Variegated Succulents…Who Knew?!

After seeing Louise’s post on her latest succulent container, I decided to see if my Home Depot had gotten in a new shipment of succulents. And they had! With three varieties of succulents I had never seen before.

I love variegated foliage. I appreciate it when a plant is more than just a flash in the pan with gorgeous flowers and nothing else to offer. These are definitely more than a flash in the pan.

Aeonium arboreum ‘Tricolor’

Aeonium spp.

Crassula obliqua ‘Tricolor Jade’

August 31, 2008 | Filed Under Succulents and Cacti | 7 Comments 

I’m On The Road To Monterey!

My husband and I are driving up to Monterey to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. I’ve scheduled some posts for Sunday and Monday, but I won’t be able to respond to any comments or emails until Monday night. I hope you enjoy the posts, and I’ll talk to you guys on Monday!

August 30, 2008 | Filed Under General | 3 Comments 

I’ve Won The Bronze!

No, I’m not a track star or a swimming prodigy, the bronze is from the Gardening Olympics. I’m embarassed to admit this, but I only found out on Friday, even though the medal was awarded on the 18th. Oops. Mary Ann of the Idaho Gardener must have posted the announcement on a day when I got behind in checking the blogs in Google Reader and just marked them all as read (Did I just admit that  I do that outloud?). Oops! I feel awful. But Mary Ann was nice enough not to mention the fact that I hadn’t popped over and acknowledged the award.

The prize for winning the bronze is a $10 gift certificate to Amazon, which I am going to use to buy a gardening book. Thanks Mary Ann!

August 30, 2008 | Filed Under General | Leave a Comment 

Garden Clippings

Here are some newspaper articles I really enjoyed reading last night while my husband was practicing playing She Loves You by The Beatles on his guitar. Over. And over. And over again.

August 29, 2008 | Filed Under General | 3 Comments 

Books for Your Balcony Garden Library

Everyone could use another book. Or at least that’s the philosophy I live by. There may be families that love books as much as mine, but I am confident that none love them more.

I am a very curious person, so I have a wide variety of books, many of them on rather bizarre topics. Need a book arguing against using animals in laboratory tests? I’ve got it. Jews of China? Got that one too. When I find a topic I really like, then I stock up. Needless to say, I have a lot of gardening books…

Photo by fabooj

Here are some great books to consider the next time you need some gardening inspiration or information. The selection below is mostly geared toward container gardening that can be done on balconies and patios, but you’ll also find some books suitable to small, in-ground gardens.

Trees

If you just must have a tree, or two or three, it is important to be realistic about the size of your space, and whether you will be planting the tree in the ground or a container. Check out these books well suited to the needs of a small space gardener:

Fruits and Vegetables

If you can only afford one gardening book, and you want to grow sometime you can eat, then the obvious choice is Bountiful Container. But if you have room on your shelf for a few more fruit and veg books, check these out:

Container Gardening

Here are some great books if you just want a few pots that look gorgeous.

What books would you recommend to a novice? To an expert? To someone who wants to grow a few vegetables?
August 28, 2008 | Filed Under Book Review, Good Reading | 5 Comments 

Cutting Flowers in a Container Garden

Almost every loves to give and receive flowers. But flowers can be E-X-P-E-N-S-I-V-E. Especially if you want something more interesting than the usual grocery store bouquet. Rest assured, you don’t need a huge garden to have some flowers specially designated for cutting.

Photo by cobalt123

When planning your cutting garden, there are a couple of things to keep in mind when it comes to selecting flowers to grow. First, you’ll probably want to pay attention to when particular plants flower and choose accordingly. By this I mean, choosing plants that flower at different times of the year so that you will have vases full of beautiful flowers from Spring to Fall. You should also think about which flowers will be in bloom at the same time and choose combinations and colors that will look nice together.

Another thing to thing about is how many flowers a particular plant puts out at once. If you are imagining vases full of 2 dozen stems of the same flower, then be sure to plant multiple plants of that variety in order to have enough flowers at once.

One last thing to think about. How much work do you want to do maintaining this garden? Some flowers can be finicky or prone to pests. Others produce such heavy blooms that they need support in order to avoid flopping over. Still others may not be particularly suited to your climate, so you might have to go out of your way to provide what they need. If you love puttering about amongst your plants, then by all means, pick these sorts of plants. But be real. If you really only want to commit to watering and occasionally fertilizing, then choose an equally easy going plant.

