OT: Gardening!

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mimivac
mimivac Member Posts: 2,143 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Ok, so I've learned that many of you ladies enjoy gardening. I live in a one-bedroom city condo, but we have a huge balcony with room for many large pots plus a whole dining room set, etc. I've container gardened a bit here, but really want to go all out this spring/summer. I am thinking lots of herbs, a few small vegetables and flowers (which I have never done). I want to do this for relaxation and beauty. I live in the DC area where people can start planting around the middle of April. Any thoughts or suggestions on what I should plant? Here is what I am thinking: mint, calendula, chamomile, basil, tarragon, thyme, cherry tomatoes, jalapenos, chives. I am stuck on the flowers part. Any help is appreciated.

Mimi

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  • mmontero38
    mmontero38 Member Posts: 1,510
    #2
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    Mimi lemon grass smells
    Mimi lemon grass smells lovely in the summer. Very citrusy and refreshing. How about lavender? You can even dry it for sachets. Hugs, Lili

    PS I can't wait to start planting. I just expanded my garden and have more room for more stuff!!!!!
  • divablu
    divablu Member Posts: 75
    #3
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    Gardening!
    Love gardening! Try Nastursums. They are edible, a peppery flavor in salads. They vine and are quite hardy.

    I recently purchased Mother Earth News Guide to Growng Your Own Food. They have a great article on making your own self-watering containers. I thought these would be great for small areas. They probably have this information on line.

    My other favorites ... Scarlet Runner Beans ... they climb are hardy, bloom lovely red blosoms, you can eat them as beans and let some of the pods grow to maturity, dry them and they are a lovely large redish bean.

    Blacked eye susans! Sun flowers.

    Have fun!
  • rjjj
    rjjj Member Posts: 1,822 Member
    #4
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    My salsa garden
    Hi Mimi..i love to grow everything to make salsa, roma tomatoes, green, yellow, red peppers, jalapenia, habeneros, chili peppers, onions, celery. I also grow lots of cucumbers cabbage and cherry tomatoes. I know alot of people plant tomatoes in pots and there are tomato trees. It makes me happy just thinking about it. I have a pretty large garden in back of my house. Some people think its alot of work but to me it is only relaxation and something about getting your hand in the earth and growing things gives me peace. My garden is really colorful and looks so beautiful with dew hanging on the leaves.

    In front of my house are my flowers and trees. My husband and i go a little crazy planting new trees and flowers each spring..I love tulips in the spring and my lilies were so beautiful last summer that everyone stopped to comment. When i am done taking care of all in the summer we just sit outside on the swing in the back or the table in the front..Have a drink or a glass of wine..put our feet up and enjoy the scenery and all the people who stop to chat. I cannot WAIT until spring..not to mention how delicious and nutritious the veggies/salsa are. Then the canning begins in Aug. I have often thought about selling at the farmers markets but i like to give them away to friends and family better. Thanks for letting me escape to my garden for awhile today!! love jackie
  • EveningStar2
    EveningStar2 Member Posts: 491 Member
    #5
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    container flowers

    Here in Las Vegas, the gardening season is now. June, July & August are way too hot. We have pansies & petunias. I like them and marigolds because they are pretty and forgiving if they don't get water/food/whatever exactly right.

    Maureen
  • RE
    RE Member Posts: 4,591 Member
    #6
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    rjjj said:

    My salsa garden
    Hi Mimi..i love to grow everything to make salsa, roma tomatoes, green, yellow, red peppers, jalapenia, habeneros, chili peppers, onions, celery. I also grow lots of cucumbers cabbage and cherry tomatoes. I know alot of people plant tomatoes in pots and there are tomato trees. It makes me happy just thinking about it. I have a pretty large garden in back of my house. Some people think its alot of work but to me it is only relaxation and something about getting your hand in the earth and growing things gives me peace. My garden is really colorful and looks so beautiful with dew hanging on the leaves.

    In front of my house are my flowers and trees. My husband and i go a little crazy planting new trees and flowers each spring..I love tulips in the spring and my lilies were so beautiful last summer that everyone stopped to comment. When i am done taking care of all in the summer we just sit outside on the swing in the back or the table in the front..Have a drink or a glass of wine..put our feet up and enjoy the scenery and all the people who stop to chat. I cannot WAIT until spring..not to mention how delicious and nutritious the veggies/salsa are. Then the canning begins in Aug. I have often thought about selling at the farmers markets but i like to give them away to friends and family better. Thanks for letting me escape to my garden for awhile today!! love jackie

    SALSA
    Rjjj, I do the same...I grow tomatoes, three diff peppers, cilantro and then put them all together for salsa. I canned 15 jars of salsa from my garden last season.

    Happy Gardening

    RE
  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    #7
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    Cross gardening off the list
    Cross gardening off the list of my hobbies. To make a long story short, I was watering around the foundation of the house (we've been in a draught for 18 months) and my leg hurt. I pulled down my sock and my leg had red areas and it was spreading. I've had problems with cellulitus before so ran inside and washed the area and put steroid cream on it and ran down to the MedCenter. By the time the doctor came in, it was starting to decrease! It wasn't cellulitus. She told me to keep doing what I've been doing and I had to pay for that advice. She thought it was hives. Tonight I look at my leg and there is two little bumps like pimples. It is fire ant bites! They must have got me through my socks and I didn't even notice! I've had problems with them before too. They must have come up from below when the water soaked down. Someone else has to water from now on or we will just wait for some rain clouds.
  • lynn1950
    lynn1950 Member Posts: 2,570
    #8
    Options
    divablu said:

    Gardening!
    Love gardening! Try Nastursums. They are edible, a peppery flavor in salads. They vine and are quite hardy.

    I recently purchased Mother Earth News Guide to Growng Your Own Food. They have a great article on making your own self-watering containers. I thought these would be great for small areas. They probably have this information on line.

    My other favorites ... Scarlet Runner Beans ... they climb are hardy, bloom lovely red blosoms, you can eat them as beans and let some of the pods grow to maturity, dry them and they are a lovely large redish bean.

    Blacked eye susans! Sun flowers.

    Have fun!

    Scarlet runners
    I love growing scarlet runners too and love the beans. I save them and replant them year to year, mixed with morning glory. Also planted nasturtium last year and that was fun! Mimi, it is so humid where you are. You probably can grow different plants than I can in Idaho. I grow zinnias because they are so heat tolerant and they are so bright and cheery and indestructible. I also love cosmos. Echinacea is a perennial and attracts butterflies (here, painted ladies and swallowtails). How about some catnip for your kitty? Lynn
  • GreeneyedGirl
    GreeneyedGirl Member Posts: 1,077
    #9
    Options
    Marcia527 said:

    Cross gardening off the list
    Cross gardening off the list of my hobbies. To make a long story short, I was watering around the foundation of the house (we've been in a draught for 18 months) and my leg hurt. I pulled down my sock and my leg had red areas and it was spreading. I've had problems with cellulitus before so ran inside and washed the area and put steroid cream on it and ran down to the MedCenter. By the time the doctor came in, it was starting to decrease! It wasn't cellulitus. She told me to keep doing what I've been doing and I had to pay for that advice. She thought it was hives. Tonight I look at my leg and there is two little bumps like pimples. It is fire ant bites! They must have got me through my socks and I didn't even notice! I've had problems with them before too. They must have come up from below when the water soaked down. Someone else has to water from now on or we will just wait for some rain clouds.

    Sweet Pea's
    They are one of my favorites, and smell soooooo sweet!

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