2017's garden did not work out. Most things became infested with wee mites, and everything died within a month or so.
2016's garden was much more successful. Flowers, herbs, and greenery flourished. This is what I base my hope upon.
On Saturday of the May long weekend of 2018, we purchased our plants:
- rosemary
- basil
- mint
- lavender
- parsley
- lettuces
- marigolds
- petunias
On Sunday I committed them to pots on the balcony. The rosemary, mint, lavender, and parsley have their own pots. The basil was separated into 2 small pots, and each lettuce (2 of 'em) has its own pot.
The flowers are planted in flower boxes in an alternating pattern.
These newbies are joined by Pisano the Palm. Pisano was an impulse purchase from Ikea last summer. We did not have high hopes for his long term survival (shhh...don't tell him that). However, he thrived through last summer and survived the winter indoors. He even made himself some new branches. Now he's back outside, happily swaying in the breezes.
There is also this overly enthusiastic spider plant who has yet to be named. I'm thinking about repurposing Cristobal, the name of my favourite croton who, after years of growing and flowering, dramatically shed his large, colourful, waxy leaves one by one until death took him. This happened last autumn and I haven't quite got over it yet. Maybe it's too early to repurpose Cristobal. Back to the unnamed spider plant. My mother gave her to me as a gift (mom has an impressive collection). The thing looked sickly for long while and finally, last autumn, I repotted her into a larger pot. In doing so I discovered she was sickly because she was root bound. Once she could breathe and stretch out a little bit, she perked right up, her green deepened into a proper green, and she went about making as many babies as she could sustain. She spent the winter on our front windowsill (the best light in the house), bloomed profusely, and cascaded little baby plants down to the floor. For months I intended to pot some of those babies and for months I did not. Instead they grew larger and stronger, the green cascade grew denser, and the cat chewed on them at his leisure. There was often plant detritus on the floor, yet this did nothing to persuade me to do anything with those babies. So I've brought Ms. Spider out to the balcony to join her kin and get some fresh air.
Because her cascade was so glorious and long she had to go on the top shelf. Which meant her cascade blocked the light for the plants on the lower shelves. So I did some pruning and kept only the largest babies. They will be potted....soon. I have run out of potting soil and haven't made it to a nursery since.
And last, but not least, is a pot of pansies I purchased for a homework assignment. The pansies are also unnamed...largely because I'm skeptical about its long term survival, short term even. The pot was full and healthy, with blossoms and buds, when I bought it from Metro (I know, but it was for homework and I needed it right away). The blossoms have, of course, faded and fallen. However I had high hopes for the buds. Many of them started to bloom, and then dried out before actually blooming. What the heck? I watered the thing generously (in the sink) several times. Now its green is looking good, but it doesn't seem too interested in blooming. I'm ok with that. I'm happy for its leafy greeness.
