willowdancer's Blog

Update1
Mar 8, 2009 | 9:39 AM PST
Tags: container garden , Small space container gardens , apartment gardening
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Yesterday we ordered all the seeds and transplants we will need for this year's porch garden. So far I have planted my moonflowers, catnip, and spearmint. Only one of the three moonflower seeds I planted actually sprouted, and it is doing well. The other two haven't even germinated yet. I wonder if moon flowers have a low germination rate, or if it is just that I am using seeds that developed on last year's vine. I sent some seeds to a friend of mine; I hope they germinate well for her. The spearmint and catnip are doing well. I have already thinned the cat nip to 1-2 seedlings per pot, and the speamint is still to small to thin. I only planted three of each of the mints because this year they will be in window boxes and will have much more room to spread like how they like instead of being cramped in a 10" pot. I just hope the window boxes will allow the roots to go deep enough for the plants to grow healthily. I'm still contained enitrely to just pots this year, being in a second story apartment, but I am blessed with an expansive porch with both sunny and shady spots. I wonder, will the mama mia hosta I purchased grow well in a 14" hanging basket? I hope so. The begonias did ok last year, and by ok I mean at least they grew, but the flowers looked miserable. I am hoping the bold green and yellow leaves of the mama mia hosta will fill out the basket nicely and last for more than just a year. I found the most perfect bistro set for on the porch and convinced Randy to let us get it when we have the money.   with the hole for putting an umbrella in we will be able to make good use of this set even when we have a patio that doesn't have any shade, and in the meantime we can just stick a nice pot of marjoram on top to cover it. As for the rest of the garden, the basic layout can by viewed in my garden photo album. I am going to be sure to post before and after picutres of the porch garden, as well as progress photos.