My new Garden

Well, we moved to a downstairs apartment this week and are completely exhausted. But I traded the 5 ft X 8 ft balcony in for this HUGE 14 ft X 23 ft yard. LOL

When we left the house in the country I had to leave all but a few pots of plants behind so now it is time to start over on a much smaller scale. But it is going to be fun to see how much I can squeese in and still leave room for the dog to go outside ;~)

So if you have any suggestions for hardy dwarf plants please let me know, I also am looking at various vertical aspects of gardening such as plant shelfs all along the fence top, the bags planters to hang on the fence, and trellises...There are a lot of things I will want to squeese into this wee garden as time and finances allow. So of you have ideas please share them with me!

As you can see, the only thing here now is some patchy grass and a few pots I brought along.

Great yard Zany! I'll dig around and see what I can come up with to send you.I think I've got some Cobaea Scandens(cup and saucer vine)laying around.Do you want an heirloom tomato seed or two?do you have enough sun for one?

Also,is that a Sheltie I see by your door?I thought I was the only Sheltie person here!

ahhhh.....the possibilities. And you're right, some of those flower bags would look great on your fence. What are you going to put in all your containers?

If you get enough sun, you might want to try dwarf crape myrtles. I grew some from seed last year - stuck them in a pot, and they were in full bloom by mid July. They only grew about 12 inches high, and I overwintered them in my garage. They already have leaves on them, and I am going to divide them and put in the ground. Have new seedlings started under grow lights for this year's containers. MUCH cheaper than buying them.

Be sure and take pictures as your garden progresses. We want to see how it develops.

melody that cup and saucer vine would look great on a vine pole stuck in a large pot! I have nothing to trade but if you will let it go for postage I would be thrilled to get it. Just let me know.

The Sheltie is my baby MAX. He is about 9 years old and the funniest dog I have ever had. He is the second sheltie we have had with the first being a female who died of a brain tumor back in 1987. I love the way he tries to heard me around when he wants something. Here is his picture, of which I have very few, since he hides when he sees the camera!

I can't grow too many types of tomatoes here because the season is too short and it is too late to start even those like early girl from seed this year so I hope there is enough light out there for next season. This year I'll have to settle for eating the maters from my neighbors crop ;~)

I'll hunt those cup and saucers up..no need for a trade...my housewarming gift to you.

Max is a handsome boy!Our tri-color Carly is 2 and she's a mole hunter and loves to 'herd' me on the lawnmower.

She's a camera hog,so here's her pic from a couple weeks ago.

nathalyn, those dwarf crepe myrtles sound wonderful! How large will they get to be? I need things that can live happily in pots no larger than a half whisky barrel and require no more than 8 hours of direct sun down to almost full shade on one corner.

I will be taking pictures as I go and IF I can make this look the way I hope too it will be fun to show them off!

Those big pots were on sale so I grabbed them. There are 2 22 inch pots and 2 18 inch urns. I am watching the sales ads and picking up more as the budget allows since the ground is inhospitable to all but a few plants and the pots will be easier for the old back to maintain. My theory on the pots is "If I buy them Plants will come" LOL

Planted in the ground, the crape myrtles (dwarf) will grow over several years to maybe three feet high. However, I think that you could grow them in containers for several years before they would get too big - then you might have to give them to a friend. http://www.parkseed.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10101&catalogId=10066&langId=-1&mainPage=prod2working&ItemId=1108&FromTextSearch=crape

They would need 6-8 hours sun in order to bloom well. They do well in hot hot hot dry weather. If you like, I'll check to see if I have any seeds left - - will be glad to mail you some.

nathalyn, they sounded perfect until you got to the Hot Hot part. I live on the north coast and we never ger very hot here. In fact we cry the blues at 75 degrees and melt at 80. And the summer nights and mornings are usually foggy here. Maybe I should try Azaleas in the large pots. The love the climate and do well in the ground so I could probably search out some dwarf varieties that could live in pots for years...or learn to bonsai them....Hmmmm!

How about some lablab seeds? If so send me an email with your addy and I'll send them on! :) You're space looks wonderful. I remember when I got my first apartment with yard space I was allowed to plant in. Liberating isn't it?

Bonsai- oh yes. how about topiaries?

