Flowers that are super easy to grow in patio containers?
April 9, 2015 3:47 PM Subscribe
My balcony faces east and gets direct sun until 2pm. I live in Portland, where spring and fall are cool & wet but summers are warm and dry. I'd like to plant something this week that will look nice through the summer. I'm a TOTAL BEGINNER! I have three containers: 7 inches deep, 11 inches wide, 24 inches long. What will be super easy to grow that will provide a nice pop of color?
In a perfect world, I'd love flowers that I could grow to cut and put in a small vase (I'm talking about occasionally popping around 3 into a vase every now and then), but that's not a requirement at all.
I'd LOVE to grow something like sunflowers, but I assume I'd need to plant those in the fall or much earlier in the spring.
Is there anything colorful I could plant this week that would bloom through summer & fall? I'm hoping for something that is a combination of easy to grow and nice to look at.
In a perfect world, I'd love flowers that I could grow to cut and put in a small vase (I'm talking about occasionally popping around 3 into a vase every now and then), but that's not a requirement at all.
I'd LOVE to grow something like sunflowers, but I assume I'd need to plant those in the fall or much earlier in the spring.
Is there anything colorful I could plant this week that would bloom through summer & fall? I'm hoping for something that is a combination of easy to grow and nice to look at.
Super-easy and super-pop-colourful: Petunias in the sun and impatiens in the shade.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 4:10 PM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 4:10 PM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
You could still plant sunflowers.
Here's a list of good cut flowers.
Here's a source for seeds.
Here are some more unusual annuals.
If you want your containers to look good, not just provide material for cut flowers, you should follow the container formula of thriller, spiller, and filler.
Here are some more container garden ideas.
posted by caryatid at 4:32 PM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Here's a list of good cut flowers.
Here's a source for seeds.
Here are some more unusual annuals.
If you want your containers to look good, not just provide material for cut flowers, you should follow the container formula of thriller, spiller, and filler.
Here are some more container garden ideas.
posted by caryatid at 4:32 PM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Nasturtiums! Super easy to grow, and thrive on benign negligence, even when started from seed.
posted by larthegreat at 4:35 PM on April 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by larthegreat at 4:35 PM on April 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
Visit New Seasons. They always have beautiful low-maintenance potted plants growing in their flower department.
posted by aniola at 4:51 PM on April 9, 2015
posted by aniola at 4:51 PM on April 9, 2015
Geraniums are pretty easy to keep alive, and bright...I have some that are hot pink. Gerbera daisies are also bright and easy to grow as long as you don't let them dry out, plus you can cut them and bring them inside.
posted by three_red_balloons at 5:02 PM on April 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by three_red_balloons at 5:02 PM on April 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
Ordinary sunflowers would not work in such a shallow container, but an extra-dwarf variety such as "Big Smile" might work. Around the time of the last frost is actually just the right time to plant sunflowers. You probably could have put sunflowers in a few weeks ago, but you're still in the right time range.
Zinnias are pretty foolproof and grow well from seed; they're a classic "cut and come again" flower; snip off a few blooms, and they will just keep branching and putting out more flowers until the end of the season. Marigolds are also easy and forgiving.
posted by drlith at 6:25 PM on April 9, 2015
Zinnias are pretty foolproof and grow well from seed; they're a classic "cut and come again" flower; snip off a few blooms, and they will just keep branching and putting out more flowers until the end of the season. Marigolds are also easy and forgiving.
posted by drlith at 6:25 PM on April 9, 2015
You might give Zinnias a shot?
You can get them already potted, or grow from seed very easily. The nice thing is that they seed out if you stop deadheading at the end of the season, so you've got a supply of seeds for next year.
If you deadhead or cut them for vases regularly, they'll keep flowering. Also, from a pack of seeds, you can get a nice variety of colours, so inexpensive. I've had success with them in pots and in what I can only describe as crappy soil conditions, but with full sun until early afternoon.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:00 PM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
You can get them already potted, or grow from seed very easily. The nice thing is that they seed out if you stop deadheading at the end of the season, so you've got a supply of seeds for next year.
