnt ours was known as the house with the roses! The previous elderly tenants must be horrified! But alas, this past month, the garden has been reborn with my parents turning up with dozens of plants and helping me. I am not a gardener, but I am becoming one. It is a joy to watch it come to life!
October 10th, 2013 at 20:51
Oh no! I’m cringing about those roses!! the neighbours must’ve thought, what are these people doing?! Glad some plants are coming back.There’s just something about a garden. X
October 10th, 2013 at 20:51
I pull weeds out and murder plants. Is that the same as gardening?!
In seriousness, I don’t like gardening. But I do like being outside, and I do like that feeling at the end when you look at the garden and realise you’ve made SOME sort of difference – even if it’s just having cleared the path so you can actually enter the house!
Thanks for hosting The Lounge!
October 10th, 2013 at 20:51
I like that feeling too – some sense of accomplishment. Pulling out weeds is the worst – especially when they’re out of control. I hate that job.
October 10th, 2013 at 20:51
Love the connection there with nature…and cold beer 😉
But seriously, you’re right. Nature has this awesome power to it and I do love how it can connect people. Look at surfers – they’re a tight knit community with the unified love of the ocean. x
October 10th, 2013 at 20:51
Exactly right!
October 10th, 2013 at 20:51
People who can grow things are very impressive. I discovered yesterday that there are even hardcore apple lovers who congregate on the internet (much like bloggers) to analyse, discuss and review their favourite fruit. Yes, people review apples!
And there are some hardcore apple lovers out there who scoff at people who use terms like Pink Lady (it’s a trademark, apparently – the apple itself is a Cripps Pink. Not to be confused with a Cripps Red, which is trademarked as a Sundowner.)
Reading the apple forum gave me as much pleasure as some of the apples obviously gave the writers: http://www.orangepippin.com/topvarieties.aspx
October 10th, 2013 at 20:51
I had a teacher at my high school call Cripps. We thought he was a freak.
I will check out these apple peeps. Love me a kitschy sub-culture.
October 10th, 2013 at 20:51
In a word – no – I don’t garden – BUT – it’s hard growing shit here SE Qld, unless you like succulents and spiky plants 😦 But I do have a few natives that just seem to look after themselves and attract a few parrots here and there – LOVE me a cold beer, well a cold drink of any thing really! 🙂
October 10th, 2013 at 20:51
Lol. Me too ;o)
October 10th, 2013 at 20:51
I love gardening and I love the idea of gardening. But gardening these days usually involves my 3 year old pottering about, talk constantly and tipping dirt into the bird bath (no wonder there are never any birds in it) so mostly I leave the gardening up to my husband, and that’s their quality time 😉
October 11th, 2013 at 20:51
Hate Gardening but I do love sitting in the beanbag outside in the sun looking at it…Very therapeutic!
October 11th, 2013 at 20:51
That’s great therapy! I haven’t sat in a beanbag in years!
October 11th, 2013 at 20:51
That’s lovely, I love a bit of neighbourly interaction! I love gardening, but it is hard work hey!?
October 11th, 2013 at 20:51
If you let it go too far the workload increases dramatically. 😉
October 11th, 2013 at 20:51
I got into it with the boys last weekend and had loads of fun – the eldest declared it the best day ever and I was inclined to agree. Kids love to get dirty, help pick out plants at the nursery, help dig the holes and do the planting, and we all get a great sense of satisfaction from our efforts. I wish I had more time for it.
October 11th, 2013 at 20:51
Same here. Nothing better than free reign in the dirt. And they adore their $5 gumboots as well.
October 11th, 2013 at 20:51
I love gardening! Unfortunately I don’t get to do as much of it as I like, but hopefully one day I will 🙂
October 15th, 2013 at 20:51
I hope so too! X
October 12th, 2013 at 20:51
That’s such a cool story. My elderly neighbour builds children’s furniture, just for something to do. My kids have the best handmade doll’s cots etc thanks to him. We take him cupcakes occasionally since that’s the limit of my handiwork!
October 15th, 2013 at 20:51
I think working with wood is one of he greatest skills someone can have. I’m sure your neighbour loves the cupcakes and the company X