Gardener's Group discussion

Use this thread to discuss what you're growing in containers this year.

98% of my garden is in containers (plus one raised bed). This year I have to do a massive replacement of containers because the past few years have been rough on them and they're breaking, paint chipping or faded something awful. I've also had a lot of losses due to weather the last few years (hurricane Irene/2011, hurricane Sandy/2012 and now our first real Northeast Winter in well over a decade) so I've got a lot of room now in the garden. A little heartbreaking. It's like starting over to a degree. But, that's what we gardeners do!

Jo wrote: "98% of my garden is in containers (plus one raised bed). This year I have to do a massive replacement of containers because the past few years have been rough on them and they're breaking, paint c..."

What a bummer to lose so much of your stuff but I hope you have fun picking out new pots.

I was addicted to wave petunias for a few years, but I think I'm over it. They just don't hold up through Aug. and Sept. This year I'm going to use verbena in my pots instead. They come in so many colors, look good through the whole season and I like how they interweave with other plants in a pot.

Not sure if this is the right place for it, but does anyone have interests in key hole gardening?

Lorna wrote: "Not sure if this is the right place for it, but does anyone have interests in key hole gardening?"

No, not yet, but it is a great way to create a cool looking garden. I would need to roto till allot and buy some new plants.

Lorna wrote: "Not sure if this is the right place for it, but does anyone have interests in key hole gardening?"

What is it?

Cheryl S. wrote: "Lorna wrote: "Not sure if this is the right place for it, but does anyone have interests in key hole gardening?"

What is it?"

I have not done such gardening, but it is interesting. The basic is a circular garden with a notch in the circle for access to the center. It also deals with some aspects of a permaculture that helps the plants survive with litle attendence. Part of it appeals to me because I have large compost piles that I do not want to deal with.

This book has an artistic version of the key hole garden.
Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture, 2nd Edition

A practical version used in Africa.
http://www.inspirationgreen.com/keyho...

Thanks for the links, Cheryl. I'll try to find this book at our library. YouTube has some videos I've seen, too. One was showing a group of people in Africa using the practical version. It was pretty impressive. I was in the yard doing cleanup duties all day today. I kept coming back to the spot where I think I'd like to try this. It will be quite a bit of work clearing the plants and moving them to other areas, but it has to be done anyway. Trees were cut down in the neighbor's yard and where I had lots of shade there is now full sun. Many of my hostas burned badly last year, even though I tried giving them extra water. The ferns just said forget it! The keyhole garden really appeals to me because of the easy access to the plants and it looks as though it can be divided up for vegetables and flowers. It also looks as though I'd be saved a lot of bending, too, which makes it look even better! I'd like it look attractive with other flowers planted around it, maybe in containers. Researching this should keep me busy. Our area is no where near ready for any planting yet so I still have time to get more information and come up with a real plan. I'm just so anxious to get out there. It felt really good out there today, but I know we could have snow or freezing temps tomorrow! Thanks, again!

Mickey wrote: "Cheryl S. wrote: "Lorna wrote: "Not sure if this is the right place for it, but does anyone have interests in key hole gardening?"

What is it?"

I have not done such gardening, but it is interesti..."

I have the Gaia's Garden book. I will have to look up the info. I found this book to be really fascinating but don't remember the info on key hole gardening.

I think by Wednesday enough of the snow will be gone off of a couple of my perennial beds that I will be able to start cleaning them up. I'm very anxious to get out and start working but may have to wait if the frost isn't completely out of the ground.

I am so relieved to see signs of life in my many containers! In spite of the cooler than normal temps for this time of year here too. However I'm fairly certain the camellia and 3 roses (French Lace floribunda, Pope John Paul II hybrid tea and Mardi Gras floribunda) are a lost cause. Mardi Gras was my first non-Knock Out rose in my garden and Pope John Paul II was in honor of my Nana so it will be very sad to say goodbye to them.

This isn't really container gardening, but in another way it is. It is a beautiful herb garden in a window

I just realized that since August 2011 and through this Winter, I've lost more than half of my garden due to weather! Jeepers.

If I have plant that die from the weather, I never replace that plant with the same. I find my self more and more looking at those zone ratings. My biggest downer three years ago was loosing a large lilac shrub to a blight. Everyone in my neighborhood lost their lilac shrubs.

Granted, these last 3 years have not been typical with 2 hurricanes (Irene came w/78 mph winds and a foot of rain - Sandy came w/96mph winds) and the first real Northeast in well over a decade this season. Not to mention in 2011 we were 5 feet above normal for rainfall and then in a drought in 2012 with above normal hot temps. Such roller coaster extremes are hard to weather.