If you deadhead or cut them for vases regularly, they'll keep flowering. Also, from a pack of seeds, you can get a nice variety of colours, so inexpensive. I've had success with them in pots and in what I can only describe as crappy soil conditions, but with full sun until early afternoon.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:00 PM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Or, what drlith said about Zinnias!
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:10 PM on April 9, 2015
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:10 PM on April 9, 2015
You've been given some good advice so far. Dahlias are super-easy if you start from rhizomes (bulb-like tubers) and nasturtiums are nearly foolproof -- buy a $1.79 packet of seeds and some halfway decent potting soil and dump the seeds in, pretty soon you'll have nasturtiums. The dahlias will make excellent cut flowers.
Both of the plants mentioned above will take a while to reach bloom but in the meantime will be attractive foliage plants, especially if you choose a nasturtium variety with a variegated leaf.
If you're feeling a bit bolder, why not also try making a basket with a variety of plants? The simple recipe for a good basket is to have a "thriller", a "filler", and a "spiller" (i.e. have one plant with bright attractive blossoms (e.g. a geranium), another plant that fills in gaps with attractive foliage or small blossoms (e.g. dusty miller, viola or pansy), and something else that will trail over the sides (trailing lobelia, sweet potato vine, silver licorice vine)
posted by Nerd of the North at 10:41 PM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Both of the plants mentioned above will take a while to reach bloom but in the meantime will be attractive foliage plants, especially if you choose a nasturtium variety with a variegated leaf.
If you're feeling a bit bolder, why not also try making a basket with a variety of plants? The simple recipe for a good basket is to have a "thriller", a "filler", and a "spiller" (i.e. have one plant with bright attractive blossoms (e.g. a geranium), another plant that fills in gaps with attractive foliage or small blossoms (e.g. dusty miller, viola or pansy), and something else that will trail over the sides (trailing lobelia, sweet potato vine, silver licorice vine)
posted by Nerd of the North at 10:41 PM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Coneflowers would be nice. As a bonus, they're perennials and will come back every year. As a bigger bonus, they're also heavily favored by butterflies and bees. They're usually purple, but we've had really good success with the 'Warm Summer' variety from Burpee.
For a long blooming season, you also might like Gaillardia ("Blanket Flowers").
posted by jquinby at 4:52 AM on April 10, 2015
For a long blooming season, you also might like Gaillardia ("Blanket Flowers").
posted by jquinby at 4:52 AM on April 10, 2015
Long-lasting and sturdy in containers: geraniums (usually one of our last blooming flowers and start fairly early)
Colorful and nice for cutting and reasonably easy to grow: gerber daises (may not last into fall)
posted by typecloud at 6:10 AM on April 10, 2015
Colorful and nice for cutting and reasonably easy to grow: gerber daises (may not last into fall)
posted by typecloud at 6:10 AM on April 10, 2015
You probably know this, but since you say you're a beginner, keep in mind that annuals tend to bloom repeatedly and perennials tend to bloom spring, summer, or fall and then fade. There are exceptions of course.
I don't think it's too late for sunflowers, but since your containers are only 7" deep, you'd need to find a miniature variety.
Lantana is a personal favorite, but it's not great for cut flowers. I agree that zinnias are your best bet for that.
Keep in mind that most potting soil these days is already fertilized, so don't add fertilizer unless you know you need it.
Have fun!
posted by whoiam at 6:44 AM on April 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
I don't think it's too late for sunflowers, but since your containers are only 7" deep, you'd need to find a miniature variety.
Lantana is a personal favorite, but it's not great for cut flowers. I agree that zinnias are your best bet for that.
Keep in mind that most potting soil these days is already fertilized, so don't add fertilizer unless you know you need it.
Have fun!
posted by whoiam at 6:44 AM on April 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: "Coneflowers would be nice. As a bonus, they're perennials and will come back every year. As a bigger bonus, they're also heavily favored by butterflies and bees"
Uhm... bees are a bonus? I don't think I want to attract bees. I'm just hoping to grow some flowers.
"You probably know this, but since you say you're a beginner, keep in mind that annuals tend to bloom repeatedly and perennials tend to bloom spring, summer, or fall and then fade. There are exceptions of course."
