Gonna Make This Garden Grow

[chairmenmeow47]

also, anyone have experience with these?

http://www.amazon.com/Self-Watering-...6595323&sr=8-1

my boyfriend uses them on his aloe vera plants, but i'm curious as to how it works with flowers & food/herb type plants.

[Courtney]

also, anyone have experience with these?

http://www.amazon.com/Self-Watering-...6595323&sr=8-1

my boyfriend uses them on his aloe vera plants, but i'm curious as to how it works with flowers & food/herb type plants.

That seems like the sort of thing you could make yourself quite easily as long as you had a fairly thick wicking rope and a large container of water that could be placed nearby. And seems like it would work effectively with any plant that requires a moderate amount of moisture. But I have never tried, personally.

[Sublime]

So I have a money tree that was growing very healthy. During a move something fell into the plant chopping off all of the branches. Anyone be able to recommend things I can do to get my buddy to start growing again?

Serious question here. Money tree -

[I.F.A.]

Oh, yay, gardening!

I've always had a bit of a black thumb, but after managing to keep an orchid alive since July, I've decided to move up. I just started some rosemary in my kitchen, and a pot of lavender. The lavender is not doing well - I think it's a little shocked from being re-potted. I hope that it comes back around.


Here's the rosemary:

[Courtney]

Sublime, from my extremely limited plant-growing experience, I understand that the best thing you can do with a traumatized plant is just give it time. Make sure that it's sitting somewhere that is neither too hot nor too cool (and does not have extreme temperature swings). Make sure that the soil is always a good dampness, don't over-fertilize, and just wait.

Amy, keeping orchids alive in Phoenix where the air is so dry would be no easy feat, so well done. Lavender is funny. I took a clipping of my neighbor's plant last summer and smashed the woody stem and then planted it, just as an experiment. I was sure it was going to die. And it did look like it was going to die for a long time. And then it started growing, but it still looked unhappy with wilted, off-color leaves. But then I went away on a trip and forgot to water my plants for a couple weeks, and I came back and most things were dead, but my lavender was SO happy. So now, I never water it, and it's massive and totally healthy. Weird plant.

[HowToDisappear]

So I have a money tree that was growing very healthy. During a move something fell into the plant chopping off all of the branches. Anyone be able to recommend things I can do to get my buddy to start growing again?

I have a money tree --- I've only ever seen the new leaves sprout from the tips, not the any of the lower nodes. I don't know if it will send out new growth. Just put it somewhere out of direct sun, water only minimally and hope for the best. Maybe it will recover.

i'm lazy & haven't done much research. they just appear to be bulbs. what makes bulbs different from seeds?

Bulbs, corms and rhizomes are underground food storage. True bulbs contain the complete plant in miniature inside. Freesias are corms. Plant them in the fall; they're cool growers and become dormant in the heat. Good, fragrant, long-lasting cut flowers, too. Let the foliage die back and brown completely before cutting back or it won't bloom the next year.

[chairmenmeow47]

thanks for the info, much appreciated!

[I.F.A.]

Amy, keeping orchids alive in Phoenix where the air is so dry would be no easy feat, so well done. Lavender is funny. I took a clipping of my neighbor's plant last summer and smashed the woody stem and then planted it, just as an experiment. I was sure it was going to die. And it did look like it was going to die for a long time. And then it started growing, but it still looked unhappy with wilted, off-color leaves. But then I went away on a trip and forgot to water my plants for a couple weeks, and I came back and most things were dead, but my lavender was SO happy. So now, I never water it, and it's massive and totally healthy. Weird plant.

Yeah, I can't really figure out what it wants. I've read that lavender is really drought tolerant, so I assumed minimal watering. But then the leaves were getting really brittle, so it seemed like it needs a little more water. I'm not sure. I've been giving it water every other day or so, to keep the soil moist, but I'm wondering if that's too much. It's only been a couple of weeks since I repotted it.

[Courtney]

Number one priority for me this weekend is planting some new things and working on my little balcony garden. So, in the spirit, a little small-space gardening porn:

[HowToDisappear]

Ooohhh, lovely.

Have you seen any of Patrick Blanc's fabulous vertical gardens? He has a book, but it doesn't explain in detail the construction/engineering. I love the idea of vertical gardening in a small space. Any space, really.

Have fun gardening this weekend!

[chairmenmeow47]

any tips on nicking morning glory seeds? i'm not having luck with a nail file.

[Courtney]

any tips on nicking morning glory seeds? i'm not having luck with a nail file.

I usually just shake them around with some sandpaper, but I'd imagine that a nail file would be a better and more effective way to go about it, so I'm not sure. Usually I only have maybe 40-50% success rate. How long are you soaking them after you file?

