Category — urban garden

One day I had the start of a very lovely patch of mixed lettuce plants. The next morning, I had a few stems of lettuce and one lonely leaf covered by a few small green caterpillar type creatures. Then my Swiss chard got attacked by the little buggers. And now the peas have some weird white spots on the leaves. Sigh. I feel like I am losing the war here.

I thought container plants were supposed to be more pest-resistant, but I guess I was wrong. I really want to avoid using chemical pesticides, but I don’t know what the best alternative is. Some natural pesticides seem like they’d be the perfect solution, but I want to do a little more research before I start spraying anything on plants I eventually want to eat. I also like the idea of companion planting as a natural alternative but I don’t have much space to introduce a lot of new plants at this point.

The other alternative is to let go of the dream of growing my own veggies in the heart of the city and get some great outdoor furniture so that we can enjoy the space and the cool air outside the apartment. I have gone back and forth on this many times, but I just can’t seem to commit to anything. There are hammocks and chaise lounges and cool double chairs that have a little umbrella table in the middle, and they all seem they’d be awesome for different reasons. I am just having such a hard time of letting go of that utopic vision of actual edible plants in my backyard.

I will most likely debate this more tonight as I plant some mint seedlings where the lettuce plants used to be, because I can’t bear the site of that big empty container. Sad days in the garden indeed.

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.

I just spotted this on Laist: Residential composting may be the next phase in reducing landfill waste. That’s fantastic news, and I really hope the program is a success. It definitely provides another reason to think about getting a home composter. The city is providing 2-gallon composting bins to the initial 8,700 hundred homes participating in the project, but if you want a more stylish option, check out these compost bins:

Blue Planet Smart Compost Bins

Green Cone composter by Solarcone

Ceramic Compost Crocks

My container garden is improving rapidly. In addition to herbs like basil, mint and chamomile, we now have grape tomatoes (instead of cherry), swiss chard and hot banana peppers. I am also getting ready to plant a mesclun mix in one long container, and carrots, peas and cantaloupe in big pots this weekend. I thought that would be the end of my planting for a while, but I just found this article about no-dig gardening from the LA Times, so now I am reconsidering my options.

The advantage of a no-dig garden, in addition to not having to dig into the hard, sun-baked Southern California soil is that the method doesn’t require a lot of water because the layers of the no-dig garden retain moisture longer. It’s not a “waterless” garden; it just needs to be watered less often. It is also great for people who don’t have a lot of outdoor space. Plus, PIC has been totally gung-ho on the idea of getting a composter, so if we start a no-dig garden, at least we’d have an immediate use for the compost. My only concern is that if I commit to a no-dig garden, there won’t be enough space left over for even a chaise lounge. So I guess this weekend I’ll do some measuring and see if a no-dig garden can work into my dream of a garden oasis.

Here are some more no-dig gardening resources:

• No-Dig Vegetable Garden
• Bare Bones Gardening: No-Dig Potatoes
• Instructables: Easy organic garden any where - the NO DIG GARDEN
• Path to Freedom: Garden Tips and Tricks

The LA Times has a great article about a movement called guerrilla gardening. Basically, people stealthily plant neglected public areas for the purpose of making the environment more appealing for everyone. Guerrilla gardening movement proponents call it a “form of protest and direct action” and “urban ecological subversion“, but I call it good, clean (if not totally legal) fun. I wonder if there are Swiss Army-style garden tools that fit easily into pockets and are good for this kind of hit-and-tun gardening. I will have to do more research into that, but for now, some Guerilla Gardening links:

Inhabitat:Guerrilla Gardening: Strategies for Greening the Hood

Treehugger: Guerilla Gardening: Resistance is Fertile

Green Guerillas.org

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)

Southern California weather and sunshine are great for gardeners, but many people have to deal with small yards, patios or balconies as they try to create a green oasis in the city. Here are some ideas for transforming a small space into the patio of your dreams.

• Small-Scale Style from Garden Ideas
• Landscaping a Small Patio, A Balcony Garden and Stretching Small Gardens from HGTV
• Balcony / Small Patio = Outdoor Room from Suzy Renovator
• Small Urban Garden Design Tips from Urban Gardening Help
• Apartment Gardening on the Balcony from Rental Decorating Digest