Actually, I didn't know that, so thanks for the info! I'm a city boy who lives in a downtown high rise. I have a few plants indoors (ok, 2) that are only alive because I put their watering schedule in my calendar.
"If you're feeling a bit bolder, why not also try making a basket with a variety of plants? The simple recipe for a good basket is to have a "thriller", a "filler", and a "spiller" (i.e. have one plant with bright attractive blossoms (e.g. a geranium), another plant that fills in gaps with attractive foliage or small blossoms (e.g. dusty miller, viola or pansy), and something else that will trail over the sides (trailing lobelia, sweet potato vine, silver licorice vine)"
I'd LOVE to! But I think that's way beyond my skill level at this point. If I manage to grow something successfully this summer, I might try to improve on it next year though.
posted by 2oh1 at 11:06 AM on April 10, 2015
Uhm... bees are a bonus? I don't think I want to attract bees. I'm just hoping to grow some flowers.
"You probably know this, but since you say you're a beginner, keep in mind that annuals tend to bloom repeatedly and perennials tend to bloom spring, summer, or fall and then fade. There are exceptions of course."
Actually, I didn't know that, so thanks for the info! I'm a city boy who lives in a downtown high rise. I have a few plants indoors (ok, 2) that are only alive because I put their watering schedule in my calendar.
"If you're feeling a bit bolder, why not also try making a basket with a variety of plants? The simple recipe for a good basket is to have a "thriller", a "filler", and a "spiller" (i.e. have one plant with bright attractive blossoms (e.g. a geranium), another plant that fills in gaps with attractive foliage or small blossoms (e.g. dusty miller, viola or pansy), and something else that will trail over the sides (trailing lobelia, sweet potato vine, silver licorice vine)"
I'd LOVE to! But I think that's way beyond my skill level at this point. If I manage to grow something successfully this summer, I might try to improve on it next year though.
posted by 2oh1 at 11:06 AM on April 10, 2015
Ours don't seem to attract honeybees, but I have seen the local Mason bees (tiny) and the occasional bumblebee hanging around.
As a beekeeper, I'm generally OK with this, but YMMV.
posted by jquinby at 2:14 PM on April 10, 2015
As a beekeeper, I'm generally OK with this, but YMMV.
posted by jquinby at 2:14 PM on April 10, 2015
I grew lots of plants in pots in Portland until I moved away a couple years ago.
I agree with all the great advice above. Your restrictions are the depth of your containers, the amount of sunlight (officially, what you have is "part sun" or "part shade"), and how often you're willing to water.
You are absolutely not too late to grow sunflowers, but you will have to find a dwarf variety - under 2' tall and maybe shorter. As a rule of thumb: the taller the plant, the deeper the pot needs to be. Sunflowers are exactly that, though - they like LOTS of sun. You can grow flowers that need full sun (it'll be on the label or seed packet) but they won't grow in as thickly, bloom as much, and they will probably grow towards the light.
Calendulas are dead simple to grow and they make nice cut flowers. They do great with part sun, and easy to grow them from seed, too. . They grow wild around Seattle - they're that easy. Here's a couple examples
Coneflowers are awesome but 7" isn't really enough depth for them, unless again you find a dwarf variety. Dahlias are awesome too, but you will have to look for the short ones. Zinnias are fabulous and easy but again with the somewhat shorter varieties.
Petunias are easy to grow and will fill in your container (and probably over the sides). Plants are widely available, too. These are easiest to grow with transplants. They don't make the best cut flowers, though. Geraniums, pretty much the same.
Great advice from above about nasturtiums. I always had problems with aphids and nasturtiums, but you're probably safe on a high-rise patio. Grow them from seed - they make taproots and don't like being transplanted. They're also edible!
