I often view life as a series of opportunities for new outfits. Going to the rodeo? What's up, checkered shirt and cowboy boots!? Oh hello, oil change! Now I have an excuse to wear that mechanic's jumper and tie my hair up all Rosie-the-riveter style.
So when I was lucky enough to score a tiny plot in a nearby community garden I immediately started a) assembling outfits b) planning meals. (boyfriend jeans! rubber clogs! big straw hats! 8 million different things involving basil!) I'm already flush with pots just waiting to be filled with herbs and tomatoes and lettuce, oh my!
So when I was lucky enough to score a tiny plot in a nearby community garden I immediately started a) assembling outfits b) planning meals. (boyfriend jeans! rubber clogs! big straw hats! 8 million different things involving basil!) I'm already flush with pots just waiting to be filled with herbs and tomatoes and lettuce, oh my!
I suspect all those potted herbs on my balcony will bring me even more joy if they're in adorable pots like these!
If all you've got is a balcony check out this great, basic tutorial on how to start a container garden. This year I'm thinking of basil, (homemade pesto!) mint (strawberry mint lemonade!) and chives (creamy, lush vichyssoise). And they all look so lovely sitting outside my office window!
And if you're raring to go and don't want to spend the money on seedlings, use this tutorial to make make seed starter cups. So cute!
Window boxes aren't limited to herbs and cherry tomatoes. What about strawberries in a window box? Of course, you probably won't grow enough to make a pie. But you could probably make a daiquiri or two!
Aren't vertical gardens amazing? And, um, really expensive? If you're feeling ambitious and handy, you can follow this tutorial on making a vertical succulent garden.
Item number 11 on my 31 before 31 list is engage in Guerrilla Gardening. It would be even easier if I lived near one of these rehabbed gumball machines that dispenses seed bombs! Adorable, right?Are you a gardener? What are you planting this year?
26 comments:
I have my tomatoes and oodles of basil!
Gardening is actually a brand new hobby for me and I love it! I literally started with nothing at the beginning of this year and have turned my backyard into a produce section of the market. Okay, not quite, but I'm still proud...
I've got 4 tomato plants, basil (the regular kind and lemon basil), mint, cilantro, parsley, eggplant, bell pepper, strawberries, radishes, green onions, chives, zucchini flower, cucumber...and I think that might be it, other than a few pots of flowers. I absolutely love gardening, I don't know why I didn't start doing it sooner. The only problem is with my lack of patience I go outside like 4 times a day expecting to find all my plants dripping with fruits and veggies. Sigh. Patience, patience, patience!
All my best to you, and your gardening adventures!
Carolina
PS - I love basil! I'm living in Italy for the time being so basil is on everything. I didn't know I even liked basil until last year, and now I can't be stopped. So good!
My boyfriend and I are starting up this year! Last year, we just did basil and tomato starts (bruschetta ftw!). This year, we're doing that again. We've also added a ground component, so we're putting in cucumbers, watermelon, peas, squash, jalapenos, and hopefully a bunch of other stuff. We started the seeds for cukes and watermelon, so we know those are doing well and almost ready. I'm so excited to get stuff in the ground! We've got a few weeks more to be patient before we can start most stuff here in Minnesota.
Not to put a damper on the link for that vertical garden, I asked a friend who works w/succulents and she told me that succulents in a frame like that tend to get MOLD...she said the idea is cute but inevitably mold sets in.... I gotta say container gardens are the way to go even if u have a yard...The soil in Cali is not the best and its a biatch to dig holes..
I never brought all my herbs from the balcony in last yr so I thought they were a lost cause but to my surprise, the oregano was still ok! After an entire DC winter of several feet of snow and cold, it somehow survived! I think I will re plant my basil and mint and maybe some cilantro this yr too!
I've had a potted garden för years. I plant lillies of different kinds, some herbs and garden orchids that do best in pots.
From my experience is that fruits and veggies require too much water to be convenient to be pot grown. Not impossible but I stay with flowers.
I also just blogged with some garden finds from Anthropologie that are probably overpriced but were too perfect not to write about!
I'm just planning my garden - hoping to get it planted this weekend! I can't WAIT!! I've never really gardened so we'll see how it goes...
Happy gardening! Hands in the dirt is my favorite way to be! And thanks for reminding me about mint. I so need to plant mint!
