Growing up

There are some people that look at the garden I have now and say that it is easy to garden when you have this much space.  Actually, it is harder to garden when you have this much space!  There are more weeds, more ground to cover, and more time to do it all.  It does have its advantages, but limited space should not be a reason to not garden at all.  I have kept some type of garden in most all places that I have lived in my adult life.  Many times the space was limited.  Vertical gardening is the way I made the most out of limited space.  There are many crops that prefer growing up rather than out.  You also don't have to spend a bunch of money on fancy planters when an old garden gate or some fallen branches can supply a support for those upward bound crops.  Pruning a tomato plant to grow up more than out will also provide you with plenty of fruit without all the space.  Even crops that don't grow up naturally can be put into a planter which stacks your garden for low growing crops like lettuce and strawberries.

I have used the netting from our Christmas tree wrapping to train vines up which has gotten additional use out of something most people would discard rather than put in storage for the next six months.  If you are in a community that doesn't allow vegetable gardens, vertical use of space is a great way to sneak those edible crops into the landscape.  That alone is a whole topic yet to be discussed.  Some of the best crops to go vertical with are:

• pole beans
• peas
• tomatoes
• hardy kiwi
• cucumbers
• small melons
• squash
• pumpkins, especially smaller pie varieties
• Malibar spinach
• any crop you can put in a small pot or planter such as lettuce, strawberries, baby carrots, etc.

Your imagination and creative use of height will be your only limitation to how high you can go.

Container Gardening...continued

I didn't like container gardening  at one time.  To me they were like needy children always wanting attention.  They wanted watering daily, sometimes twice.  They begged for fertilizer constantly.  It was like having several teenagers hanging out in my yard and making gardening life a chore rather than a joy.  Then,  I figured out where I was going wrong.
I enjoy my containers now.  They hang around are propped up on blocks and stands. They are topiaries that I carry over from year to year.  They fit into the patio areas where it isn't easy or practical to have an in-ground bed.  I can place them under or hang them from my trees.  There are a few things I have learned which make them a pleasure to have around.

Size does matter.  I have chosen larger pots which let the plants seek deep roots.  I have gotten around the "too heavy" pot syndrome by flipping another plastic pot upside down inside the larger pot.  It reduces the amount of soil I use as well as add an air gap which makes the pot lighter.
Soil matters, also.  Spending a little more on some potting mixes that have moisture retention beads mixed in or adding them yourself really do help extend the moisture content.  Slow release fertilizers will also help reduce the amount of supplemental feeding you have to do during the season.  I mix several things together including sifted compost which adds some natural organic matter to aid in moisture retention as well as feed the plants.

Line your baskets when using the coconut liners with a bit of plastic.  Punch several holes to add drainage before adding the soil and plants.  This will really help retain moisture in these baskets.  I also chose plants that like it dry for hanging baskets.  This allows me the time to let them dry down before watering again.  I love my pink ivy geraniums with the agastache in the middle.  The humming birds also like this basket as much as I do.

I also have some plants that sit right in the water and never get any direct attention for the rest of the season.  The papyrus plants as well as elephant ear (Colocasia) will do nicely in this environment.  I place the pots with the plant inside another larger pot weighted with river stones for looks and to keep the plants standing tall.  This method has kept my plants from blowing onto their sides in the water.  It also keeps the water clean of soil.

I do several herbs in containers.  Some of my annual herbs are in with the flower pots for scent and interest.  My rosemary is in a pot to make the transition back into the house easier.  There are a few herbs in my garden which are in pots and dug into the ground.  This keeps those herbs (mint family) contained to a manageable size and from taking over everything in sight.  (I also cut flower heads off before they seed like crazy.)

I like plants that vine and flower.  Three of these in containers are jasmine, mandevilla vine, and thunbergia.  The jasmine is all on its own and comes indoors every fall.  The mandevilla is also treated the same way.  I bought a second one this year in a hanging basket.  The two plants have met up and are twining up the corner of the garage. Because I didn't fertilize last year's plant much it is just starting to flower.
The thunbergia is in a service pot and I have bamboo training it up towards the fence.  If you look at the planter on the left, you will see that this one has become my favorite combination of plants.  There is Diamond Frost euphobia, lantana, ibosa vine, and pineapple sage filling up this dish.  Plastic pots are also part of my container happiness. I love the look of terra cotta, but by nature it will wick moisture out of the soil inside.  Glazed pots help reduce this, but terra cotta is also much heavier.  I have some, but do try to keep them in a spot that does not ask to be moved as much.

Today, my husband did me a huge favor and re-purposed more of the old deck into a vertical garden.  Window boxes are another of my container garden favorites.  I have my alpine strawberries in window boxes and now have a vertical tower to hold them.  I have more window boxes and plan on doing my late season lettuce in this vertical structure.  I also will be able to start things outdoors early next year in the same.
Containers can add versatility to gardening.  Vegetables on a high rise balcony are possible because of container gardens.  You can move them for different looks or to add interest to a barren concrete jungle.  When frost threatens, they can be moved indoors until the warm days of fall return, extending your season by months sometimes.  They can also be moved closer to the water source when the situation calls for this.  Experiment and see what works for you.