Tag Archive for 'container gardening'

The Little Herb That Could

Published by Annika Barranti on September 2, 2008 in In the Garden. 1 Comment

My garden was dead. Neglect and a hot August shriveled the leaves and I wasn’t sure I could save anything. We’d gone on an eight-day vacation and left our plants to fend for themselves. The jalapenos had stopped flowering already, and I was resigned to the idea that the tomatoes would probably die.

But when we got back I watered everything anyway. And while the peppers really were done, and the herbs that were in a shallow container are beyond resucitation, my tomatoes are giving it one last gasp and my sage is looking better than it did before we left.

Any late-summer miracles in your garden?

Adventures in Container Gardening: Red!

Published by Annika Barranti on July 8, 2008 in In the Garden. 1 Comment

My husband has done a little reading on growing hot peppers, and he tells me that this one is ready to pluck (and the longer we wait, the hotter it will get).

I was not expecting it to be ripe yet, because it is so small — about the size of a store-bought Serrano pepper.

But my tomatoes are a little small too, so I am just going to assume that’s normal.

Almost ready! And the one next to it (behind the leaves) is starting to turn yellow.

STOP, THIEF!

Published by Annika Barranti on June 25, 2008 in In the Garden. 3 Comments

This morning when I went out to water and fertilize my little garden, I was shocked to discover that the soil in my planter was disturbed, causing one of my jalapeno plants to lean dangerously, and my second-largest jalapeno was GONE (just the pepper, not the whole plant). Some predator has gotten into my food! I can only think of squirrels or rats, since I think a bird would have caused much more damage. Has anyone ever heard of or seen anything like this? I am really new to gardening but my hot peppers are the last thing I expected to have filched.

Adventures in Container Gardening: Quick Update

Published by Annika Barranti on June 17, 2008 in In the Garden. 3 Comments

I am still without my camera cord, but I did finally manage to upload some pictures from last week of my lovely little garden.

Remember the jalapeno flower? This is what it looked like last week:

It is easily two inches long now (it was about half an inch at the time of the photo). Further updates to come soon–there is another pepper now!

I replaced the two sage plants that didn’t survive my toddler with parsley and thyme. (All I need is rosemary and I have a Simon & Garfunkle song growing on my porch!)

What’s growing in your garden this year?

Adventures in Container Gardening: First Tomato!

Published by Annika Barranti on June 5, 2008 in In the Garden. 3 Comments

Isn’t it beautiful? It’s about the size of my fingertip right now.

Adventures in Container Gardening (Part 1)

Published by Annika Barranti on June 4, 2008 in In the Garden. 3 Comments

I live in a small apartment on the third (and top) floor. We have a rooftop patio with a lovely view of our neighbors’ rooftop patios and, in the distance, the Griffith Park Observatory. On a clear day, we can see the Hollywood sign…if we stand on our tippy-toes. It’s a wonderful porch, and nearly every evening finds us cooking supper on the grill and eating at our rickety table. Most recently, it’s also my garden.

April 21st
My little garden’s humble beginnings, April 21, 2008

When we first moved in we had a glass table top but no table. (How does that happen?) We looked around and bought a half-barrel for $19.99 at Home Depot. It made a good table. Eventually the glass broke, and we discussed various possible futures for the barrel. None of them seemed quite right until this spring, when I was bitten by the tomato bug. My friend Mike’s blog was my downfall, and one Sunday at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market I found myself heading straight to the plant guy.

I bought a Roma, three sage plants, and three jalapeños. Now, I know that once sage starts growing you really only need one plant, and I think the same is true of peppers, but I am cursed with black thumbs. I have killed everything I’ve ever tried to grow in this apartment, and I was nervous. We went to the garden center at a local hardware store (Anawalt) and bought soil, and I set about planting my garden. The jalapeños went into a long planter I picked up somewhere-or-other, and everything else went into the half-barrel. Incidentally, I noticed when I was shopping around for the planter that no one sells real half-barrels anymore; everyone has plastic imitations instead, and often for more than I paid for the real thing!

jalapeno flowers
A blossoming Jalapeño, June 3, 2008

It’s been nearly two months and though two of the sage plants have died, everything else is thriving! (And the dead plants are most likely the result of being uprooted by my toddler, not of anything I did wrong.) I will keep you posted as my garden grows, and welcome any tips you may have.

Carnival of Modern Home Dwelling Day Eight: Outdoor Living

Published by Sarah Bray on May 22, 2008 in Carnival of Modern Home Dwelling and In the Garden. 7 Comments

Organizing Junkie has a round-up of 13 storage solutions available on Etsy that you MUST check out. For more good reading, visit the rest of our carnival sponsors!

Today’s the last day of the carnival, and I’m a bit sad to see it go, I’ve had so much fun! But there’s always next time to look forward to.

