What did you do in the garden today?

[oldhen2345]

I just wanted to contribute to the falling discussion - I take my cell phone with me everywhere & I set it on the toilet when I shower. Should something happen I should be able to reach it but if not I have Google set up to my voice so I can make it call DH or 911 or something.

And it's not because I fall, but because I have a bad back & I've been stuck down at the coop unable to walk after picking up a food dish before. Never go anywhere without it, if I don't have pockets it goes in my bra, lol!

I try to keep pockets. It gets too wet in my bra when working in the yard ( when I wear one) Keep it within reach of the shower. Can’t be too careful.

 

[Ascholten]

So I heard of a butt dial but a boob dial? So if you are well endowed, can you call more than one person at a time? One thing to keep in mind on those phones in the shower, besides for camera's being able to be turned on remotely, but besides that. If you have the phone locked, those fingerprint reading things, suck, if your fingers are even remotely wet you will NOT unlock the phone. Typing on the touch screen with wet fingers may be an issue too, so unless you have some sort of press the side button, ICE number, it could not go as easily as you hope it would.

Aaron

 

[Acre4Me]

Yep welcome to Florida, if it's not storming it's steaming.

So hot! My kid was stationed in FL, and was desperate to leave due to the year round heat and humidity (well, maybe a 2 month break from heat/humidity). But, that kid does love cold weather and snow.

 

[Sueby]

So I heard of a butt dial but a boob dial? So if you are well endowed, can you call more than one person at a time? One thing to keep in mind on those phones in the shower, besides for camera's being able to be turned on remotely, but besides that. If you have the phone locked, those fingerprint reading things, suck, if your fingers are even remotely wet you will NOT unlock the phone. Typing on the touch screen with wet fingers may be an issue too, so unless you have some sort of press the side button, ICE number, it could not go as easily as you hope it would.

Aaron

I have Google voice set to bypass the lock screen if it recognizes my voice. Trust me, I yell to google half way across the house to do things 10 times a day.

Ok Google, text DH that dinner is ready... - that's daily.

 

[gtaus]

I fell once in my stand up shower.. new no slip pad

Like I said, bathrooms can be dangerous places. A stand up shower should be safer than getting in and out of a bathtub, and some non slip pads are better than others. But yeah, one still has to be careful. What I liked about the sliding bathtub seat is that my parents did not have to stand up (and balance themselves) at all and I felt that was even safer than a walk in shower.

And don't forget some solid handbars around the tub/toilet if needed. Both good for the person needing help and also for the caregiver if they need something solid to grab on to when trying to help steady the person requiring care.

 

[vall]

Yep welcome to Florida, if it's not storming it's steaming.

I think I'm moving to Florida. Going to be a big big change from California. I love the heat and humidity, though. What are you growing this time of year?

 

[gtaus]

I once lost my balance while trying to dig a hole for a rose. As I fell, holding onto the shovel, the handle gouged me in the breast- real hard. As I lay on the grass, I had to wonder if you can break a boob.

i recently watched a YouTube video of a guy with a severe neck and shoulder disability who had invented a method to transplant his tomatoes into his garden without bending over. He used a 3 inch round PVC pipe, about 4 feet long. At the bottom end he cut the pipe at an angle, so he could drag the pipe across the dirt and make a hole/trough for his tomato transplant. Then he popped the tomato down the PVC pipe and it slid into the hole. Then he used his feet to finish packing the dirt around the transplant. Never had to bend down at all. If I come across that video again, I'll post it to the forum.

Another method to reduce the chance of losing your balance and falling over while you garden is to rethink your needs and use elevated garden beds. I started to think about those things when my parents got to a certain age. They were not gardeners, but I saw my dad lose his balance more and more frequently and sometimes he would fall. Anyway, I built three elevated sub irrigated garden beds which are waist high. No bending required at all to plant and maintain those elevated beds. Great for people in wheelchairs. I use the square foot gardening method for those elevated planters and have had tremendous results.

 

[Ascholten]

I think I'm moving to Florida. Going to be a big big change from California. I love the heat and humidity, though. What are you growing this time of year?

You can grow anything just about. I have potato's growing really good now. They dont like a lot of heat but I have them under a tree so they get a few hours sun in the morning and a few in the afternoon. I got the rest of the normal stuff too, squash, cucumbers, okra, corn, bla bla bla. The humidity you will learn NOT to like it after a while trust me. If you want the real tropical stuff, then southern florida is probably better for you, but otherwise anywhere in the state is pretty good. Cape Coral, Ft. Myers, etc in that area, very rarely get frost. So with that, stuff that NEEDS cold like apples and such may not do very well.

Aaron

 

[pennyJo1960]

I have shower stool if I get bad enough can put it in the shower not that bad just yet but use it to dry feet, legs as I exit the shower.. So far, so good

 

[NewBoots]

finally getting back in the garden properly

Glad you checked in with us Alfie, I'd been wondering what you were up to. I'm so sorry about your falls, I had a couple bad ones some time back and it took a while to get my nerves settled again.

@NewBoots - so I made a batch of the garlic oil & put it in the freezer. Going to test it out before I make a bunch more. It was a pain to peel the uncured garlic, I must say!

The head I took out of the garage they other day wasn't completely cured yet, but the cloves slipped out of the skin super easily. I'm definitely going to make some of the garlic/oil paste, I bet it's killer on french or italian bread.

The reseeded Jalapenos are doing ok and the eggplant is very happy- I need to make an elderberry area still.

Our 2 elderberries are starting to look like real bushes at last. I think the drip watering system is going to be a big help for them as well. Both DP and I take elderberry supplements and it'd be nice to make our own.

And don't forget some solid handbars around the tub/toilet if needed. Both good for the person needing help and also for the caregiver if they need something solid to grab on to when trying to help steady the person requiring care.

We've had them for years, they give me a real feeling of security. If I start to lose my balance (it happens more as time goes on) I have a solid grab point to count on. DP's dad was resistant to adding safety features to his house and I swore I'd never fight the things that make my independent life safer.

No gardening yet today (other than munching a few snap peas off the vine ) cuz we finally took the new (to us) boat out to launch it for the first time. DP did great getting the trailer down the ramp and we got her into the lake. Unfortunately there were motor issues and we've decided that and electric start would be a better idea. Pull rope starters are not fun, especially when the motor keeps dying. I Used the new grill/smoker last night and it worked a treat! Grilled tomatoes, zucchini, onions, and mushrooms, with grilled bratwurst. Now I'm mad keen to try some actual bbq, the freezer is full of ribs, chicken hindquarters, (stocked up during the plague) and trout so I have lots to play with.

First try at grilling:

Newest babies enjoying snap peas:

Tomatoes, marigolds and carrots:

The giant shallots:

The snapdragons that went crazy this year:

The tomatoes, nemesia, and basil on the other side of the bed from the snapdragons:

And I have a question, has anyone had any luck with tomatoes that stayed too long in small pots? Once put in a proper bed, did they recover or are they just a waste of time and space? Here is a post of my secret shame:

I started so many tomatoes this year and it took a while for enough space to open in the beds that a couple dozen ended up like this. I've put one in the bed as an experiment and picked out a few others that still seemed to have growing tips but some had already fruited and seemed to have given up and those I've already tossed. Opinions?