A couple others:
Lobelias are small but covered in intense bright blue, purple or white flowers. They do great job of filling in, and they're fine with shallow pots. I prefer using transplants for these. Even tiny plants will fill out soon. Here's a pot I planted with lobelias (the blue ones), a sweet potato vine (lime green leaves), and red geraniums
Nicotiana (yes, related to that nicotine) are readily available in several colors - reds, pinks, whites, yellowy-greens. Get the short ones as transplants, not a seed pack of the big ones (the big ones are really fantastic, but they're 4'+ tall and you need a deeper pot for those).
posted by bigalice at 2:26 PM on April 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
I agree with all the great advice above. Your restrictions are the depth of your containers, the amount of sunlight (officially, what you have is "part sun" or "part shade"), and how often you're willing to water.
You are absolutely not too late to grow sunflowers, but you will have to find a dwarf variety - under 2' tall and maybe shorter. As a rule of thumb: the taller the plant, the deeper the pot needs to be. Sunflowers are exactly that, though - they like LOTS of sun. You can grow flowers that need full sun (it'll be on the label or seed packet) but they won't grow in as thickly, bloom as much, and they will probably grow towards the light.
Calendulas are dead simple to grow and they make nice cut flowers. They do great with part sun, and easy to grow them from seed, too. . They grow wild around Seattle - they're that easy. Here's a couple examples
Coneflowers are awesome but 7" isn't really enough depth for them, unless again you find a dwarf variety. Dahlias are awesome too, but you will have to look for the short ones. Zinnias are fabulous and easy but again with the somewhat shorter varieties.
Petunias are easy to grow and will fill in your container (and probably over the sides). Plants are widely available, too. These are easiest to grow with transplants. They don't make the best cut flowers, though. Geraniums, pretty much the same.
Great advice from above about nasturtiums. I always had problems with aphids and nasturtiums, but you're probably safe on a high-rise patio. Grow them from seed - they make taproots and don't like being transplanted. They're also edible!
A couple others:
Lobelias are small but covered in intense bright blue, purple or white flowers. They do great job of filling in, and they're fine with shallow pots. I prefer using transplants for these. Even tiny plants will fill out soon. Here's a pot I planted with lobelias (the blue ones), a sweet potato vine (lime green leaves), and red geraniums
Nicotiana (yes, related to that nicotine) are readily available in several colors - reds, pinks, whites, yellowy-greens. Get the short ones as transplants, not a seed pack of the big ones (the big ones are really fantastic, but they're 4'+ tall and you need a deeper pot for those).
posted by bigalice at 2:26 PM on April 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
I don't think I want to attract bees. I'm just hoping to grow some flowers.
Bees are our friends, and they like flowers, so it's kind of a package deal. They won't bother you if you don't bother them.
I think that's way beyond my skill level at this point.
It really isn't; you just buy, say, two-three of each type of plant (small pots, like two- or three-inch) and stick 'em in the potting soil. Water and watch them grow. Couldn't be easier. Growing from seed is harder.
posted by caryatid at 5:00 PM on April 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Bees are our friends, and they like flowers, so it's kind of a package deal. They won't bother you if you don't bother them.
I think that's way beyond my skill level at this point.
It really isn't; you just buy, say, two-three of each type of plant (small pots, like two- or three-inch) and stick 'em in the potting soil. Water and watch them grow. Couldn't be easier. Growing from seed is harder.
posted by caryatid at 5:00 PM on April 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: You've taken pains to repeatedly stress that you have no experience, so I'm going to go into some very basics here. My intention is not to come across as patronizing so I hope that I don't, but you seem to have some anxiety about this and I want to reassure you that it is simple, easy, and very enjoyable to plant a small container garden. The biggest risk you face is that it can be habit forming. I started dabbling years ago and until I cut back significantly about two to three years back I was up to more than 100 containers planted on my deck every summer. So do keep that risk in mind.
Let's begin with the very basics. You will need:
Next: soil. Different plants have different soil requirements but nearly all of the plants mentioned so far will do very well in a general-purpose commercial potting soil that contains a mix of dirt, sphagnum, and other ingredients. I usually use one that includes time release fertilizer, such as Miracle-Gro brand. If you choose one without fertilizer included I would consider buying some time-release fertilizer pellets (e.g. Osmocote) and shaking a few of them into the soil when you fill your containers. I believe that a 2 cubic foot bag of soil will probably largely fill the three containers you describe but it is possible you might run short and need to buy an additional smaller bag. As you become more experienced you may want to learn about composting and soil recycling and enrichment but for your first fledgling experiments it's OK to buy some of the premium stuff ready-made.