Now for the entries!

Modish contributor Maddy has created these wonderful printable seed packets for you to savor. Aren’t they great! I imagine you could use them for other things, too.

 

 

 

 

Stephanie from Stop the Ride had a great idea one day — to use an old stump as a container for flowers. Not only is it frugal, but it certainly blends in with the scenery!

 

 

 

 

Depending on where you live, you may or may not ever get the chance to mend fences. But if you do, I highly recommend that you consult horsewoman over at Innstyle Montana for direction — she’s got some suggestions that are sure to help, even if you are just thinking of building a fence.

 

 

 

Amy from Housekeeping Tips recommends that you use your leaves to fertilize your lawn — and she tells you how.

 

 

 

 

Carol from May Dreams Gardens has a novel idea — that we embrace weeding as a part of our gardening lives. How is this possible? I guess you’ll have to read to find out!

 

 

 

 

Thinking of starting a vegetable garden? Woman Tribune gives us some tips on how to plan it.

 

 

 

 

Rosemary from Her Home Blog has some tips for creating an inviting outdoor living room. (I really need these!)

 

 

 

 

Tony from Birds and Things inspires us to get out and go bird watching this summer.

 

 

 

 

 

Geeky Poet grows her own lettuce — and so can you with her helpful advice. Lettuce is so adorable as it grows…don’t you think?

 

 

 

 

Things to Consider for Your Hot Tub Installation. Before you even buy a hot tub, read Mandy’s article at The Hot Tub Advisor. She’ll make sure you don’t end up with a disaster on your hands.

Organic Pesticides for a Safe Lawn. Happy Housekeeper has a helpful list of organic pesticides that you can use instead of chemicals.

Managing Lawn Care During a Drought. Considering last year’s rain scarcity, it might be a good idea to check out Hobby Lawn Care’s article on the topic.

Well, here we are at the close of our journey. It’s been fun guys! Oh…right. I still need to disclose the winner. The talented entrant is…

Geeky Poet for her helpful article on lettuce-growing! Congratulations! Be sure to email your address to sarahjoy AT todayshomemaker DOT com so that we can send out your prize package.

So what’s next? Well, for me, it’s going to be an enjoyable weekend filled with lots of non-computer time. ;) But I’m also dreaming up ideas for the next carnival, which of course I can’t help but do.

In the Garden

Published by Sarah Bray on April 1, 2008 in In the Garden. 7 Comments

I have just recently discovered the wonderful world that is gardening blogs. These bloggers are amazing. They are inspiring me to do things I never thought possible. John’s bringing home the tiller from work this week, and we are going to get to tearing up the lawn in favor of our annual veggie garden.

I really like vegetables, I really do. The tomatoes are especially a favorite, and we’ve really gotten into okra as well. Peppers never seem to do very well in our yard. Neither do strawberries. Squash and zucchini work for ANYONE ANYWHERE. Maybe they work a bit too well, in fact. I’ve never gotten a watermelon to grow ever. Green beans are pretty, and so are carrots. Broccoli is a supreme waste of time.

So there is everything I could ever think to say about gardening, at least for this week. But these gardening bloggers, man, I’ve got to hand it to them. They do their jobs very well. So instead of just telling you, let me show you:

For when you dream of gardening, but there is nary a yard to be found (or when you hate to weed but love to water)…
Container Plantings: Variety Soil and Care from Heirloom Gardener. If you’re thinking about container gardening, you absolutely must read this post FIRST.

For when you want a dose of color in your life…
Check out these gorgeous blooms in Pam’s “cottage garden” in Austin, Texas. Oh, spring! I’m so glad you’re here!

For when you’re in the mood for a little English gardening history…
Rule Britannia from Garden Rant. I now feel just a wee bit smarter.

For when you want to feel like royalty…
A Garden Frozen in Time from Bliss. The views here are absolutely breathtaking.

For when you want to be certain your gardening manners are up to par…
The Privilege of Visiting a Gardener’s Garden from May Dreams Gardens. I had no idea there were RULES about these things. Now I do. Thank you, Carol, for saving me from a lifetime of disrespectful garden-visiting!

For when you’re quite certain that it will not be warm enough to plant anytime soon…
What Is a Cold Climate? from Cold Climate Gardening. Don’t be disheartened if you live in a northern area and there’s still snow out! There’s still plenty you can do in the garden, if you’re so inclined. And when you’re done figuring out whether your climate is “cold” (though I imagine you probably already know!), Kathy’s blog is an incredible resource.

For when you’re feeling ambitious and want to start veggies from seed…
How to Grow Healthy Seedlings Under Lights from Garden Desk. All you need to know.

That’s it for today, folks! Hope you’re enjoying the new posting schedule. I really, really am. :)