My neighbor's theory on happy women.

I agree, dh does all our gardening and enjoys it. I don't like it at all. While he's out in the yard, I'm in my scrapbook room doing my happy activity

I do feel happier when I do some gardening. I think that if you get outside in the sun and get your hands in the dirt, it can been very soothing. My yard is terraced and covered in tall shady trees, so it isn't great for planting things that are low to the ground and need light, but my back patio is sunny and is covered in containers -- some flowering plants, some succulents, and a bunch of herbs and berry bushes. My kids fight over who gets to water them .

I don't plant flowers, but hubby does. I always look forward to going to the nursery with him to pick them out. I love the color!

Yes. I recently planted petunias and tomatoes.

Maybe that is why I am sad.  I can no longer work in the yard since my back fusion.  Something I miss and wasn't aware I would lose that ability. I'm fused to my hip and can't bend at the waist.  

I love flowers and have quite a few planted in my yard and in pots in our deck and porch. But, I hate gardening, so someone else does the planting. I do keep them alive after though...I am a happy waterer. :-)

I tend to agree because gardening is one of my greatest pleasures. After a long day at school, I will head to the flower beds before I go into the house. I love getting dirty and tired in the garden.

I hate planting flowers and doing yard work. I don't like the feel of my hands in the dirt either. But I still plant flowers because I want my house to look nice. So I do what I can to make it look as nice as possible. I would tend to agree more with the premise that happy women have some kind of creative pursuit. Whether that be flowers, or scrapbooking, or baking whatever.

Or maybe planting flowers is the CAUSE of happiness. I enjoy flowers, watching them bloom. They make me happy, but I am overall a happy person so accept your neighbors take on it.

I seem to have the compulsion to plant at least some hanging baskets and a border or two -- even when it's not logical or likely to end well. I recognize that it is a compulsion -- but a pretty healthy one, and not too extreme.

I think for me it's about potential and hope -- when I assemble a hanging basket, it's not going to look all that amazing, but I know that as the plants grow and fill in, it will be spectacular -- so it's anticipatory appreciation.

And probably some memory activation -- I used this same combo in my single working girl baclony planters, and these snapdragons were so popular with the kids when they were little. . .

There must be something exciting about this, I have friend that getting "desert" plants is like birthing . I really love planting but "desert" plants make me nervous.

I'm a happy woman with a *dumb thumb*. But I believe in planting seeds of happiness everywhere I go.

I'm sitting on my back porch right now, and was just thinking that I need to water the flowers out here... But I think I'll finish my Saturday afternoon gin and tonic first

Not me......gardening is one of those things I will avoid as much as I can. I derive no pleasure from it. Flowers in others gardens are okay. But they don't bring me joy. Whereas I go on a crazy cooking frenzy and invite people over when I feel good.