Finally: plants! In order from easiest to harder, you can choose from the following options:
Let's imagine that you want to start a container of nasturtiums, a colorful flowering plant, easy to grow from seed, with edible blossoms that will keep blooming for months as long as you "deadhead" (or: remove fading flowers before they go to seed) them. You would begin by waiting until you are past the danger of frost and the daytime temperature on your deck is reliably above 50F. Then you would fill your container with potting soil to within 1-3" from the top of the container. Open your seed packet and arrange the seeds on top of the soil about 3" apart in a staggered grid that fills the container. (The planting instructions for most plants presume that you are going to be growing them in beds in the ground and the recommendations concerning spacing distance tend to be on the high side. For container gardening for most plants, I find it is usually better to slightly decrease the spacing between plants as they are started.) Once you have the seeds laid out on the top of the soil in a grid that you like, you will now want to bury them under the soil a bit. Nasturtium seeds are chunky and protected by a hard husk so you can just poke with your finger and depress them about 3/4" to 1" deep in the soil and then loosely disturb the soil above them to cover the holes you made when poking. Within about 2 weeks (and possibly more like a week) you should see the first seedlings poke their shoots above the surface of the soil, and within a week later the seedlings should have developed their first leaves. Soon the plants will fill the space you left between seeds and shortly after they have filled in they should start to produce their first brightly-colored blossoms. Depending on the variety you have chosen they may either mound (i.e. pile up higher to the extent they are able to) or trail (droop over the side of the container and hang.) The blossoms will lose their shape and begin to wither after they have peaked, at which point the plant will start producing a seed cluster in the heart of the flower. Remove these past-peak blossoms and the immature seeds by popping them off with a decisive pinching-and-pushing motion applied to the stem near the blossom and your plants will continue to bloom and expand through much of the summer.
Or, let's say you want something a flashier and better for cut flowers. Buy a couple of dahlia rhizomes from a nursery or garden store in a variety that looks good to you and bury the bulb-like tubers about 3" below the top soil surface of your soil-filled container. Keep the soil from drying out and wait a couple of months and you will be rewarded with remarkable large colorful blossoms that make excellent cut flowers and which will continue producing for months (again, as long as you keep cutting before the flowers finish.) That variety was called "electric flash" and I had great success with them last year in my little deck container garden.
So what about planting live plants from the nursery? The procedure depends on the size of the plant you are starting from. If you've bought annuals in the little 2" 4-or-6 pack arrangements, or relatively small individual plants (say a 3" - 4" pot) you will probably do best by filling your container with soil to within about 2" - 3" of its top, and planting the individual plants by reaching into the loose soil, pushing some aside with your hand to make a hole or depression slightly deeper than the height of the soil plug that your plant is in, gently removing the plant from the plastic planter in which it came from the nursery (which may involve some gentle squeezing and flexing of that plastic in order to loosen its hold on the plant) and then setting the plug gently into the hole you have created, and brushing some extra soil from the surrounding area to slightly cover the plug and to make sure that you are not leaving roots exposed.
If the live plants you are planting are in planters 6" or larger (usually these are perennials, which potentially come back year after year) then rather than fill the container first and dig out a space for it you probably should instead only partly fill the container (fill at least an inch or two above the bottom of the container, and enough so that when your plant is planted the top of its soil plug will be about at the level to which you intend to fill the container) then remove the to-be-planted plant from the nursery packaging, set the plug on the soil you have put in the container, and then add more soil to fill around it.
posted by Nerd of the North at 7:49 PM on April 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Let's begin with the very basics. You will need:
- containers
- soil
- a variety of live plants or seeds
Next: soil. Different plants have different soil requirements but nearly all of the plants mentioned so far will do very well in a general-purpose commercial potting soil that contains a mix of dirt, sphagnum, and other ingredients. I usually use one that includes time release fertilizer, such as Miracle-Gro brand. If you choose one without fertilizer included I would consider buying some time-release fertilizer pellets (e.g. Osmocote) and shaking a few of them into the soil when you fill your containers. I believe that a 2 cubic foot bag of soil will probably largely fill the three containers you describe but it is possible you might run short and need to buy an additional smaller bag. As you become more experienced you may want to learn about composting and soil recycling and enrichment but for your first fledgling experiments it's OK to buy some of the premium stuff ready-made.