Here are some flowers to consider:

Stay tuned for more tips and tricks about creating a cutting garden on your balcony or patio including what and how to plant a cutting garden and when to cut your flowers.

Other Posts in This Series:

August 28, 2008 | Filed Under Container Gardening | 4 Comments 

Create a Hanging Salad Bowl

Are you really short on space? Maybe you don’t have any dedicated outdoor floor space. Or maybe one more pot on your balcony will make it so there is no more room for you. No worries! Almost everyone has room for a hanging basket or two. You could grow everything you need for a salad in one basket. Lettuces, spinaches and salad accouterments are great for hanging baskets.

Photo by Miss Xombie

Here are two different ideas for a hanging salad bowl…er, I mean basket. If you’ve never planted a wire hanging basket before, here is a good overview.

Spinach and Strawberries

Dinner Salad
  • You will need a medium-large hanging pot, potting soil, a tomato plant (one suitable for containers, such as ‘Micro Tom’), your favorite lettuce seedlings and whichever carrot (preferably a shorter variety) and radish seeds you prefer.
  • Fill the pot halfway up with potting soil. In the back of the pot, plant the lettuces. In the middle of the pot, plant the tomato. Fill around the lettuce and tomato with soil. In a half circle around the tomato, sow the carrot seeds. in a half circle around the carrots, sow the radishes. Be sure to leave enough room between the radish and carrot rows for each plant to grow to its potential. Thin the carrots and radishes as indicated on the seed packets.
  • To make a salad, pick a handful of tomatoes, the outer leaves of the lettuces, and a few carrots and radishes (sow new seeds in their place). Wash the vegetables and lettuce . Chop or tear the lettuce into bite sized pieces. Slice the carrots and radishes and toss in the salad. Use the dressing of your choice.
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August 27, 2008 | Filed Under Fall Gardening, Fruits & Vegetables | 4 Comments 

Gardening Glossary and Terminology

It came to my attention that not all people who would like to have an awesome balcony or patio garden understand all the words commonly thrown around in the gardening world.

If you can think of a word or phrase I missed, add it in the comments!

Photo by darkgardyner

Annual – These plants only last one season. They’re usually the plants sold as small seedlings in six packs. They often have wonderful, flashy flowers and many will drop their seed in the dirt nearby the original plant, which means that new, free plants will pop up in the spring.

Botanical Name – Refers to the Latin name of the plant in the biological classification system. It is almost always two words. The first is capitalized and is the name of the genus and the second is not capitalized and is the species. For example, Tagetes tenuifolia is the botanical name for Signet Marigolds.

Bulbs – A specialized type of perennial with a thickened underground storage organ that contains a reserve of nutrients.

Container Gardening – Growing plants in pots as opposed to in the ground.

Deciduous – A plant that loses all of its leaves in the fall and then grows new leaves in the spring.

Drought Tolerant – Plants that need very little or no artificial (i.e. provided by you) water. Keep in mind that even drought tolerant plants need regularly watering for the first few weeks after planting to help them get established.

Edible Plants – Plants you can eat. Often refers to herbs, fruits and vegetables but can also include flowers and leaves of plants that are usually used for decorative purposes.

Evergreen – A plant that does not drop its leaves in the fall.

Exotic – A plant that is not native to a particular region and could not thrive in that region without artificial (read: you) support.

Fertilizer – A “vitamin” of sorts for plants. Fertilizer comes in many forms, and adds nutrients to the soil that plants need. Typical ingredients include cow manure, bat guano, worm casings, fish emulsion, bone meal, and blood meal. Often, fertilizers are formulated for a specific plant or type of plant. Common specialized fertilizers are vegetable, flowering plant, fruit tree, rose, azalea, etc. Fertilizers usually have three numbers, something along the lines of 5-10-5. The first number is the amount of nitrogen in the fertilizer, the second is phosphorus and the third is potassium.

First Frost – The average date on which a particular area experiences their first freezing temperature in the fall or winter.

Full Shade – Plants that do best when grown in an area that is shady all day long.

Full Sun – Plants that can tolerate 6 or more hours of direct sunlight every day.

