If you failed to get the Washington Post yesterday, you missed my Sunday Source interview debut! Dan Zak wrote a piece on container gardens and picked my brains for it -- you'll find a lot of similarities to our current cover story. You can read it online in three different segments --here, here, and here. I think it turned out very well, my only quibble is not using proper scientific names of the plants in the designs. Example, "White Swan Echinacea" is more accurately: Echinacea purpurea 'White Swan' or simply a white coneflower -- it would save a lot of reader confusion when they go garden center shopping. Hope this piece inspires a few folks to put together at least one container garden this year. The downtown can surely uses all the green it can get.
Washington Gardener Magazine is the award-winning publication for Mid-Atlantic USA gardeners by local gardeners.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Seeds in the City
If you failed to get the Washington Post yesterday, you missed my Sunday Source interview debut! Dan Zak wrote a piece on container gardens and picked my brains for it -- you'll find a lot of similarities to our current cover story. You can read it online in three different segments --here, here, and here. I think it turned out very well, my only quibble is not using proper scientific names of the plants in the designs. Example, "White Swan Echinacea" is more accurately: Echinacea purpurea 'White Swan' or simply a white coneflower -- it would save a lot of reader confusion when they go garden center shopping. Hope this piece inspires a few folks to put together at least one container garden this year. The downtown can surely uses all the green it can get.
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ReplyDeleteI like the idea of "tough to kill." In my care, a plant would have to be darned close to immortal. Can that blend take limited light? I've got close to no sun at all on my little patio. Good for me, but I think not so good for most plants.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
jb
Coincidentally just read the article and loved it. I started an organic container garden for vegetables last year and am resuming for this growing season. You have given some great tips for patio gardening and working around shade limitations. I have also been preaching that you can grow plants much closer than people imagine. Do you have any specific recommendations for good quality dirt?
ReplyDeleteGlad you all enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteFire - the mix I recommended was for full blazing sun - theese succulents and grey-fuzzy leafed perennials can take sun and drought wthout much fuss. For a full shade site, I'd go with low-light houseplants like Peace Lily - just take them in before it dips below the 50s at night. Plus, you'd need to water them at least weekly.If you can water daily - coleys and impatiens is a nice, easy annual container combo for deep shade.
Mariwood - Ack! Don't let those snobby gardeners here you ever say "dirt" -- it is "soil" you want. For purposes of patio gardens, I'd go with any brand marked specifically as "potting soil" - you don't need anything fancy, but if it contains water-holding crystals (like Soil Moist brand) and a slow-release fertilizer -- you'll be giving your plants a good head start.
ReplyDeleteOoo. Peace lilies are pretty!! I'll try to get one this weekend. I have some kind of pink things I haven't killed yet. So maybe being on my patio isn't a complete suicide mission.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
jb