Clematis, New York Botanical Garden (Photo credit: Kristine Paulus)
Flower Child likes the idea of growing things. I like the idea of growing things. We don’t know what we’re doing, but little by little, we’re trying to figure it out, in pots on the terrace. We aren’t successful enough yet to call it container gardening.
Last year we did pretty well, using little plants from the local plant shop. We had a couple of pots with flowers, one with mint, one with basil, a couple of window box type things hanging off of the terrace railing filled with herbs. We learned that dill will attract the birds with the red chests. Never had one of those come to my terrace before, apparently they think dill is comfy for nesting. We learned pigeons enjoy basil, not to keep it in the boxes on the ledge. We learned tomatoes need to be pollinated, and bees don’t come up as high as we live. I’d like to try that one again, after reading some more about how to self pollinate.
Yesterday was a beautiful spring day, so this morning, FC and I decided today was the day to work on our terrace. Yanno it’s still sunny but freezing today. We went back to the plant store and bought seeds this time. Much less expensive, we can try more things.
to be planted next week
We were going to plant these tomorrow, but neither one of us remember which of the two identical planters is the one we already put seeds into. So we’ll wait a week, and see which one sprouts something.
to be planted tomorrow. I hope.
Turns out, some seeds have to be soaked for twenty four hours before planting.
veggie seeds planted
tea?
Flower Child digging
Window boxes on terrace railing
See? We’re ready for rural life.
mrsfringe 
awww… How dear! Ya know, you have a sorta kinda expert buddy right here, be happy to answer any questions. I’ve done a lot of container gardening and might be able to save you some of the learning curve.
Here’s my first tip: don’t get too impatient with the lavender. I’ve grown it from seed a few times and I believe it takes quite a long time to germinate so it’s a while before you see results.
Good luck! *smiling away here*
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Thanks Kyla! I’ve got a few gardening friends, good to know I’ve got another I can ask dumb questions of :p
It’s a lot like reefing, without the water changes. And the whole I don’t know what I’m doing thing…
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OMG two years ago Mr Carmichael decided to make a vegetable plot – disaster! I hope your endeavours with FC go MUCH better.
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Eek! I hope so too. If not, there’s always next year 😉
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I live on acreage and do better in containers – I kill anything I put in the ground except bamboo. Lavender is really neat once it finally blooms – I hear it has a nice smell 🙂 I didn’t know about tomatoes – who knew bees would be afraid of heights? Green Acres was the best – we have a fellow here who sells architectural salvage named Mr. Haney 🙂
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😮 I’m shocked, I imagined you with a thriving flower garden. Though I’ve seen some pretty awesome container gardens 😀
Yay! I’m not the only one who didn’t know tomatoes need bees 🙂
Architectural salvage by Mr Haney– awesome! Pics, please 🙂
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I have a garden fairy – flowers keep appearing in places where my 99-year-old neighbor has mentioned as a good place for them. Wonder who it could be. Most of the flowers on my blog are hers. I am pretty good at letting wild things grow. I will make a stop my Mr. Haney’s soon, I need some doorknobs. 🙂
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I love this story 🙂 How wonderful to have such a kind neighbor. Wild things, yup. If I had a garden I would throw the flower seeds out and just see if anything grew 🙂
Maybe Mr Haney has some of the cool old cut glass doorknobs…or the porcelain ones.
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My neighbor grew up in my house, so she has a vested interest and a very green thumb. I just try to carve out a nice green space to enjoy.
I have those old purple glass knobs in this house – I need a couple more. I have some ceramic ones too – I’m a sucker for vintage hardware.
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Beautiful, all the way around 🙂
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🙂
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wow I am impressed with the amount of research you do before planting. I kind of throw caution to the wind and plant. I didn’t know that about tomatoes. I just throw them in the soil and hope for the best. My grandmother was SO superstitious. We weren’t aloud to plant if it was that time of the month, she said the plants would die! I LOVE clematis, the woman that owed the house before us was a gardener and has 2 beautiful clematis bushes, I am so afraid to even trim them. I hope the lavender grows, it smells WONDERFUL!! Good luck and I look forward to watching you garden grow. I hope the sky rats stay away!
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Thanks! 🙂 I don’t do anywhere near enough research before planting, my tomato info came after we were trying to figure out what went wrong, and a friend’s husband told me.
I think if you trim the clematis, they’ll grow better. So pretty!
I love flowers, I really want to figure out how to have a nice little garden.
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Yes: many clematis will grow stuff off both old and new vines/leaders. Find ones that have new leaves on them vs ones that are withered, follow the withered back as far as you can and trim, leave anything growing fresh leaves and flowers. If the leaders are running wild find stuff to twine them around and keep those obnoxious thick tall weeds yanked or they will spiral around the vines and be impossible to pull without damaging the plant. Ours grows up the drainpipe up the side of the house once it gets taller than the trellis!
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Wow! I bet that looks incredible.
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I like seeing things grow………..I just don’t like growing them myself………..lol
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lol I like the idea of it…we’ll see as I go along 🙂
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Love this post. 😀 We are just getting started, as you know, so all these posts get me even more excited for spring and the growing months ahead! Now, none of this waiting to be dubbed a worthy gardener. Own it! You will have a lovely terrace garden. 🙂
Having to wait now till sprouts come up to figure out which planter got the flower seeds made me smile!!! 🙂 Hopefully they take mercy on you and come up quick so you can get the other one started.
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I thought you’d get a kick out of us having to wait for the sprouts to come up 😉
I’m following your garden posts regularly, trying to glean whatever info I can. FC and I looked up moonflowers last night, (seeds are soaking now), their shape reminds me of your balloon flowers 🙂
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Well there are sure to be more garden posts!! 🙂
Plant your morning glories and moon flowers together(or at least some of them) …they have the same climbing style, and morning glories open in am/sun, moon flowers in the shade/evening for very pretty effect!
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Oh and my first couple balloon flowers poked through!!! I had 17 last year, can’t wait to see how many this year. 😀
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Nice!
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We actually did that! They’re together in a rectangular shaped box, they should be able to climb the railing of the terrace 🙂
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self-pollinating? I’ve never heard of that!
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Me either. Love these internetz 😉
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How did we ever learn stuff without it? 😀
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lol, not nearly as well!
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“Farmer Fringe…” Now I know you’re up to no good. JUST LOVE those pink pants. You could have pre-empted Mr. Green Jeans if you had even tried. Flower Child needs to tag along on the spring shopping spree…some floral print overalls or something. (Oh poop…now I’ve insulted her pantaloons…waiting for hate comments)
Later…
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Never fear, I’m sure there are floral print pants in her closet–pink and purple are dear to her heart, but nothing tops sparkly. FC picks the majority of her own clothes 😀 Not so much a closet as a wardrobe department, yanno?
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I married an ever-inventive fashion show, yanno. She’s so bummed because the heat and living conditions call for durable clothing, and little of it. She talks about her former winter fashion statements, and I tell her there are pills to calm that sort of thing.
Later…
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I will gladly trade all my boots, scarves, and frozen slush gear for a varied collection of flip flops. Forget the pill, have a margarita 😀
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Threw all mine in a dumpster when I left Land of Cleve. No going back when Canadian arctic air is coming off Lake Erie at 40 mph and sticking 4 inches of snow on the sides of buildings…heating frozen door locks with a Bic…warnings against going outside for safety reasons. Leave or die. Left.
Later…
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You sir, are the devil in temptation.
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I just blame the Philosopher Red. Poor guy has no One to blame…just a lot of ‘splainin’ to do.
Later…
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🙂
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