Lucky you on your climate.

Zany, what fun to design a nice small garden. Here is a thread that discusses the pouch planters

http://davesgarden.com/t/378067/

Also I had good luck with Pentas in pots. Check out the thread in Annuals. Let us see what you accomplish

Zany, check out this link with Bluestone http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/cgi-bin/bluestone.cgi/adv_search.html

You can put in your zone, soil, sun/shade, when you want it to bloom and height - - - then it will recommend plants that suit your needs. It has helped me to decide on what to plant where, the easy way.

They have a buy three - get one free (which means they discount everything 25%). I just got a box tonight with red honeysuckle, hydrangea vine, foxglove, liatris, wirral shasta daisies and 2 rose of sharon bushes. Everything was in great shape - - can't wait to get them in the ground tomorrow.

ecobioangie, you've got mail! :~)

trillium_girl, that is the thread that made me think of the bags! Now I have to find the thread on the pentas and see what they are.

nathalyn, Always happy to hear about plant suppliers that send out healthy happy plants. I'll check them out before I go to bed tonight!

Melody, your Carly is beautiful! I love the speckled face. Max has learned a new trick today. He sniffed every leaf he could reach and barked everytime he found a snail! And he didn't quit until I pulled them off and got rid of them!

nathalyn, topiaries could be fun if I can decide on something small to fit the space. I was also thinking of trying to make a tree standard out of a budlia I managed to bring with me. So far I have managed to get a single trunk about 4 ft tall and it looks like it is getting ready to branch out more at the top. I read they should be cut back each year but since they stay leafy year round here I figured it was worth a try.

Zany..how wonderful that you have some real ground to putter on. I sure could use a dog like Max for alerting me to snails in my Hosta garden..I will look forward to more photos as you turn this space into a little paradise. Might I suggest some trellises with several different clematis to cover the fence Then intersperse them with hanging baskets. That would leave plenty of room below for plants in the bed at the base of the fence.
Cheers,
Carol

Nathalyn, thanks for sharing that link for crape myrtle seeds. I had no idea they were so easy from seed and bloomed in the first year. I am going to try some from seeds. LOL......as if I have the room!

Zanymuse, maybe you could rethink growing crape myrtle. I live in the Bay area and we also have cool mornings and evenings and our highs are similar to yours. Here the crape myrtle thrive. I have 3 standards, 4 dwarfs, and 2 semi dwarfs. I just love them. They come in the best colors. The older varieties were easily mildewed I understand and needed it much drier but the newer hybrids are very resistant. I have never had a problem. I am not familiar with the ones from Park Seed but I would be surprised if they are not resistant also.

Good luck on your good fortune of getting your very own garden. I bet Max is thrilled with his new yard.

Here are some pictures, just scroll down. They grow their miniatures in hanging baskets. Since they flower on new wood, you can prune these down to keep them small.
http://www.crapemyrtles.com/awesome.htm

Zany how wonderful. I am going to put aside some low growers for you once I get a few things straightened out but as soon as I saw your fence images of climbing roses fanned out coupled with clematis came to mind. But you know me!! You have the perfect setting and climate for hardy fuschias too - don't forget them for long flowering season until the frosts. Of course, in smaller spaces, you will need to go up too. Obelisks can be made using bamboo canes and of course, roses to adorn them!! What fun!!

Zany, I use the Bluestone site - - even to help me with deciding what seeds (perennials only) to buy. In order to save money and to gain satisfaction, I am trying to start some perennials every year from seed. I love my annuals but I have so many beds, it works me to death. So, I am working toward converting 2/3 of my beds to perennials.

I have a better picture somewhere - - but the attached is a picture of my mini myrtle in late August. I planted 4 seedlings in this pot and the mixture of pinks and roses was nice. I am going to separate them now and start over in the pot with new seedlings.

I checked and I have about 20 seeds left on the dwarf myrtles if anyone wants any - - will be glad to drop them in the mail to you. Germination is good on these seeds, all of my have come up.

You all have convinced me to try the dwarf creape myrtle. It is so pretty and does sound like it could work here. So if you still have any of those seeds available please let me know :~)

Starz an Louisa, You are right about the trellises for roses and Clematis! I will have to wait to put them in since the budget is shot right now but they are definately going to inprove this space!

