Thursday, May 18, 2017

Container Gardening - combination pots

We interrupt this season's search for the perfect petunia for an absolutely brilliant tip on potting up combination pots.  I have three whiskey barrels and a couple other large containers to plant in my landscaping and it's not a process I've ever really enjoyed because of all the planning and placement and respacing and adding and subtracting of soil.  It always ends up being a bit of a messy business, especially if you are working with spreading plants that are mature and filling out.


  • Just take spare empty pots the size of the ones you are removing the plants from.  
  • Place them in the larger container the way you want them.  
  • Fill the potting soil around them and firm it up.  
  • Remove the small pots one by one and replace with the plant itself.
How easy is that?  Now I'm looking forward to potting up all those containers!








Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Salad Bowl Gardens

I've seen photos of this idea on the web for a couple of years now.  And it seemed a nice idea for someone in the city who only had a balcony or a doorstep on which to garden.  Not really practical of course when you are in the habit of growing bushels of lettuce....

My Lettuce Mid-June 2015
And then, on one of my annual agri-tourism/reconnaissance missions,  I spotted salad bowls at the local mega-greenhouse.  And I wanted one!  Really badly.  No, do not pick up two dollars worth of lettuce for ten bucks.  No.  Put it down.  Even if it is really pretty and lush and colorful.  I already have fourteen lettuce plants at home which, within a week or so, will be supplying us with all the lettuce we can eat for the next month.  And I have another thirty six or more seedlings waiting in the wings.

Now, if you have neglected to seed or plant lettuce yet this year, this may be a fun way to start your summer garden.  But if, like me, you have dozens of plants waiting for you at home, I suggest you grab a pot and plant up an assortment of colorful lettuces now so if you do run across these expensive little works of art, you will be able to resist too.

Source