Category — plants

My container garden is going wild with all the warm weather we have been having. The only problem is that I seem to have planted too many seeds. Here’s the situation: we bought seeds at various intervals throughout the years but never really had an opportunity to grow them so we froze them. Although they seemed alright, they’d been in the freezer for a while so I was pretty sure that not all the seeds would sprout. Boy, was I wrong.

I now have a TON of little Swiss chard, mint and dill plants, and I just noticed that I have several chili pepper plants sprouting as well. That’s in addition to more fully developed grape tomatoes, Anaheim chiles, carrots, cantaloupe, basil and mesclun lettuces. So now I am weighing the options for thinning out the sprouts.

I have sort of given up the vertical garden idea, just because I am nervous about everything falling over in an earthquake. Now I am considering some nice window box planter, since it seems like a great way to really enhance the look of our place as well. However, I am concerned that water used for the plants may somehow start to rot or warp the wooden siding, so I need to do more research into window box planters before I commit. I do love the way they look, though. Check this out:

I am totally in love with this idea: planters that hang vertically like art on walls. These “living wall planters” are a great way for city dwellers to maximize their garden space while adding a really cool design element to their homes. The best part is that they are available for less than $200.

There is a very timely article on MSN about 5 foods it’s cheaper to grow. The MSN article is timely because Partner-in-Climb and I were just talking about the possibility of growing vegetables at home. I had seen an article about growing potatoes in a container, and basically, we have been considering that option for the backyard while planning to set up some hanging baskets with cherry tomatoes and peppers on the front porch.

I am also debating the merits of a vertical vegetable garden for the backyard, but I don’t know if that will make me feel too claustrophobic back there. I am totally fascinated by the Valcent High Density Vertical Growth system, but I am pretty sure it is way too big for our space. And I don’t think they are actually for sale yet. But it is really cool. I really do like the idea of growing as much as possible, though, so maybe I will do a little more research to find a compromise I can live with. It is definitely something to consider as we develop our urban garden retreat.

Over 30% of landfill waste can be composted to use as soil for plants. Since adding unnecessary organic waste to landfills can contribute to the production of greenhouse gases, it makes sense to try to reduce the amount of organic waste going into landfills. The nutritionally rich soil produced by composting household organic wastes like vegetable rinds, coffee grounds and cardboard rolls is great for house plants, container gardens and small yards. Here are a couple of really cool composting ideas for apartment dwellers:

• NatureMill Plus: Sets the “industry standard” for composting:

If you have a chance, check out the History Channel video on the NatureMill homepage. It is really cool to see this composter in action.

• Compost Crocks: HGTV has the rundown on these low-tech indoor composting tools:

You can also:

• Build your own composter with the Manual for Soil Factory by n55; or,
• Read these Indoor Compost Bin instructions; or
• Use the MAKE:Blog How To Guide

The best part of these composting ideas, in addition to all that great planting soil, is no bugs and no smell!

Finally, the long promised lemon balm post. I planted my lemon balm at the same time as the chamomile and feverfew, but it didn’t take off right away like they did. However, once the lemon balm started to grow, it got very bushy and became a magnet for all sorts of butterflies, moths and bees. At first I was like, “Awww, look at all the pretty flying creatures in the garden!” But then I noticed tons of bite marks on some lemon balm leaves and little black dots on other leaves. I had been really looking forward to using that lemon balm for teas and recipes , but the condition of the leaves is very unappetizing. I am not sure if it is a plant fungus or insect eggs or feces or what, but it is nasty. Sigh.

Apparently, the scent of lemon balm has been used for centuries to calm nerves and elevate mood, so it’s at least it’s still a great addition to our urban garden oasis. It is such an interesting plant and I feel like there is still tons I need to learn about it. Here are some great informative sites I’ve found:

• Encyclopedia of Spices
• Botanical.com
• How to Grow Lemon Balm
• Lemon Balm: 2007 Herb of the Year
• Mosquitoes Hate Lemon Balm
• Herbalpedia: Lemon Balm (pdf)

Partner-in-Climb got walloped by a nasty flu so this weekend was spent close to home. While he was recuperating in bed, I spent a lot of time online trying to get some ideas for Mother’s Day Gifts for my mom AND his mom.

I am pretty sure I am going to get my mom this awesome herb garden kit from Mountain Valley Growers. I like the idea of getting her live plants for Mother’s Day because she loves to garden, and it is the perfect time to plant in her zone. I also like the idea of getting her plants because the last time I bought her clothes for Mother’s Day, I ended up going to the Gap no less than 4 times to exchange the jeans she insisted would fit her for different sizes.

