I wanna grow stuff!

[Jaymes]

Other things I enjoyed in my container garden on my balcony: large pots (like those barrel halves) with a big assortment of something. Like bulbs. I had one barrel half that had all of my bulbs. And every year when someone would give me some tulips or daffodils or Easter lilies or something, in there it would go. Absolutely beautiful in the spring. I had some other stuff in that barrel as well, so that it looked good year round. I basically treated it like I did my outdoor flower garden/bedding patch in other houses where I had a yard. My theory was that if the pot was large enough, I should be able to put pretty-much anything in it.

In the large pot (and it was really large -- at least 2 1/2' high, and probably the same in diameter) with my lemon tree, I also planted trailing petunias. I picked "pink wave." They were gorgeous -- filled in the soil, and trailed down the sides of the pot. And petunias did fine in that Texas heat, even with full sun. The lemon tree, planted, was about six feet high, so especially in bloom, or covered with lemons, it was spectacular with those hot pink pink pentunias mounding and spilling over the sides. As I remember it, makes me wish I had taken a photo.

I had a few roses out there, too. They were harder to keep healthy in the pots. I think roses are just harder plants to grow because they're so vulnerable to pests and diseases and that sort of thing. And it seemed to be worse in the pots. Although I did have two or three that performed well, overall, I decided that they were more trouble than they were worth, and most of the roses I bought eventually got tossed.

Also had a small laurel bay. Loved that thing. Ruined me for using dried bay leaves forever, I fear. It was more climate-sensitive than most of my other plants, so I did haul it in and out depending upon the weather.

But that's something that now I won't be without. It's the only plant that I hauled with me when I left.

Had a big hanging asparagus fern just for looks. They're easy to grow, and the feathery trails looked so pretty blowing in the wind.

Edited June 5, 2006 by Jaymes (log)

[tryska]

i was thinking about a Bay Tree too.

And alos ginger and turmeric plants (one of each) altho I understand they grow quite big.

What are your thoughts on this planter:

http://www.gardeners.com/Terrazza-Trough-P...ering.16027.cpd

It's pretty expensive, but it looks to be quite big, and I can put it on coasters too. I was thinking maybe for next year I could go that route, and rotate plants through it.

I like this one too, which seems like it could house my entire garden, but it's not moveable.

http://www.gardeners.com/Self-Watering-Rai...ering.17403.cpd