Last Chance to Plant Your Veggies

This is the last chance to do a major sowing of vegetables. Try beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, chard, Chinese cabbage, lettuce, peas, radishes, scallions and spinach.

First Rain

I have to say it was nice to hear the rain coming down this morning. Everything was so fresh and beautiful. The droplets were really sparkling off the plants; especially the mexican feather grass (above)

The deck plantings have really gone crazy with all this hot weather. You can hardly see any pots! Our new lemon tree is just starting to get buds and I see lots of beans starting on our bush bean plant.

See all the little blue flowers in the middle of this picture? That's blue star creeper and I'm absolutely nuts about it. I pretty much have it everywhere. It flowers all summer and usually stays pretty green all winter. It spreads easily but doesn't take over. 

Wallingford Garden Tour

Last weekend the three of us went on the Wallingford Garden Tour. Out of all the neighborhood tours, this is definitely my favorite. Those Wallingford folks are not afraid to show their personal style. Check out the glass wall in the above picture. Isn't that the coolest? It really sparkled in the sun. I want to make one of those! It's always so fun to see both the variety and also just how much you can pack into a small city lot garden. 

I love the way these veggie beds are framed with brick. So charming.

Here's our youngest garden tour-er.

This garden really follows the 'show no dirt' modo. This rockery was absolutely packed with plants. The picture doesn't do it justice. I love how they've incorporated a large potted maple into the mix. Pots almost always look great in a garden.

This is an iris. I'd never seen one quite like it before and then I realized it must be the 'in' plant because several of the gardens had them.

Only in Wallingford would somebody have a garden dedicated to cactus. Truly amazing! So where do they put these things in the winter? ....

In this enormous greenhouse. Turns out it's quite a process to get them in and out every season. And it's a very stickery job.

This guy has two eyes.

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Zen Gardens

Check out these links that were sent from a friend of mine. They are Zen gardens designed by a Japanese Monk. Wow!

In Japan

http://www.kenkohji.jp/s/english/majojwork_e/japanese_g.html
Outside Japan
http://www.kenkohji.jp/s/english/majojwork_e/oversea_g.html

Philosophy
http://www.kenkohji.jp/s/english/philosophy_e.html

Veggies, Herbs and Annuals in Containers

The herbs are doing well in pots. This corner of the deck plantings is a mix of herbs, annuals, perennials and evergreens. From left to right we have dwarf alberta spruce, pansies, cilantro, red blood grass, mondo grass, scotch moss, petunia, lobelia, pieres japonica, trailing rosemary, basil, chocolate mint, bacoppa, dill, snap dragons, mexican feather grass and more red pansies. 

First pot (left) holds spinach and snapdragons, second pot (right) is a mix of lobelia, italian parsley and russian sage.

We have our first guest speaker! 

Jose Gonzales is the veggie and herb buyer for City People’s and has offered to give a few tips on container gardening with veggies, herbs and annuals.

CAMI: Can you recommend a good resource for growing veggies?

JOSE: An awesome resource for veggie gardening is Territoial Seed Company Catalogue. We sell it at City Peeps for a quarter (.25- what a deal). It has cultural requirements and harvesting tips and all kinds of great info. I can't tell you how many times I've broken out that catalogue when a customer has a specific question about certain veggies. It is an essential resource.

CAMI: What are the things you need to consider when planting herbs and veggies in pots?

JOSE: Herbs and veggies in pots are cool. One problem with containers is the watering needs- they're different than watering needs in the ground. Generally, pots dry out faster, and a dry pot makes for some weak plants. Also, all the watering does a good job of leaching out the nutrients, so you have to remember to replace them with a liquid fertilizer. Liquid fertilizers nutrients are available immediately to the plant, whereas dry fertilizers take some time to break down before they are available to the plants. Veggies like food...and they should, because we require so much from them. Herbs are a little easier going- they can take a bit more drying out than veggies. I wouldn't grow Lavander in pots- they don't do that great- although that's a general rule. I always tell people to try something out if they really want. Just because someone at a garden store or book says it won't work doesn't mean it won't work. You gotta try it out for yourself.

CAMI: What about mixing annuals in with your herbs and veggies?

JOSE: Annuals and herbs and veggies make nice partners. Annuals are great because they provide color over a long period. Light requirements are most important. Watering too. I like to stuff my pots when I plant them, because it looks so good. If growing veggies, you may want to give them a little room. Tomatoes should be in there own pots- peppers too.

Thanks, Jose! 

Well, I have done a little experimenting myself and have come to the conclusion that there are a lot of veggies that really don’t like pots (unless it’s a planter box or really big pot). I tried planting radishes, scallions and dill in pots and it’s been, well, pretty much a failure. They are all bunched way too close together and need watering about every couple minutes. (I won’t say you didn’t warn me, Jose!) The herbs seem to be much better suited. That is, except for the dill which is absolutely HUGE and towering over the pot it’s in. There are a few exceptions though: I have had great luck growing tomatoes in pots – BIG pots that is. Last year my cherry tomato reached all the way up to our second story deck! Lettuce seems to be another 'no fail'. I’ve mixed spinach with snapdragons and the snapdragons provide just a bit of shade from the hot afternoon sun which (so far) the spinach seems to like. Oh, and, beans. They seem to be surviving as well but each plant has it’s own pot and I only have two so I’m not banking on a big harvest.

Uh, oh. These radishes don't look very happy!

And neither do the scallions. Someone please help me!

These radishes need some breathing room.

So what to do with my wilty failures? I decided to take out a huge swath of artemesia which has become invasive and put my veggies in their place. It’s not your typical raised bed but I’m hoping it works. You’ll have to check back on the progress in a month or so and see for yourself!

 

Tortured veggies, you are about to get a new home!

Virgin dirt. Ready for planting. Ahhh....

All planted. I hope they don't mind the transplant. Stay tuned for some better picts.

Neighborhood Garden Tours

Here is a partial listing of neighborhood garden tours coming up this summer. Some are by bus (Bainbridge) but most are self-guided driving or walking fromone private garden to the next all within various neighborhoods. I've gone on a number of these (Queen Anne, Wallingford, West Seattle, Bainbridge, and Burien). My favorite by far is always the Wallingford tour. It's amazing what these gardeners are able to pack in to a small city lot! I also like this one because most of the hardscaping and landscaping is all do-it-yourself. I'd have to say my second favorite is the West Seattle tour in terms of creativity and variety. Last year we visited a garden where every square inch of it was dedicated to veggies and herbs. They grew all there own produce and canned for the winter months. I hope you have the chance to check out a garden tour this summer. 

This photo is taken from one of my new favorite blogs http://bloomtown.typepad.com/

Wallingford Garden Tour 

Sunday June 7, 2009 10am-4pm

http://www.wallingford.org/page.aspx?pageid=4195

Gig Harbor

June 27-28 

www.gigharborguide.com/gardentour

Whidbey Island

June 27 

www.wigt.org

Symphony of Gardens (Kirkland, Medina and Yarrow Point)

June 28 

www.bellevuephil.org

Woodinville Tour of Gardens

July 18 

www.woodinvillegardenclub.org

Georgetown Art and Garden Walk

July 9 

www.georgetownneighborhood.com

Bainbridge in Bloom

July 10-12

www.gardentour.org

West Seattle

July 19 

http://www.westseattlegardentour.com/

Columbia City / Rainier Valley Garden Tour

August 22 

http://www.rainiervalleygardentour.org/

Parking Strip Topiaries

Who ever thought of a topiary collection in your parking strip. Excellent!