I always go by hardiness zone - coastal gardening is a bit different, hurricanes etc aside because the winds often carry salt in the air and that can be harsh on plants and change the soil so I make sure to check the zones on tags before buying. What grows in my coastal z7b garden wouldn't grow in my northern z6a garden because it's so much colder up there and the growing season is much shorter.

Ms Bubbles SockieP wrote: "This isn't really container gardening, but in another way it is. It is a beautiful herb garden in a window"

I think it's container gardening.

Just a FYI - We have a thread for herbs (and veggies too): https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... :-)

This year I kept my container garden simple. I still have Yarrow growing in a container by itself as it survived the Winter but my Peppermint and Kentucky Colonel Spearmint in another container did not survive. And the same fate happened to my English Lavender but I hope the mint and lavender will return in the Spring as I plan to take the containers indoors this Winter. This year I did another herb garden and planted Cinnamon Basil, Lettuce Leaf Basil, Lemon Basil, and Bouquet Dill.

Well, Im currently collecting bulbs. Have white Hyacinths, Lillies and Tulips. Planning to buy yellow-gold Daffodils and maybe some crocuses.

I planted at least 3 different kind of roses, plus I have three rose plants already planted (all in containers).

I'm also collecting Dracaenas at the moment.

I brought some small daffodils and crocus bulbs i,ve planted some then forgot them till i saw this thread. May be a while to plant them though as its beeen raining almost non stop the last three days.

I love container gardening. I usually grow my hot peppers in containers because in Colorado we have a short, cool season and I can move my peppers inside in the fall to give them time to ripen. My biggest obsession is growing citrus in containers since they must be kept inside during the winter and I am very proud of being able to pick ripe homegrown citrus in Colorado.

I know only gardening with containers. :( I don't have a land where I could plant what I want. I live in apartment and while we do have some sort of ground where people can plant something, it's suitable only for roses. So we do have lots of roses.

All my gardening skill, tho, is containter based. I have northern window (that's kitchen) and eastern window (bedroom) so I'm keeping all my plants in these two rooms (and aquarium, haha). I used to keep orchids in bathroom and while the humidity was great for them, they didn't have enough light (no window) so I now keep Phalaenopsis orchids in showcase.

I have a balcony (norther side) where I keep jasmin, hibiscus, syringa, roses and bulbs - all in containers.

In kitchen I keep african violets and lemon (for now), lavender and rosmarin.
All the other plants are in my bedroom which I keep cool and never heat.

Lára wrote: "I know only gardening with containers. :( I don't have a land where I could plant what I want. I live in apartment and while we do have some sort of ground where people can plant something, it's su..."

I wrote a book on container gardening with edible bonsai that will be released on January 13.

This is a 20+ year old rosemary bonsai. I shot this picture yesterday for my publisher to use in promotions for my new book, Bountiful Bonsai.

What a great picture!! I never thought of bonsai as anything but little pine trees. I might be tempted to give it a try!

Debbie wrote: "What a great picture!! I never thought of bonsai as anything but little pine trees. I might be tempted to give it a try!"

I owned a wholesale bonsai tree business for over 20 years, specializing in herbs and tropical plants for indoor bonsai.

That's cool, Richard. I'll have to do some plotting and see what I can come up with to give it a go. Best of luck with your book!

What a beauty! I hope that you have it listed in your will in the (hopefully distant) day you no longer can take care of it.

Bonsai has defeated me; I've tried a few times. The problem I believe is that I am an erratic waterer.

There is a nice bonsai display at the Krohn Conservatory in Cincinnati that I visit whenever I get there. Very beautiful.

MissJessie wrote: "What a beauty! I hope that you have it listed in your will in the (hopefully distant) day you no longer can take care of it.

Bonsai has defeated me; I've tried a few times. The problem I believe..."

I sold bonsai to the Krohn Conservatory when I had my business. The secret to successfully growing bonsai is to use indoor tropical varieties to grow as houseplants.

I've started an obsession of gardening from my food scraps and i havent been able to stop. I live in the northeast and i havent a clue as to what im doing. However i will find out soon enough if i have a green thumb. Anyway i was wondering if anyone else is growing food from scraps in containers indoors. Im looking for a place to come to for advice or to brag about my growing achievements. Hope this works out because my family is tired of my new found love. Growing seeds from my food and regrowing food from their freshly cut roots has grabbed my attention and imagination in an astounding way. Hope it lasts but for now i needed to fulfill an itch through a forum. I hope this is it.

