The Lure of the Garden Catalog

I've mentioned wanting a set of self-watering window boxes from Gardener's Supply Company in previous posts (http://all-purpose-flower.blogspot.com/2012/02/windowbox-salad-bar.html) Today I got a look at their most recent catalog and discovered an entire series of self-watering containers - and I want them all.


Here's a better photo of the window box, it comes in 3 sizes, several colors, I like Loden Green and think that would look best on our white vinyl railing:

Self-Watering Windowbox from Gardener's Supply Company

Here's a diagram showing the water reservoir inside the planters:

Self-Watering Patio Planter Illustration from Gardener's Supply Company.

Today I found the self-watering vegetable planter. It holds 4 qts of water and is deeper than a regular planter. AND it has castors built in so you can move it around easily.  I didn't see any color selection for this.

Self-Watering Vegetable Container from Gardener's Supply Company

They also sell self-watering Rolling planters in two sizes that sit on wheels and an even larger patio planter that has 9 square feet of planting space.  That last one would not fit here, but would be perfect for my parent's deck.

I realize this is only interesting to people like me, but the thought of being able to leave plants unattended while on vacation in the summer seems too good to be true. I haven't met anyone who has tried these planters out yet.  Would like to hear from anyone who has. [I'm also not being paid to endorse this company or their products, they are a personal favorite and I am using this blog to create a wish list for myself.]

Veggies that Made the Cut

With the garden plot lottery only 2 days away, I've been compiling a list of the vegetables I'd like to grow. I said earlier that I'd get bogged down if I had to plan a large garden (http://all-purpose-flower.blogspot.com/2012/02/planning-my-vegetable-garden.html), but I'm finding that making the choice of vegetables to plant has been pretty easy. 


I started with the list of the 10 easiest to grow from Sugar Snaps and Strawberries. I eliminated any I wouldn't eat (sorry beets). These I'll try:

• beans (c)
• lettuce (c)
• peas  (c)
• radishes  (c)
• summer squash 
• tomatoes  (c)

Early Prolific Straightneck from Clear Creek Seeds.com

The rest are maybes, because I'm not sure how to cook some, let alone by the bushel:

• chard  (c)
• herbs
• potatoes

Swiss chard from Red Dirt Ramblings.com

I added a couple plants listed in the book as good for growing in part-shade:

• strawberries  (c)
• kale  (c)
• spinach  (c)

I asked my boyfriend which he likes to eat, so I added these to the list:

• peppers  (c)
• corn
• carrots  (c)

Finally, I was talking to a friend who suggested:

• acorn squash
• hubbard squash
• yams

Since the plot is year round, the young person in our household pointed out that we should plant pumpkins.  When I mentioned this to my friend, she suggested looking for:

• pumpkin plants that say "pumpkin pie" or "sugar" in the name.

Acorn squash from west coast seeds.com

I now have a list of vegetables to plant if I get a plot in the community garden. 

In the event I don't get one, I now have a list of the veggies I'll plant in containers (c) here at home.

Next step will be a plan or layout for the garden.  I don't know the orientation yet, but I've seen a couple of tutorials that could be adapted.

Photos are from my Pinterest board "Veggies". To see these photos and others just click on the Pinterest button at the bottom right of the page.

Sometimes It's the Small Things That Stand Out

That was some snow storm today. It was so bright and sunny out that I had to go outside and putz around in the back yard. I did a little clean up work and was ready to head back inside when I noticed these tiny little cones on the tree we bought last fall. 

The tree is in a container up on a low wall, it serves as a break from the monotony of white that the fence provides. As I was looking at it I thought,  'great, I will never remember the name of this tree'. I turned the pot a little and discovered that I had never removed the tag. 


I took a photo and placed the tag in the pot.  This led me to wonder why in all my life I've never photographed the plant and the tag when I first buy it.  I have tags strewn all over the house and in the garage with no way of ever locating them when I need to. 





The tree is a Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria. J. 'Black Dragon'). We attended a class at Portland Nursery last fall and did a little shopping afterward. It stood out because of it's dark green color and spiky branches. Today was the first time I had seen the cones, which are so tiny I just had to take a picture.  




Of course this got me looking a bit closer at all my plants and it was fun to use the macro setting on my camera and get some more close up shots.


I was happy to find my first bulb blossoming.  It is a tiny crocus in a pot I'd planted over a year ago.  I'd stashed the pot out of the way and didn't remember it still had bulbs.

The biggest surprise to me, is a set of 3 plants I used in containers last year.  (Their name is located on one of the tags I mentioned earlier, I have no idea the name or the location of the tag). I had intended to transplant them to my mom's yard last fall, but never got around to it.  I figured I would be throwing them out by now, but they are all growing, and the one I left in the hanging basket with coconut husk is now blooming.