Patio Love: Help me distract myself from the state of things
November 7, 2024 8:24 PM Subscribe
I am finding a main way of coping with all the ugliness in the world is to work on my long-neglected patio. I'd love suggestions and have a few questions for all of you green thumbs out there.
I'm in northern California, in a spot that can get quite hot (100+ degrees in the summer), and I have an enclosed patio. It's kind of an awkward space, and my task is made harder by the fact that I rent, so can't go totally nuts. It gets lots of sun every day. I have sorely neglected my poor potted plants for several months, and most are dead. Here's what I'd like to do:
- revive all the soil in pots with new soil and some fertilizer
- plant new plants in those pots. Thinking succulents and perennials.
- plant some kind of tall pretty grass or other ground coverage in the dirt patches that are between the fence and concrete. But nothing that needs mowing.
Questions:
- what kind of fertilizer should I use in the pots to help bring the soil back to life, after I mix in the new soil?
- besides succulents, what are some easy-to-care-for plants I can put into the pots now, ie autumn/winter instead of waiting til spring?
- challenge: the two main dirt patches used to each have a tree, which were cut down a few years ago. They were each cut down so that that stumps are as flat as possible to the ground, but they are still there and the ground is kind of a mound because of them. Can I plant a long grass or other ground cover in those spots?
Any other suggestions are welcome, thank you!
I'm in northern California, in a spot that can get quite hot (100+ degrees in the summer), and I have an enclosed patio. It's kind of an awkward space, and my task is made harder by the fact that I rent, so can't go totally nuts. It gets lots of sun every day. I have sorely neglected my poor potted plants for several months, and most are dead. Here's what I'd like to do:
- revive all the soil in pots with new soil and some fertilizer
- plant new plants in those pots. Thinking succulents and perennials.
- plant some kind of tall pretty grass or other ground coverage in the dirt patches that are between the fence and concrete. But nothing that needs mowing.
Questions:
- what kind of fertilizer should I use in the pots to help bring the soil back to life, after I mix in the new soil?
- besides succulents, what are some easy-to-care-for plants I can put into the pots now, ie autumn/winter instead of waiting til spring?
- challenge: the two main dirt patches used to each have a tree, which were cut down a few years ago. They were each cut down so that that stumps are as flat as possible to the ground, but they are still there and the ground is kind of a mound because of them. Can I plant a long grass or other ground cover in those spots?
Any other suggestions are welcome, thank you!
You don't say anything about other desires for the space, but if you ever spend evening time out there and have an outlet, I can strongly recommend making a string of origami box lights. Have a few friends over to drink tea and help you fold boxes. (Also recommend getting warm white lights. Bonus if you can get LED and whatever wire, likely white or green, that blends in best with your walls). The longer the better, but all depends on how much folding you want to do. These are so great for winter ambiance.
If you do sometimes sit out there, maybe add a plug-in radiator space heater and a comfy chair with an ottoman and side table. Have fun.
posted by AnOrigamiLife at 10:05 PM on November 7, 2024 [1 favorite]
If you do sometimes sit out there, maybe add a plug-in radiator space heater and a comfy chair with an ottoman and side table. Have fun.
posted by AnOrigamiLife at 10:05 PM on November 7, 2024 [1 favorite]
For the dirt patches, deer grass is resilient, makes pretty fountain shapes, and will hide the stumps. You can cut it back annually or just let it grow.
For the pots, citrus trees like the heat. There are dwarf varieties that grow in pots, as long as the pots are big enough. The flowers smell incredible and it's so lovely to pick fruit in your own backyard.
posted by equipoise at 11:26 PM on November 7, 2024
For the pots, citrus trees like the heat. There are dwarf varieties that grow in pots, as long as the pots are big enough. The flowers smell incredible and it's so lovely to pick fruit in your own backyard.
posted by equipoise at 11:26 PM on November 7, 2024
A good mixture of potting soil is about a 50% regular soil, or purchased bagged soil, 25% perlite, and 25% tree bark. Any plant store will have these. Never use only bagged topsoil, it's too compact and doesn't have good drainage.
Annuals are the way to go too.
posted by Czjewel at 2:04 AM on November 8, 2024
Annuals are the way to go too.
posted by Czjewel at 2:04 AM on November 8, 2024
One of my favorite things to put in a container is a lemon geranium. They do great in Norcal and smell amazing. They need more water than succulents but I was able to keep them going on my westward-facing back deck when we lived in Berkeley.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 8:08 AM on November 8, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by Lawn Beaver at 8:08 AM on November 8, 2024 [1 favorite]
Deciduous vines are super for hot summer/cool winter places. Shade when you need it. Say, for an easy start, scarlet runner beans in pots. Hummingbirds love them .
Some perennial vines are happy getting cut back to the ground in winter - hops? I’d look for local advice. They’d need healthy rootballs so I’d be starting by getting those tree stumps to rot and make room… drilling holes straight down into the wood and dropping fertilizer in would be a beginning.
When you say “enclosed” do you mean glassed, fenced, screened, ??
posted by clew at 11:36 AM on November 8, 2024
Some perennial vines are happy getting cut back to the ground in winter - hops? I’d look for local advice. They’d need healthy rootballs so I’d be starting by getting those tree stumps to rot and make room… drilling holes straight down into the wood and dropping fertilizer in would be a beginning.
When you say “enclosed” do you mean glassed, fenced, screened, ??
posted by clew at 11:36 AM on November 8, 2024
I also live in NorCal in a place that gets very hot. Some of the hybrid salvias or sages are great in pots. I have one that started blooming in spring and it is still blooming! I looked up the name - it is Salvia greggii 'Mirage Violet'.
I have been growing succulents in pots on my patio but it gets sooo hot that they suffer. They do appreciate some shade during the hottest part of the day. Too much shade and they will end up stretching out reaching for the sun. I saw a neat garden in my area that combined cacti and salvias. I am working on replacing some of my succulents with cacti.
Bee's Bliss salvia is a fast-growing low plant that can cover your bare areas around the stumps. The bees do love it. Hot Lips salvia is a reliable plant, also. I've read that it grows well in a container, too.
Calscape.org is a wonderful resource for finding native plants that can fit into the landscaping around our homes.
Have fun with your garden!
posted by goodsearch at 10:30 AM on November 10, 2024
I have been growing succulents in pots on my patio but it gets sooo hot that they suffer. They do appreciate some shade during the hottest part of the day. Too much shade and they will end up stretching out reaching for the sun. I saw a neat garden in my area that combined cacti and salvias. I am working on replacing some of my succulents with cacti.
Bee's Bliss salvia is a fast-growing low plant that can cover your bare areas around the stumps. The bees do love it. Hot Lips salvia is a reliable plant, also. I've read that it grows well in a container, too.
Calscape.org is a wonderful resource for finding native plants that can fit into the landscaping around our homes.
Have fun with your garden!
posted by goodsearch at 10:30 AM on November 10, 2024
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by HearHere at 8:47 PM on November 7, 2024 [1 favorite]