I planted some bulbs in a container and I've seen some leaves, so now I'm just waiting on flowers. I love this part of gardening; the anticipation of the first flowers. :)

Joel wrote: "I've started an obsession of gardening from my food scraps and i havent been able to stop. I live in the northeast and i havent a clue as to what im doing. However i will find out soon enough if i ..."

If the seeds from a Vegetable is from an heirloom variety it should work.

However, the vast majority of vegetables sold in markets are Hybrids, the off spring of two plants and will probably not work or you will get something your not expecting.

Fruit trees will not work, unless the tree is a self pollinating one. For fruit trees to match the kind a fruit you want, one will need a cutting of that tree and form roots of that cutting.

Packets of seeds are cheap, often less than $2, these are your best options. If one starts with heirloom seeds, then one can seed save from those plants.

Thank you mickey, i will look into that.

Ok so now i have a new issue, i know surprising, right, lol? I have mold growing on the top soil and read somewhere that it is a sign of bugs. Starting to lose veggies stalks and hydrogen peroxide can help with that? Can anyone confirm before i kill my veggies with peroxide? Thanks

Joel wrote: "Ok so now i have a new issue, i know surprising, right, lol? I have mold growing on the top soil and read somewhere that it is a sign of bugs. Starting to lose veggies stalks and hydrogen peroxide ..."

Mold is caused by dampness, over crowding and over watering. A small fan with a gentle breeze will help prevent that. You could transplant or replace the plants to fresher soil.

Thanks, does this mean peroxide remedy is out? 1 part peroxide to 9 parts water sprayed twice a day would be bad?

I don't know about peroxide either way. But to prevent mold, don't over water. If your plants are in pots, adding shredded moss to the top of the soil is known to help with some fungal growth. Anecdotally watering with dilute chammomile can prevent some fungi. I also keep a small ramekin with vinegar in the same room as my plants to help a little with fungus/damping off. Hope this helps. Katie

Calamondin Orange bonsai created to display at my book signing event tomorrow.

Joel wrote: "Thanks, does this mean peroxide remedy is out? 1 part peroxide to 9 parts water sprayed twice a day would be bad?"

I have no idea, it is new to me, I have never heard about it. Katie's advice sounds good to me. Like I said before, I have tossed more plants out than I grow. Seeds and seedling/potting soil are cheap.

If y'all are geek-level interested (like me), this book is a fascinating look at the way all elements of the thing come together - including what conditions promote fungi.

Mickey - keyhole gardening is interesting to me; I live in a pretty arid area and was thinking of trying that at some point. Right now, since I have a lot of trees, I am trying hugelkulture as another way to plant in low-water conditions. Let me know if you want a link. I don't know how to add a picture here...

Katie wrote: "If y'all are geek-level interested (like me), this book is a fascinating look at the way all elements of the thing come together - including what conditions promote fungi.[bookcover:Teaming with Mi..."

I have that book and it is an intresting book. The main focus on that book is making compost tea and I have not yet made compost tea. Dealing with plant diseases with the compost tea is interesting and on my things to do list and that list is long.

Katie wrote: "Mickey - keyhole gardening is interesting to me; I live in a pretty arid area and was thinking of trying that at some point. Right now, since I have a lot of trees, I am trying hugelkulture as ano..."

I am not interested in keyhole gardening since I have the oppisite problem of too much rain in Michigan. I do use furrows and raised beds that helps with drainage. I do use some techniques in hugelkulture for my raised beds. These topics and more is in this book -
Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture

Richard wrote: "

Calamondin Orange bonsai created to display at my book signing event tomorrow."

Beautiful!

Mickey wrote: "Katie wrote: "Mickey - keyhole gardening is interesting to me; I live in a pretty arid area and was thinking of trying that at some point. Right now, since I have a lot of trees, I am trying hugel..."

I think "Gaia's Garden" is one of the most interesting gardening books I have ever read.

Cheryl S. wrote: "Richard wrote: "

Calamondin Orange bonsai created to display at my book signing event tomorrow."

Beautiful!"

Thank you.

My white african violet, over 4 years old, in bloom right now/Primula, the newest family member, just a couple of days old

Oh to have time to garden the way I want to. I just removed the last of my winter broccoli because they bolted. I have onions, garlic and lettuce going, and I am experimenting with Brussels sprouts. Texas is a challenging area to garden in. I believe as I try new things, and occasionally fail the better part of my property will end up.covered in roses.

Lára wrote: "My white african violet, over 4 years old, in bloom right now/Primula, the newest family member, just a couple of days old

"

Beautiful!