Germination – When a seed shows signs that it is sprouting, either by sending up leaves or putting out roots.

Heirloom – There is not a firm definition of an heirloom variety of plants. It always means a plant that is not a hybrid (a cross of two different plants). It often refers to plants grown for a very long time (50 or more years) and which were originally handed down through families by saving seeds from the plants each year.

Last Frost – The average date on which a particular area no longer experiences any freezing temperatures in the spring.

Native – A plant that is naturally found in a specific region. Sometimes this term can be used loosely to refer to plants that are naturally suited to the conditions found in a particular area.

Organic Gardening – Forgoing the use of any synthetic products, including pesticides and fertilizers. Often it also includes not using genetically modified plants or seeds.

Partial Shade – Plants that prefer filtered sun or that can only tolerate a few hours (less than 6 hours) of sun. Often, they are not drought tolerant.

Partial Sun – Plants that prefer 3-6 hours of sun, but can tolerate direct sun or high temperatures.

Perennial – A plant that comes back year after year. It may go dormant or die back during the winter, or it may be super hardy plant that can withstand the cold of winter. Either way, this is a plant you will have around for multiple seasons.

Potting Soil – Often not made up of dirt! A soil-like mixture specially created for the needs of container gardens and potted plants.

Seed Leaves – Many plants’ first set of leaves do not look like the leaves of a mature plant. These first set of leaves are called…seed leaves.

Transplant – The process of taking the plant from one container or place and moving it to another. It usually refers to transferring the plant from the container it came from in the nursery into a more permanent spot.

Water Deeply – Plants that need a lot of water at once instead of a little water over several waterings. Deep watering often encourages good root formation, where as frequently providing only a small amount of water encourages surface roots, when are less stable and more susceptible to drying out.

August 27, 2008 | Filed Under How To | 1 Comment 

Little Landscapes

This company cracked me up. They make minature gardens. And they’re very good at what they do. Check them out.

August 26, 2008 | Filed Under General | 6 Comments 

10 Dirt Cheap Ways To Have a Gorgeous Balcony Garden

Gardening can be expensive if you don’t keep an eye on the bottom line. Even gardening in a small space can get out of hand. Here are some tips to keep the spending to a minimum without sacrificing style.

Free:

  1. Save seeds from plants you already have, from plants growing in the wild, or ask your friends for seeds from their plants. Your friends will be more willing to give you some of their seed if you offer up some of yours.
  2. Take cuttings. Again, consider your own plants, plants you find growing elsewhere, and offer to trade cuttings with your friends.
  3. Divide and conquer. If any of your plants are a bit over grown, you could divide them and offer to trade your gardening buddy for one of her divisions.
  4. Take a good hard look at your food. Did you just pick up a container of heirloom tomatoes from the Farmer’s Market? A couple of those tomatoes have enough seeds to make quite a few plants. Also, some plants can be started from leftovers. For example, a new pineapple plant can be started from the top portion you sliced off before eating it.
  5. As far as containers go, look around for things you are not using that can hold soil. Don’t pass by a possibility just because it doesn’t have a drainage hole. You can drill a hole into more materials than you’d think.

Pretty Darn Inexpensive:

  1. Seeds. Most seeds I’ve purchased cost me less than $2 per packet and come with enough seeds to make 50-100 plants. We’re talking a few cents per plant here!
  2. Cheap plastic and terra cotta pots can be improved with a little paint. I think the best effect is achieved when you spray paint a pot a bright color like fuchsia or lime green. Or use painter’s tape to make stripes. Just stay away from the faux finishes unless you’re a pro. A lot of amateur faux finish jobs look too faux, if you catch my drift.
  3. Shop yard sales in nice neighborhoods for their garden cast offs. This would be a great place to find pots, plants, tools, etc.
  4. Buy plants at the right time of year for the best deals. The best time to check for sales on annuals is just after Memorial Day. Buy perennials late in the season. You can get some pretty good deals on plants in September and October.
  5. Make your own fertilizer by composting your kitchen scraps. Both Juggling Frogs and You Grow Girl have discussed vermicomposting (composting with worms) recently, which can be done in the space underneath your kitchen sink, without any smell or hard work.

Related Posts:

August 26, 2008 | Filed Under Frugal Container Gardening | 5 Comments 

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