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Original poster

Think I'm some sort of freak here...

49 replies

seamonstr · 19/06/2007 00:00

Are any of you guys into gardening and DIY? I seem to be the only one on the freakin' planet that is.

I don't mean "into" as in "once mowed the lawn AND avoided mowing the poodle" - I mean every weekend in my muckies, digging, building, planting, sanding, making nice. It's like it's my hobby.

Is that odd?

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Original poster
seamonstr · 19/06/2007 00:02

Ah, let me clarify: I'm the only person I know younger than 35 that's like this...

OP posts:
newlifenewname · 19/06/2007 00:06

I think you think it's odd. Why is that? Do it without batting an eyelid. It isn't odd.

I'm not a man but I know men who do enjopy gardening. Do you have a kneel pad thingy?

Flamesparrow · 19/06/2007 00:08

Are you different to the seamonster I've been chatting to about nappies?

If you are - do you both know there are 2 of you??

DH is into online games, my friend's DH is into golf... a hobby is a hobby, as long as you enjoy it tis all that matters.

Original poster
seamonstr · 19/06/2007 00:09

Well, I don't think it's odd so much as unusual! We live in the London area and none of my contemporaries like to do the stuff I like. I want to know from other men who aren't into the whole London thing if they actually like the same stuff.

I don't have a kneel pad thingy, no. I do, however, often have skinned knees from kneeling on gravel. :-D

OP posts:
brimfull · 19/06/2007 00:11

of course you're not odd-they have friggin programs on the telly all the time for you

newlifenewname · 19/06/2007 00:12

Well then you is a ruff n tuff normal male then!

My exdp isn't normal or nice but he had a fairly normal interest in keeping chickens and other gardeny activities.

I'm sure it is a neglected desire to cultivate and nurture at play. You know how guys like making things from scratch? Like that.

Flamesparrow · 19/06/2007 00:16

Wish DH would like it - would stop DS getting lost in the jungle I mean back garden....

Original poster
seamonstr · 19/06/2007 00:24

Ha

When we bought our house it was a total wreck - 60 foot back garden, but utterly overgron and full of rubble.

I had to clear it (filled a BIG skip with junk), dig out EVERYTHING and start from bare earth: planting a lawn, laying out beds, putting in retaining walls, replaced ALL the fences...

Happy times.

OP posts:
Desiderata · 19/06/2007 00:35

What an odd world we inhabit when a bloke apologizes for gardening.

Any how, off subject, but you should think about changing your name. One of the regulars is called seamonster, and it's not great etiquette to be so close.

EricL · 19/06/2007 01:23

It's just a hobby - it's not weird. It's not my cup of tea but everyone has their own passions. Better that you have something that you love than be some boring git that doesn't do anything.

We all need to let off steam somehow.

At least you are not down the pub reading the sun with a pot belly and throwing money at the horses.

Can't argue with that really. Growing your own is the way forward anyway. At least it's not been sprayed with toxic shite by some underpaid slave then flown half way rond the world to sit on a supermarket shelf for three days before getting binned.

Original poster
seamonstr · 19/06/2007 10:35

I didn't actually know about Seamonster when I registered - I've been "seamonstr" on various sites and IRC networks and IM networks and all manner of nerdy things since early 1995.

I even own seamonstr.com, although I let it lapse this year so it's down at the minute.

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BigGitDad · 19/06/2007 12:11

The gardening bit I do not mind, I love mowing the lawn, that is my fetish and it goes back to my cricketing days and if I could have a lawn that looked like the batting strip at the Oval then I would be in heaven!
However I would love to have an allotment as I think my kids would love watching things grow but my wife justs laughs at me and calls me stupid as she cannot see where I would get the time to look after it.
DIY???? Now that is a different matter and I would find that very intimidating were I to meet you with my wife, as I know she would love me to be Mr Fix It. When in truth I am crap at DIY and always get moaned at if I try anything. So my answer is to get the professionals in. However I am always impressed by a man who is good with his hands as I do think it is a gift.

Flamesparrow · 19/06/2007 14:34

I was wondering why you had suddenly dropped a vowel

Good to know who I'm talking to

Flamesparrow · 19/06/2007 14:37

I'd love to grow veg with the DC

HandyTrinkett · 21/06/2007 11:05

Just getting into gardening... ...lots of ripping things up and getting stuff ready for proper planting next year...

BigGitDad · 21/06/2007 12:02

NEXT YEAR?
What about this year and what are you growing?

HandyTrinkett · 25/06/2007 12:58

garden needs a lot of tlc so there's lots of ripping up the myriad brambles, ivy etc so I can actually tell how wide the fecking thing is.. ...then there's the small job of sticking a new shed up, digging a couple of ponds, 1/2 dozen raised beds and a couple of walls between which will be soil and in which will be planted stuff like strawberries and tomatoes and peppers.. ...big plans and it's slowly coming togther.. ...around 120 bags of ripped up weeds and brambles to the tip so far in the last month and a half...

...the lawn has now almost fully recovered from it's 3 years of neglect apart from a couple of places where a nasty little vixen used to pee and crap.. ...but she can't get in the garden any more..

HandyTrinkett · 25/06/2007 12:59

errr.. ..this year have planted mainly potatoes, peppers, a variety of tomatoes, chilis, rhubard, mange tout and sugar snaps...

Original poster
seamonstr · 25/06/2007 14:47

I'm really jealous of people with decent lawns. When we move in ours was just a big patch of rubble, which I cleared out (filled a skip!)

I planted a new lawn from seed, and it was going pretty well too. Then the two years of drought happened and killed it before it even managed to get going. Now it's scrubby again. Grrrr

Ponds, huh? What's going in them?

OP posts:
Wisteria · 25/06/2007 14:52

My dp (who is young, 29 and yes he is my toyboy) always looks happiest when he's been out in the garden all day so I don't think you're unusual!

I'm in charge of the veggie bits and flowers etc (I plan, he activates), that's how it works, we built a big Koi pond last year which we're very proud of! Given up on the lawn as with a lab/collie x and 2 dcs there really isn't a lot of point, we're waiting til we retire to do the whole scarifying perfect lawn thing!

Original poster
seamonstr · 25/06/2007 15:21

Ha! I'd love to have help - the Seamonstress has a worm phobia, so it's out of the question for her.

That said, I seem to have a putting-on-laundry phobia, so it prolly balances out.

OP posts:
snowleopard · 25/06/2007 15:23

I do what passes for the DIY and gardening in our house. DP hates that sort of thing so much (although I do make him do the mowing, lucky there's no poodle to throw into the equation). He only redeems himself as a traditional male by doing all the computery stuff.

BandofMothers · 25/06/2007 15:27

Seamonster are you a man?????????

fryalot · 25/06/2007 15:29

bom: seamonstr is a man, but our seamonster is a laydeeee

BandofMuggles · 25/06/2007 15:30

Oh, right. OKAY then. Thought she hadn't seemed like a man.