The day is upon me...

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

The pandemic postponed my hip replacement surgery scheduled in March to when it got better. Well tomorrow is the day. I promised my wife I’d get the new garden compound finished before the surgery because postponement made this entirely possible...if we worked smartly.

Well, in spite of Michigan’s fickle weather which included...beautiful sunny days...a kinda freakish snowstorm...cloudy, very windy days...we finished Saturday. We can’t put the plants in the ground yet... too chilly. They are safe in the grow tent aching to be out in the soil.






Couple different views. You can see the arc of the elderberry grove in the background, that’s a new one also.





And the new raspberry bed.

[MFM008]

1. That hip replacement

Is not a fast recovery.
Ive had both knees done and i swear it took
6 months to really get back to normal.
Everyone's different just dont push yourself to
Hard in the garden.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

11. Pushing too hard...

is going to be my biggest hurdle. But I have a great partner in my wife that will temper my desires. When she wants she can do a really good job at that.
Thanks for thoughts. I’ll take it easy!

[Squinch]

16. Knee recovery is often very difficult. Hips are usually much easier. If you ever

need the hip replacement, don't be put off it because of memories of how tough the knees were.

Glad both of your knee recoveries are behind you.

[yellowdogintexas]

32. yes. Hip is a far less complex joint

It was the first joint replacement procedure and it was several years before any other joints were attempted.

My brother in law said the same thing, Squinch. Don't put it off for fear of pain; if he had known how much better he was going to feel, even on the recovery table, he'd have done it much sooner.

Hip, 2 knees, bunch of stuff in his feet. I have taken to calling him the Bionic Farmer His RA is very severe and all these artificial joints at least make it possible for him to work

[Lochloosa]

2. Good luck. I envision some tasty tomatoes coming out of there.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

13. Hope so...

Bought a tomato book a while ago...from some guy in North Carolina, Raleigh, I believe...posts here sometimes, seems to have a fascination with tomatoes.

[Lochloosa]

24. I know the book.

[Lochloosa]

59. I found the book. Epic tomatoes...here's a link

https://www.craiglehoullier.com/intro

[samnsara]

3. im jealous!!! Ive always wanted a garden...

...good luck with your surgery and post op. Send photos of the veggies this summer!

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

14. Thanks...will post pics!

[gademocrat7]

4. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

The garden compound looks great. Take care.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

15. Thanks, will do.

[japple]

5. Nice job. Congratulations on getting this done before your surgery. I hope everything

goes well with your hip replacement, recovery and PT. It will be a long haul, but I'll bet you'll be in that garden before summer's end. Good luck.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

18. Hey!..thanks..there will be weeds to be pulled by then.

[yellowdogintexas]

34. that is a beautiful garden compound!

Good luck with your recovery

[calimary]

6. Take it slow and easy!

Looks like you’ve got a nice head start on the garden! Just be gentle on yourself.

[Roy Rolling]

7. Awesome!

I’m always amazed at the security perimeters gardeners build to protect the plants from varmints. Who and what do the fences keep out?

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

20. Deer primarily...

In the first picture look past the fence to the patch of green behind it... that’s where the deer bed sometimes. Then there’s the rabbits...who believe it... can squeeze through even those little openings in the fence. Squirrels, coyotes, skunks, porcupines.
The first line of defense is outside the compound. “Sacrificial crops” that lure and keep busy those other little critters. Some kale, dill, fennel things that will feed them and keep them out of the garden. Plus what they don’t eat...we will!

[NJCher]

43. bunnies are the least of a gardener's worries

It's GROUNDHOGS who are the enemy!!

Anyway, looks really nice, N_E_1. I have many raised beds and will be planting today in mine. I do a lot of cool weather crops at this time. In fact, I think I have a pic. I may return with that pic, if I can find it.

on edit:

Here's one of my beds with a curly mustard on the left and mesclun/baby arugula on the right.



and

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

45. Salad time!...

I can hardly wait. The pesky ground diggers tried to get in but we’re thwarted by the underground fencing around the place. It’s under the bricks cut off Some of the fencing and buried it about two feet down then the bricks on top. The tunnel turned away! Have mostly moles and voles.

[NJCher]

47. good thinking

Hahah, nothing like a pest, thwarted.

My cat goes out and gets the moles and voles, but she's so good they haven't come around for years.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

50. At my old place we had cats...

Don’t know where they came from but we took care of them...they took care of the pests.
Now my 20 pound Havanese dog runs down and gets the chipmunks and mice. He blew our his ACL a couple weeks ago brace coming next week.
Two gimpy beings walking around is kinda comical.

[Roy Rolling]

57. The fight for food is real!

I had no idea the uninvited guests you have, two foot deep fencing? Great job. And the planting for the critters is a nice touch. Until they get too fat and plentiful and the bears move in.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

58. Bears won't come into town...

They stay mainly in the National Forest couple miles north.

[wendyb-NC]

8. What an awesome garden space

It has an exquisite design. You guys put a lot of thoughtful planning and hard work into it.

I hope the surgery goes very well, tomorrow. May your recovery be speedy, you can get back out in the garden and help tend to the plants, and enjoy the harvests when they come in in a few more months. Thanks for posting. Let us know how you're doing and what is growing in your garden. Many blessings to you and your wife.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

21. Thank you!

That’s compound has been planned over the winter. The design hopefully allows us to “companion plant” the beds. It will not be a row type garden but one planned out more like a city park with helpful plants next to or close to each other.

