Let the gardening begin!

[spryte]

I got a lot done on my garden today. I live 'in' the city and have no yard at all. So every year, it's a new container garden for me! I MUST add color to the dreary dreary city that I call home!

Last weekend I put out two little pots of pansies. Then Tuesday evening we pulled the palm trees out of the house. They hate it in the house. We have no good sunny windows. So hopefully they'll perk up now that they're outside.

I filled a half barrel at the corner of the house with Snowfix. Three planters in front & one pot on the side with Violas (I bought more than I thought!! But they smell GREAT!) Two pots of red Dyanthus on the side... One pot of Marguerite Daisies on the side... and last year's Chives are beautiful (and totally tasty!) Ohhh... and I found some Hens & Chicks at the nursery and put them in a shallow terracotta bowl. I was kinda hoping for a birdbath... but all the ones I could find were too big (and it would probably be stolen anyway)

Oh... and while we were reconditioning the soil... Lil Mr Spryte found a sprouted acorn... so he planted it in a pot to try to grow it.

We got a permit from the city (after almost a year of waiting!!) to plant a tree in front of our house. So now we have to cut out a section of concrete sidewalk and pick out a non-invasive species! (that will hopefully provide a bit of shade and privacy!)

Pictures coming, as soon as I can locate the gosh-darned cable for the camera!

Tell us what's going on in your garden!

 

[amber]

For the time being, we have mud season here in Maine I can relate to all of the plants you have mentioned though. Container gardening is great if you dont have space. I've grown vegetables in containers, sort of like a salad bowl of lettuce, tomatoes, herbs, etc.

I have a very small garden for veggies so I have to plan my garden carefully. I have a lot of flowers (perennials) that have been in my bed for years. It's time to add some nutrients to my soil soon. I like to use composted-dehydrated cow manure and peat moss, as well as all the liquid gold from my compost pile Happy gardening! Oh btw, it's suppose to be warm tomorrow (50 degrees) and then back to snow, rain, and sleet for Monday

 

[Constance]

Spryte, I'd recommend a Bradford Pear for your tree. It's easy to keep contained, and blooms in the early spring,

 

[callie]

I never heard of having to get a permit from the city to plant a tree! That's kind of sad...

 

[spryte]

I never heard of having to get a permit from the city to plant a tree! That's kind of sad...

I have no yard, so it has to be planted in the sidewalk infront of my house. But still... it's only making the city better!!

 

[callie]

Really! I think the city should be saying "thank you" to you instead of making you wait over a year for permission.

 

[ncage1974]

i know the feeling....

I know exactly how you feel. I just transfered some of my seedlings from the seed flats to 8oz cups. All the seeds i transfered were hot peppers. I am growing so many things this year. I am growing about a bunch of hot peppers, heirloom tomatoes, tomatillos, and a few herbs. I don't have a huge yard like my father (he has 3/4 acre) but im thankful that i do have a yard. You know whats strange. Every year i make my garden bigger and im like there..there is no way im going to run out of room. Well every year i found things to fill it up and end up thinking "dang i wish i could also grow this". The tomatoes and hot peppers take up most of the room. I do have some sweet peppers (bells & cubanellas).

Ncage

 

[spryte]

Ohhhhhhh.... tomatillos!!!! I'd love to grow those!! I always get my plants already started from the nursery (again... no sunny windows) We grow hot peppers every year... and usually a couple of other veggies too.

Unfortunately... I can't find the cable for my camera... and I didn't realize that the memory card wasn't in the camera (I could use the card reader then!) So, if they haven't been stolen or vandalized during the night... I'll take new pics tomorrow!

 

[VeraBlue]

Spent 3 hours hacking away at ivy and honeysuckle that was overgrowing the entire back garden. The honeysuckle was so out of control that it was covering my lavendar tree. Not acceptable. Ivy and honeysuckle fight back when you pull on them. I had to get the hedgeclipper, a weedwacker and a pruner to wrestle them into submission. Three hours and 7 gigantic leaf bags later, I can see the garden walls again. I look like I walked a mine field.

I also removed all the ornamental things...a mannequin, a brass headboard, assorted ground stakes, a hobby horse, a potters bench. I'll clean them and reintroduce them to the gardens. Then, they will all be restrung with lights for nighttime viewing pleasure....but that's next week's project.

 

[jpmcgrew]

I grow everything in large containers in a 8 by 10 green house our season is short but I swear you can grow at least 3 tomato plants in a 5 gallon container right now im growing my stuff from seeds in the house at a sunny window I have a large rack on wheels which I cover with a large piece of plastic which turns into a mini green house when I stick my hand in there its warm and humid and I water them with warm water my seeds always start to sprout in a couple of day rather than 7 to 14 days this way.Believe me when I say I am not a gardener but tomatoes are so easy once you try.

 

[callie]

I started my garden today! April 1...yeah! Everything from seeds. I do container planting since our growing season is so short. I started tomatoes, jalepenos, basil, spearmint, and some poppies. I love the smell of warm, wet dirt - even if it is in the house!

 

[spryte]

Believe me when I say I am not a gardener but tomatoes are so easy once you try.

I did tomatoes for the first time last year. And I wasn't thrilled with the results. The hot-house on-the-vine tomatoes from the grocery store were better. I don't think I'm going to do them again.

 

[Dina]

We planted a madarin tree and built a new garden in the opposite corner of our first garden. We added some dianthums, a lavender wisteria and a white/lavender bonganvilia. We're fixing to add more flowers and plants to our flower bed against the side of the house in our backyard. My husband and I love gardening and it's so much fun watching everything bloom at this time of year. I'll try to post some pictures on here soon.

 

[Claire]

I wish. The ground is still frozen here, and a late freeze has done in many of my bulbs! Boo hoo!

 

[-DEADLY SUSHI-]

Im freezing!

 

[JMediger]

Claire & Sush - I hear you both! I had the rototiller rented for this weekend to get my garden turned and ready for peas in a few weeks. As I type, I am watching the snow fly ...

 

[RMS]

I'm hoping that what I've planted doesn't freeze tonight!
Good thing I only planted a few annuals and didn't get into the veggies yet!

 

[QSis]

I did tomatoes for the first time last year. And I wasn't thrilled with the results. The hot-house on-the-vine tomatoes from the grocery store were better. I don't think I'm going to do them again.

What??? What varieties of tomatoes did you plant, spryte?

In my experience, there is NO better tomato flavor than those grown in my back yard, whether I start them from seed or buy young plants.

Lee

 

[RMS]

I agree Qsis,
I've never bought a store brand tomato that even came close to the taste of one that I grew at home.

 

[Claire]

For those of us with a short growing season, "Early Girls" are great. They really do produce a yummy tomato a bit before other breeds do. For those who have no success whatsoever with growing tomatoes (I didn't in either Hawaii and Florida), grow small varieties (cherries, grapes, patios) and cover with a few yards of inexpensive green netting (that you can buy from your local fabric shop) just when they are about to turn red. I don't start much from seed any more, simply because it is such a short growing season here. Better produce than when I live in warm year-round places, but you only have it seasonally.