I do have 3 small fuscia I brought with me because they love the climate here and will be adding some hanging baskets of them from the balcony outcrop that covers the concrete sitting area.

Now off to check out Kell's link befor DH hollers it is time to go to work!

Zany - just email me your address and I'll put you some seeds in the mail Monday - - don't worry about the cost - it's just a postage stamp. I'll send you 10 seeds and if anyone else wants any - let me know.

I am so excited - - I found two buds on one of my Brugmansia cuttings that I got from Calas Tropicals - three weeks ago. The cutting is only about eight inches high and is already going to bloom. The best thing is that is was a freebie that she sent me because it was so little and didn't have a root system as developed as what she normally sends. In other words, it was a runt... :)

good for you! What kind is it?

Here's an idea I saw on one of those decorating shows. They were renovating a backyard. They got one huge pot, filled it about 1/3 full of soil, then got another pot a little smaller and put it in the middle and then put soil all around between the two. Then they filled the 2nd pot about 1/3 full and put a third, slightly smaller pot into the 2nd pot. Again they filled the space between the 2nd and 3rd pot with soil. They went back and filled the exposed part of the 1st and 2nd pot with plants and then filled up the 3rd pot with dirt and planted something in it. So you had 3 levels of pots with things growing out of them, the first 2 were cascading types of plants, as I remember. Wish I had a picture; I hope you can figure out what I'm trying to say.

Kell,
Stupid me - - - I neglected to label my extra cutting. But it looks like my Frosty Pink cutting. I had actually tried to find it a home - - but now, it has to be mine.

Woodspirit, I think I saw that same show. I really like the tiered look. My DH gave me a triple decker container for Valentines Day. http://www.parkseed.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10101&catalogId=10066&langId=-1&mainPage=prod2working&ItemId=58732&FromTextSearch=triple%20planter

I am going to put it in an area that gets all but the late afternoon sun. Any suggestions on what to put in it? I want a mixture of plants.

That's the general idea, but the decorator on the show used clay pots that actually were then set down inside each other with soil between the outside of the smaller pots and the inside of the larger pot beneath it. If I do one this year, I will post a picture.....

This message was edited Sunday, Apr 13th 1:53 PM

sounds like a great idea!!! I must try it. I use all sorts of things to pot up my annuals. I just love different things. My little brain is already at work thinking about the possibilities of this one. I just wish I had a bigger yard! I am so over planted. And now I have so many brug seedlings that need lots of room. It no longer looks nice, unless you like that nursery look. LOL

nathalyn you've got mail. And congratulations on your Brug bloom! That is vety cool to have it bloom so early.


woodspirit1, I think I saw that show. Thanks for the reminder. It could definately add some height and interest. If I remember the right show they painted the pots some bright colors on the show before they tiered them ?

Yes, I think they either painted them or bought them in bright colors. I think they had a blue, yellow and red one. Not sure I'd go that wild with the colors, but it's a matter of taste what colors they should be. I have a yellow house, so even plain ole terra cotta could work for me.

I thought they would have looked better plain on the show too or at least done in a more subtle manner. :~)

nathalyn,I tried to send you an email but your system refused it saying you are not accepting mail from me. You must have your controls set to refuse anyone not on the approved list.

Zany - - try emailing me again - - I didn't realize my email was blocking yours. In an attempt to control spam, I had added some blocks that must have been keeping yours from getting through. Nat

That is looking great Zany, should have known it wouldn't take you long!

Thanks Candy, I have my work cut out for me to whip this wee space into shape but it is sure fun and exciting to be gardening again. The grass area is spotty and full of weeds and the flowerbeds are growing healthy grass so the fun has just begun. But I have about 50/50 sun and shade so I can still handle most types of plants suitable for this area and it is well protected from the winds of winterstormsso I have no excuses if I can't make it beautiful.

How about a Dwarf Barbados Cherry, Zany??


"eyes"

It sounds pretty Eyes, but I tried to do a search on it and came up empty except for this thread where you listed it. Do you have any information on it?

http://www.treesearchfarms.com/special.htm Smockette works for Treesearch out of Sugarland, Tx., and she brought me one last year.

"eyes"

That is so pretty Eyes.......... I had never seen one of those before.