I'm planting a garden for the first time this year! I think I'm planting peppers, carrots, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, and some herbs! I really hope they grow :)
I so need to get organised with my planting.
I'm getting ready for planting this weekend! My parsley and oregano both overwintered fine so I need to get in my mint and some more sage. It's still too cold for veggies but I'm planning on peppers, eggplant and lots of tomatoes as well as carrots, lettuce, kale and radishes from seed (it's warm enough to start those).
And for those planting mint, if you plant it in the ground it will take over your garden! I highly recommend growing it in a pot instead.
Last year I had an over flowing tomato garden. This year I'm a bit slow to start, and am not sure if I'm going to get my seeds planted in time. Good luck with your garden!
I am mostly sticking with flowers this year with columbines, petunias, and impatients being the most predominate. As far as a garden, I just have a small "salsa garden" of tomatoes, peppers and cilantro.
New follower and beginner vegetable gardener here!
Husband and I just planted our second garden a few weeks back, with tomatoes (4), peppers (4), zucchini (1), cucumber (1), and strawberries (1). Last year we only had tomatoes and peppers, but they thrived! We were giving produce away all summer. Hopefully this year's will do just as well.
I'd love to grow some herbs too, but I've never gotten around to it.
While growing up, my family always planted a huge garden with everything you could imagine. It's only in the past few years that we've been able to plant our own, now that we have a house and a yard.
I'm about to move into an apartment with two little balconies - and I'm so excited to have some plants (but I have a black thumb) - this is such a perfectly timed post (for me :) thank you!
Best garden shoes at big lots!! colorful Rubber clogs with a big daisy on each foot! And they're surpsisingly comfy! Go buy some!!!
My boyfriend has an aerogarden. And we love basil. So we thought it was perfect but OH MY GOD SO MUCH BASIL we can't eat it fast enough. Good thing basil is a good friend-maker ;-)
I don't have a garden now - I don't really a yard, I live on a hill covered in myrtle. There's no place for it! But I definitely want a garden at the next place I live. My brothers are awesome, though - they live together and one has a vegetable garden, the other one raises chickens. It's like a mini farm!
My fiance and I just made that yellow polka dot DIY pot from Design Sponge. We bought Ranunculus plants to put inside and we're giving one away. I love flowers and flower pots.
You and I SO think alike when it comes to the outfit thing! Planning outfits for new events is one of my most favorite things. And I like to think about different recipes I can make for different occasions, too. Like, my boyfriend really wants to go camping, and I'm not a huge fan, but then I think, Well, it would give me a chance to make all this camp food that I couldn't make otherwise... Haha.
Anyway, once your garden gets a'growing do be sure to post pictures.
Oh, such cute containers!! I'm lucky enough to have some land, so I'm growing EVERYTHING I can jam into 300 square feet of beds, plus three new apple trees in the front yard and various strawberry patches.
And I make my own seed starter cups out of toilet paper tubes.
Good luck with the harvest!
Hey there, was directed over here by the lovely Laura of A Daisy Chain Dream and I must say your Karma Cards are ingenious. And gardening is currently my favourite thing considering the brilliant weather we're getting in the UK. My Mum and I planted wild flowers, red onions, shallots, carrots, potatoes and lamb's lettuce this week. Great blog post. xxx
I'm actually taking a plant science class at my university right now that includes planting flowers and our own garden plots! Sadly, the garden-planting keeps getting postponed due to terrible weather, but I can't wait to be able to pick vegetables I grew myself, and I'm thinking I'll start growing things myself when I have space for it next year.
Strawberries in the window box, that's brilliant! I have four boxes but they've been growing weeds since I gave up on geraniums a couple years ago. Now I'm inspired...
I adore gardens! So lovely! So relaxing!
However, living in the middle of the praries in Canada doesn't leave much room for interesting plant choices. We have drought, wind, occasional snow in summer, and a short growing season. Alas!
However, I'm still planting radishes and spinach and cucumber and cilantro and rosemary and mint and who knows what else!
I enjoy gardening, I just haven't gardened much recently
I love that retrofitted gum ball machine!! They should have them everywhere!! I have been gardening this year after years and I love it! Grown spinach,tomatoes,beans,strawberries, basil and jalapenos. Winter will be all about carrots and spring onions :)
Its amazing how much you can grow in a tiny patch and 2 pots.
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