Finally: plants! In order from easiest to harder, you can choose from the following options:
- live plants that have been started for you by a nursery
- plants grown from bulbs or rhizomes
- plants started from seed
Let's imagine that you want to start a container of nasturtiums, a colorful flowering plant, easy to grow from seed, with edible blossoms that will keep blooming for months as long as you "deadhead" (or: remove fading flowers before they go to seed) them. You would begin by waiting until you are past the danger of frost and the daytime temperature on your deck is reliably above 50F. Then you would fill your container with potting soil to within 1-3" from the top of the container. Open your seed packet and arrange the seeds on top of the soil about 3" apart in a staggered grid that fills the container. (The planting instructions for most plants presume that you are going to be growing them in beds in the ground and the recommendations concerning spacing distance tend to be on the high side. For container gardening for most plants, I find it is usually better to slightly decrease the spacing between plants as they are started.) Once you have the seeds laid out on the top of the soil in a grid that you like, you will now want to bury them under the soil a bit. Nasturtium seeds are chunky and protected by a hard husk so you can just poke with your finger and depress them about 3/4" to 1" deep in the soil and then loosely disturb the soil above them to cover the holes you made when poking. Within about 2 weeks (and possibly more like a week) you should see the first seedlings poke their shoots above the surface of the soil, and within a week later the seedlings should have developed their first leaves. Soon the plants will fill the space you left between seeds and shortly after they have filled in they should start to produce their first brightly-colored blossoms. Depending on the variety you have chosen they may either mound (i.e. pile up higher to the extent they are able to) or trail (droop over the side of the container and hang.) The blossoms will lose their shape and begin to wither after they have peaked, at which point the plant will start producing a seed cluster in the heart of the flower. Remove these past-peak blossoms and the immature seeds by popping them off with a decisive pinching-and-pushing motion applied to the stem near the blossom and your plants will continue to bloom and expand through much of the summer.
Or, let's say you want something a flashier and better for cut flowers. Buy a couple of dahlia rhizomes from a nursery or garden store in a variety that looks good to you and bury the bulb-like tubers about 3" below the top soil surface of your soil-filled container. Keep the soil from drying out and wait a couple of months and you will be rewarded with remarkable large colorful blossoms that make excellent cut flowers and which will continue producing for months (again, as long as you keep cutting before the flowers finish.) That variety was called "electric flash" and I had great success with them last year in my little deck container garden.
So what about planting live plants from the nursery? The procedure depends on the size of the plant you are starting from. If you've bought annuals in the little 2" 4-or-6 pack arrangements, or relatively small individual plants (say a 3" - 4" pot) you will probably do best by filling your container with soil to within about 2" - 3" of its top, and planting the individual plants by reaching into the loose soil, pushing some aside with your hand to make a hole or depression slightly deeper than the height of the soil plug that your plant is in, gently removing the plant from the plastic planter in which it came from the nursery (which may involve some gentle squeezing and flexing of that plastic in order to loosen its hold on the plant) and then setting the plug gently into the hole you have created, and brushing some extra soil from the surrounding area to slightly cover the plug and to make sure that you are not leaving roots exposed.