[FakeNoose]

9. A nice accomplishment!

Good luck with your surgery, I hope everything goes well. The garden will still be there once you've recovered. I really envy you for the raspberries too.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

22. Thanks, FN..

that’s a new raspberry bed so next year for fruit. The Michigan black raspberry bush up by the house is my favorite which is not pictured.

[brer cat]

10. I hope your surgery and recovery goes well.

Your garden compound is wonderful. I wish mine was that neat and well laid out.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

23. Thanks...

New is always neat..I hope it looks like this next spring!

[Squinch]

12. Beautiful garden space! And I know many people who say the pain they felt the day after their

hip replacement was a fraction of the pain they felt the day before the surgery.

Good luck!

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

25. That's what my doc says!...

Truth be told there were days just walking back to the house after working out there took a while.
I’ll be fine!
Thank you, Squinch.

[LymphocyteLover]

17. Nice! I'm so jealous

but what is a "grow tent"?

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

27. It is a 4x4x7 enclosure...

That is set up with grow lights and air circulation with Mylar reflective sides for increased light spread. I also grow cannabis so these plants are just “renting” some space for a little while.

Here’s a look at one system.
https://hydrobuilder.com/complete-grow-tent-packages.html

[LymphocyteLover]

30. Cool! Thanks. Do you keep it inside or outside?

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

35. The tent is inside...

my garage which is attached to the house. We have a small home the garage is what my wife calls her “first floor basement”. It is insulated never dipping below 40 degrees even on a sub-zero day, which we have plenty in Michigan. The lights inside give warmth also.

[LymphocyteLover]

51. Cool, thanks

[mollie8]

19. Gardens

Enjoyed seeing the garden pics. We used to make a garden but stopped a few years ago when we used the space for a camper shed. This spring we decided to plant a few veggies--tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, and carrots. Looking at your pictures I thought we need a Topics group for gardens. Wondering if others are interested?

[onethatcares]

26. the "garden" section is

in the Recreation sub forum.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

28. Beat me to it thanks.

[Ford_Prefect]

29. Well Done You!

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

37. Thanks...looked all over...

For a garden answer...didn’t panic ...it always came back 42.

[marble falls]

31. I want to move back up north just to have another garden. Yours is a beauty!

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

38. Come on up...

cost of living here is great. Small town living is the best.

[marble falls]

52. We live in small towns, but this is hotter'n hell Texas and the ground here is four inches of ...

soil on granite, and we live in a condo association and raising beds ain't allowed. I wanted to put a hive or two in surrounded by chain link on five sides with padlocked gates and they nixed that. We have good light on the deck but the trees are shading enough so not not much flowers. I have a nice little herb garden and the ferns love it, but its hard to grow anything to eat.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

53. My BIL lives around Dallas...

Richardson. Visited a couple years ago in summer, I love hot weather...but I gotta be near water.

[marble falls]

56. I'm near enough to the lakes Walking distance to the water. But hotter than hell ...

East of Dallas towards Looziana is some of the best gardening I've ever seen - two harvests. But the humidity is killer.

[LeftInTX]

60. Hey, if you're in Marble Falls, it's cooler than San Antonio...LOL

At least it's not as humid and there is a breeze.

At least I noticed that when my son lived in Kerrville. But it's all relative anyway.

[marble falls]

61. Its cooler in Marble Falls, but more progressive in San Antonio. Used to be some good cheap ...

art/studio space in SA in the old days, but I hear that's not so true anymore. A carpet bagger from San Antonio bought the building here I was in for 10 years and put me out. So they're up here now messing things up.

[niyad]

33. Awwwwwww. That looks wonderful.

Wishing you much success with your surgery and recovery. Please let us know how you are doing.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

39. Will do niyad...

Thank you 😊

[Richluu]

36. Yes, I remodeled an upstairs bedroom before my hip replacement

Congrats! The thing to remember about a hip replacement is that it's major surgery, and it takes about a year to feel completely normal. Rely on your walker; keep one hand on it when you're up.

10 days after my surgery I leaned forward with burn hands reaching out and lost my balance. I've never had that happen before; it was the leftover effects of anesthesia.

Well, I broke my femur which required a second surgery. Talk about a setback!

It's two years after the surgeries now, and i walk miles a day and do everything I like. But you have to baby yourself, especially those first few months after the surgery.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

40. Thanks for the warnings...

This will be my third major surgery...quadruple bypass..aortic stent for an aneurysm...now this.
Think I’m going to get a tattoo “Greg v.3.0”.

[Richluu]

41. Woah!

You're a pro!

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

46. Yea they keep fixing me...

When I break myself. I’m still young got maybe 20-25 good years yet, 68 next bd. Hope they have a good parts department.

[Richluu]

55. Haha!

I'll remember that attitude when i need it!

[erronis]

42. Have a speedy and good recovery. Now, where are your tennis courts?

I was going to come over there to hit a few balls. Maybe in a couple of weeks?

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

48. Come on up over...

We’ll swat a few, take it easy on me though. Courts are right behind the senior center!

[Baitball Blogger]

44. Love it!

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

49. Thanks!

[Fla Dem]

54. All the best. I've only heard good things about hip replacement surgery.