[Courtney]

I am so, so excited that my new house has a GARDEN. It actually has both a front yard and a backyard, and two little strips on either side! It's going to be just wonderful next spring when I can really get to work. I might even try to plant a few winter crops, like beets and kale, if I can get my act together in the next couple of weeks.

[chairmenmeow47]

soaking for about 8 hours. i read online to try nail clippers away from the pointy part of the seed, so we'll see how it works out! also planted some red & white nasturtiums and purple & white alyssums. i bought three potted plants months ago, but only the ivy geranium lives. my poinsetta is still going strong for some reason, along with my succulent and aloe vera.

and hooray for having a garden!!!

[chairmenmeow47]

i've already got a tiny little morning glory, huzzah!

[Courtney]

YAY! Success!

[Hannahrain]

I'm looking for a little advice. I'd love to plant some flowers next to my front stoop (lots of sun), but am a total beginner and don't know where to start or what to look for. I'd like to find something perennial that can withstand Portland's weather (very heavy rain at times, temperature pretty much running the gamut from complainably hot to complainably frigid). My favorite flowers are daffodils and jonquils (especially the little ones), Chinese lanterns, and California poppies, but I'm looking for pretty much anything that might suit an idiot with a lot of rain.

Help?

[canexplain]

Besides what I normally grow, I always really wanted to grow .....this bag, about 1/2 lb ... $65!!!!!



Edit: Sorry Wasabi

[zonarob]

I'm looking for a little advice. I'd love to plant some flowers next to my front stoop (lots of sun), but am a total beginner and don't know where to start or what to look for. I'd like to find something perennial that can withstand Portland's weather (very heavy rain at times, temperature pretty much running the gamut from complainably hot to complainably frigid). My favorite flowers are daffodils and jonquils (especially the little ones), Chinese lanterns, and California poppies, but I'm looking for pretty much anything that might suit an idiot with a lot of rain.

Help?

isn't Portland the city of roses? If the exposure has plenty of sun the roses should do well.

[Starraven]

I'm looking for a little advice. I'd love to plant some flowers next to my front stoop (lots of sun), but am a total beginner and don't know where to start or what to look for. I'd like to find something perennial that can withstand Portland's weather (very heavy rain at times, temperature pretty much running the gamut from complainably hot to complainably frigid). My favorite flowers are daffodils and jonquils (especially the little ones), Chinese lanterns, and California poppies, but I'm looking for pretty much anything that might suit an idiot with a lot of rain.

Help?

When I started gardening about 3 years ago, I used this website americanmeadows.com to inform my planting time / species that can handle my climate zone. It's wonderful to be able to see how many different flowers that you can pick from. Tulips were my favorite, here is a picture of my garden during last year's bloom.


garden1.jpg


These are actually some tulip bulbs that I purchased from American Meadows. As you can see the blooms were robust and very beautiful. If you don't want to buy something online you can use the website to get plant's name and go into Lowes for the type of seeds/bulbs that you want. The site even has handy planting guides for whatever flower you end up choosing.

Good luck!

[Hannahrain]

isn't Portland the city of roses? If the exposure has plenty of sun the roses should do well.

I just want little ground-level flowers, not big ungainly rose bushes. But yes, they grow a lot of those here and we are that thing you mentioned.

When I started gardening about 3 years ago, I used this website americanmeadows.com to inform my planting time / species that can handle my climate zone. It's wonderful to be able to see how many different flowers that you can pick from. Tulips were my favorite, here is a picture of my garden during last year's bloom.


Attachment 9813


These are actually some tulip bulbs that I purchased from American Meadows. As you can see the blooms were robust and very beautiful. If you don't want to buy something online you can use the website to get plant's name and go into Lowes for the type of seeds/bulbs that you want. The site even has handy planting guides for whatever flower you end up choosing.

Good luck!

This is great. Thank you.

[Courtney]

I'm super excited about signing up for organic vegetable gardening classes with this nonprofit organization called Seattle Tilth. SO MANY OPTIONS. And I now have an entire house! With an entire front AND back yard! I'm going to have a badass garden this summer.

[RotationSlimWang]

You can always tell when Courtney's signed on because it turns the New Posts view into something out of a women's lifestyle magazine. Cooking, Bike riding, Gardens, Medical bullshit, Gardens.

[Courtney]

Hahaaaa. It's funny because it's so true.

[Originalbob]

This reminds me, I need to get started on sprouting some sweet peas. I got them going last year and even had a pod growing, then my son knocked it over and killed the whole plant. I was so disappointed, I could nearly taste those damn peas!