Anyway, I think I am going to get my mom the Kitchen Herb Garden because I know she loves the 6 herbs it features. I am still debating whether or not to get her a pyramid or hexagonal planter as well. She has a big garden, but I am sure she already has most of the space planted or designated for planting. If I get her a planter, at least she has the option of putting the plants on the deck or something. As long as it doesn’t mess with the overall theme of her outdoor decor, I think she will really like it.

I was delighted to return from our recent road trip to find our orchids coming out of a long hibernation and our chamomile in bloom! I am most surprised about the chamomile; of all the plants I have potted recently, it seemed like it wasn’t really taking off. But I guess Miracle Gro really does live up to its name–it’s been just over a month since I planted the chamomile, and it’s already blooming! The feverfew and lemon balm are also growing by leaps and bounds as well (and yes, I KNOW i still need to do a lemon balm post!) My tropical oasis is within reach; now I just need furniture so I can enjoy it!

It was great to be on the road because it gave me a lot of great ideas for patio furniture. I can’t decide if I’d prefer a clay chimenea or a fire pit, because I can see pros and cons to having both. I LOVE the design and the Southwestern feel, but it doesn’t seem as versatile or as easy to clean as a fire pit. Then again, since we live in Southern California, there might not be that many fires, and a chimenea definitely has more stand alone appeal as outdoor decor. Maybe I should wait until the weather warms up before I make any decisions.

PIC and I collect rocks from different places we’ve climbed or visited as mementos, and while most of the rocks are small, there are a couple in our place that are around 15 lbs. each and are placed decoratively near the fireplace. At least, they are usually near the fireplace. Recently, Partner-in-Climb has gotten into the habit of using the larger rocks as weights, which I guess makes sense for training for climbing, since the rocks force different grips than free weights do. They seem to be a decent substitute for the Metolius hang board that we had at our last place, and I don’t have a problem with him using them, except for the other evening, when they did not make it back to their home next to the fireplace. Unfortunately I didn’t realize that the rocks weren’t back by the fireplace until I was walking through the living room the next morning–before I put my contacts in–and so I walked at full speed into the more jagged of the two rocks. I will not get into a graphic description of my injury, because it is REALLY gross, but I believe from the persistent pain I have been experiencing since that moment that I will be losing this toenail very soon. I am not quite sure if it is a really bad bruise at this point or a fracture, but in either case, it means a few days of reduced activity until the swelling and pain subside. I cringe at the thought of even trying to put on my climbing shoes or biking shoes at this point.

However, the weekend is coming and I know I will get stir-crazy if I am stuck in front of the TV without a plan for some activity, so I think I am going to do some gardening and figure out how I want to set up our patio and porch for spring and summer. We have tons of plants already for ambiance and scenery, now we just need furniture! I was looking for some design ideas online and saw that Design On A Dime is re-airing an episode on outdoor patio design on March 26th, so I will definitely tune into that to get some ideas. I think I want to get a set of steamer chairs for the porch, and then have a grill and small table set up on the patio, but who knows, maybe I’ll get more inspiration from the show.

In related garden news, the feverfew, chamomile and lemon balm I planted a few weeks ago are really taking off! I still have to get around to writing a post about lemon balm. It’s a really beautiful and fascinating plant. I started a few of the babies on our spider plant in their own pots last weekend and re-potted some of our older plants, who love the weather at their new home and have been growing like weeds since we moved in. The next mission is to get some sunflowers started.

n55 is a Danish design group that is known for socially engaged projects documented in a number of manuals meant to inspire environmentally aware conversation and innovation. I am really excited about their manual for city farming plant modules, like the ones shown in the image above. It’s a great solution for people whose needs fall somewhere between a “real” in-ground garden and a container garden, like plant-loving renters who have a little bit of yard to play it, or people who have balconies or patios. It gives a lot of freedom for design and layout, and the component sections seem like they’d be easy to move around for quick outdoor redecorating when the mood hits. Throw in some tiki torches and a good grill, and you’ll be ready for tropical party fun even in the city.

The City Farming Plant Module seems like it would work really well with n55’s indoor soil factory, which lets green city dwellers compost trash at home. If you want a little less mess and potential funky composting smell, n55’s website also has hydroponic garden instructions.

Ok, the second new addition to my container garden is Chamomile. I LOVE chamomile! I stopped drinking coffee a while back and have switched to mainly decaffeinated herbal teas as my main beverage treat, so I am very excited by the prospect of possibly growing and brewing some fresh chamomile tea! I bought some cut chamomile at the Farmer’s Market a few months ago; it was mixed in a fantastic bouquet along with fresh bay laurel, lemon verbena and cilantro flowers. It smelled fantastic while it was fresh, and I dried the blossoms to save for tea. The tea is SOOOO yummy and refreshing! I love it with lots of honey and a little ginger.

Here are some cool chamomile links:

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

About.com: Alternative Medicine

Herb Gardening

eHow: How to Use Chamomile to Treat Sunburns