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"black plants"

Learning From Other’s Container Gardening Mistakes

by Fern on July 13, 2010

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This past weekend I had a wonderful time just outside of Denver celebrating the wedding of one of my cousins. It was nice to get away for a little bit and see a different part of the country. Of course, while there, I couldn’t resist checking out some local container gardens. As far as I can tell, Colorado is a stunningly beautiful state. And most of the plantings I saw were beautiful. But I did see two that I thought could be learning opportunities. I hate to say something not nice, but if these two containers can save you from making the same mistakes, it’ll be worth it. I hope.

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A Simple, Yet High-Impact Container Idea

by Fern on May 4, 2010

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I really shouldn’t post this today, I should wait until all the flowers are blooming to photograph and share it. But I couldn’t resist, I am so excited by this combo. Since I grew so many ‘Spitfire’ Nasturtiums for the GROW Project, I’ve decided to incorporate the fiery red-orange of the flowers into my overall scheme this year. I’m going to for black, red, and yellow balcony. I already had a lot of black plants, so it shouldn’t involve too many new additions.
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Black Friday – Here are Some Recommendations

November 27, 2009
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I thought I would collect all of the product and book reviews posted on Life on the Balcony in one spot in case you’re planning on any Black Friday or Cyber Monday internet shopping… Soil Scoop: My first video post (go easy on me!) of a useful product for container gardeners and traditional gardeners alike. [...]

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Review of ‘Black Plants: 75 Striking Choices for the Garden’ by Paul Bonine

November 6, 2009

When I heard about Paul Bonine’s Black Plants: 75 Striking Choices for the Garden I was very excited. I love black plants. I pre-ordered it on the spot, but I haven’t gotten around to reviewing it until just now. I apologize, because it really is a great book that deserved immediate attention. As the title [...]

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Follow Up to First Vlog Post

November 3, 2009

In the vlog review of the soil scoop, I mentioned that I was yanking out a silver South African Geranium and replacing it with a black Sweet Potato Vine (I think it’s ‘Blackie’ but I’ve misplaced the tag), but I forgot to include a shot with the finished pot. I really love how this container [...]

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The Great Black Plant Scandal of 2009 (Black Plantergate?)

November 1, 2009

After a less than pleasant exchange with an author last July, I vented on Twitter and jokingly said, “FYI. If you even think of mentioning black plants, author Karen Platt will demand that you cite her book. Apparently she invented them.” I’ve gone back and forth about publishing a more detailed post, because quite frankly, [...]

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Gardening in the Internet Era

August 17, 2009

The plant I’m holding in the picture below is a New Zealand Flax called ‘Black Adder.’ You all know how much I love black plants. Normally I would be limited to the black plants I could find at the nurseries in my area. But this plant started off its life in Ireland, made a pit [...]

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Black Plants: 75 Striking Choices for the Garden

July 23, 2009

I just pre-ordered my copy of Black Plants: 75 Striking Choices for the Garden by Paul Bonine. Can’t wait. It should be here in September, just in time for my birthday. Woot! “Striking, mysterious, sinister, and strange all describe the singular appeal of plants with black (or near-black) foliage, flowers, or fruit. For some gardeners, [...]

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Inspiration from the Life on the Balcony Flickr Group

June 16, 2009

In case you haven’t visited the Life on the Balcony Flickr group, you might want to mosey on over. There are lots of great photos added to the pool, like some of these… Photo by Ari Mall How neat is this canoe, repurposed as a vegetable planter?! I love how artfully the canoe has been [...]

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Fullerton Herb Sale & More Black Plants

June 1, 2009

This past weekend I went to the Fullerton Arboretum’s herb sale. It was fun to see some of the more unusual herbs that I would normally only be able to grow from seed. While I was there, I also saw some more “black” plants to add to the list I started earlier this year: Chocolate [...]

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All Black Container Recipe

March 29, 2009

As promised, below you’ll find a container recipe featuring black plants This pot includes: ‘Edge of Night’ Calla Lily ‘Black Magic’ Bachelor’s Button ‘Blackie’ Sweet Potato Vine I’ve never seen black Bachelor’s Buttons in a nursery, so you might consider growing them from seed. Botanical Interests has Black Magic seeds. To round out the black [...]

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More Black Plants

March 27, 2009

I’ve never ordered from Annie’s Annuals, but I have heard really good things about their plants and seeds. AND, there is a whole section on their site with black plants. Also, if you didn’t catch it the first time around, check out this list of black plants. And stay tuned for a container design featuring [...]

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