If the live plants you are planting are in planters 6" or larger (usually these are perennials, which potentially come back year after year) then rather than fill the container first and dig out a space for it you probably should instead only partly fill the container (fill at least an inch or two above the bottom of the container, and enough so that when your plant is planted the top of its soil plug will be about at the level to which you intend to fill the container) then remove the to-be-planted plant from the nursery packaging, set the plug on the soil you have put in the container, and then add more soil to fill around it.
posted by Nerd of the North at 7:49 PM on April 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Oh, and regarding your response to my previous comment: you're totally capable of designing your own basket and the results will be better than you think. Just choose one or two from column A, one or two from column B, and one or two from column C (i.e. thriller, filler, spiller) and if you are unsure, ask the people at the nursery for advice. But really, plants want to grow. You'll be amazed.
posted by Nerd of the North at 7:53 PM on April 10, 2015
posted by Nerd of the North at 7:53 PM on April 10, 2015
Response by poster: "You've taken pains to repeatedly stress that you have no experience, so I'm going to go into some very basics here. My intention is not to come across as patronizing so I hope that I don't"
You most certainly have not! Quite the opposite. You've provided excellent info. THANK YOU so much! Your comment was fantastic. I really appreciate the time you put into it. I suspect that most people start with a bit of knowledge already - perhaps from childhood, or something like that. But I'm really starting from scratch here, and I've been googling the heck out of everything as I go - but sometimes that makes things more complex, and more intimidating.
I do have a bit of anxiety about this, but I can follow instructions very well, and I do hope it becomes habit forming.
I have three containers, so I might try a few different things. I'll probably use your comment above plus another one as starting points.
posted by 2oh1 at 8:25 PM on April 10, 2015
You most certainly have not! Quite the opposite. You've provided excellent info. THANK YOU so much! Your comment was fantastic. I really appreciate the time you put into it. I suspect that most people start with a bit of knowledge already - perhaps from childhood, or something like that. But I'm really starting from scratch here, and I've been googling the heck out of everything as I go - but sometimes that makes things more complex, and more intimidating.
I do have a bit of anxiety about this, but I can follow instructions very well, and I do hope it becomes habit forming.
I have three containers, so I might try a few different things. I'll probably use your comment above plus another one as starting points.
posted by 2oh1 at 8:25 PM on April 10, 2015
Six weeks (or so) ago I planted some nasturtiums from seed in two pots. They have all sprouted and are growing nicely, and I can see some flower buds already. My previous experience with Tropaeolum tells me that they will happily bloom, and get pollinated, and set seed, and start the whole thing over again as long as I like.
I have also got some geraniums in pots from my mother. I do try to water them when I remember, but they don't seem to care - it's springtime and sunny, and they have woody stems, and that's all they need for their flowers.
posted by Guy Smiley at 10:08 PM on April 11, 2015
I have also got some geraniums in pots from my mother. I do try to water them when I remember, but they don't seem to care - it's springtime and sunny, and they have woody stems, and that's all they need for their flowers.
posted by Guy Smiley at 10:08 PM on April 11, 2015
Response by poster: OK! For better or for worse, I've planted a container of nasturtiums, a container of marigolds, and a container of wildflowers (whatever those turn out to be) - all from Burpee seeds. I'm particularly excited about the nasturtiums. I used Nerd of the North's instructions for the nasturtiums, and the Burpee instructions for the marigolds & wildflowers.
If this works well, I'll try something more complex next year, building on whatever I learned.
posted by 2oh1 at 4:45 PM on April 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
If this works well, I'll try something more complex next year, building on whatever I learned.
posted by 2oh1 at 4:45 PM on April 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
So many plants grow so easily in Portland. For instance, last winter I stuck some garlic cloves in the soil and then left the country for the winter. I came back and there were a bunch of green shoots coming out of the soil.
Succulents are the easiest plants ever. If you have any friends with succulents, let them give you a sprig and stick it in one of your plant pots anyway. I literally mailed a snapped-off piece of succulent to a person in a different climate than me once, and she put it in the soil and it grew. I think that's why New Seasons sells them. That and they are beautiful.
posted by aniola at 10:30 PM on April 13, 2015
Succulents are the easiest plants ever. If you have any friends with succulents, let them give you a sprig and stick it in one of your plant pots anyway. I literally mailed a snapped-off piece of succulent to a person in a different climate than me once, and she put it in the soil and it grew. I think that's why New Seasons sells them. That and they are beautiful.
posted by aniola at 10:30 PM on April 13, 2015
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You can find Calibrachoa plants in almost any color of the rainbow at pretty much any nursery, I bet.
posted by lydhre at 4:07 PM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]