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Wordless Wednesday: The Whiter Shade of Pale
Month: June 2011
Bloom Thyme: From Ordinary to Extraordinary
I love growing in containers. I grow everything from tomatoes and herbs to exotic flowers and shrubs. Each year it is fun to decide what containers to use and what plants to try.
Through the years I have turned just about everything into a container for plants. Sometimes I find something unusual and the container is more important than the plant. But, most of the time my containers are ordinary and it’s the plants that make them special.
However, there is one container that I use every year that is very special to me, this little metal water pitcher that is filled with lemon mint…
This pitcher belonged to my grandmother … the same grandmother who went to see her doctor when she was in her 80s and asked the doctor to give her a pill that would make her feel strong enough to hoe in the garden. Don’t you love that. I’m sure I will be the same way!
This little pitcher was a part of her everyday, ordinary life. To me it is completely extraordinary in the memories that it holds!
I am told she had the greenest of thumbs and could grow anything. And, you can be sure that I love it when other family members say, “You remind me of your grandmother, Mammy!”
Here are some containers in my garden and even a picture of me taken a few years ago dressed in one of Mammy’s dresses, holding her water pitcher…
My favorite plants to use in containers…
- Tomatoes (because I am obsessed)
- Chile Peppers
- Mint (…Because I love it and use a lot of it BUT it will take over if you plant in ground!)
- Most used cooking herbs
- Nasturtiums (Planted around my tomatoes)
- Dorotheanthus Mezoo (Big name but excellent training plant)
- Lantana (Hummingbirds & butterflies love)
- Wave Petunias (’cause they can take the heat)
- Geraniums
- Coleus
- Ferns
- Gardenias
- Succulents
For more on container gardening, click here.
Do you have a container that holds special memories?
You might also enjoy these stories…
Wordless Wednesday: Blooms for Today
Bloom Thyme: “X” Marks the Spot
One of the first comments I receive about my garden is how glad visitors are that I have plant markers for my roses! People (especially my hubby) seem to love knowing what they are looking at. Just this week a visitor said, I can’t believe what interesting names your roses have.” Interesting names! That’s just the beginning … I consider that kind of comment an open door for the stories I love to tell about my roses!
For the past 20 or so years, I have ordered engraved plant markers from Harlane Co. and I think they look great!
The Harlane Co. also carry the Easy Arranger and Bionic Rose Gauntlets & Garden Gloves … worth checking in to.
Wordless Wednesday
It’s a Garden Party!
What in the world is “garden chat” anyway?
Officially, #gardenchat is a Twitter forum where garden enthusiasts of all ages, from all walks of life connect and interact sharing ideas about their experience growing. But, that is just the tip of the iceberg!
What have I learned?
- That you don’t have to be a redneck in Alabama to grow great roses but it helps.
- That dirt and martinis really do go together.
- That Moo Poo can take your plants to the next level.
- That I am not the only one who is passionate about gardening!
- That by using social media we are shrinking the world!
- That gardeners in Canada are still having snow in June.
- That there is amazing garlic being grown in northern Florida.
- That somewhere in the world there is a furry garden helper named Nutmeg.
- That many gardeners are impatient but some more than others.
- That I now have many gardening friends that supply me with new and fresh recipes on a regular basis.
- That the gardening world has it’s rockstars and some of them even write books and are more than casual about tomatoes.
- That many gardeners (young and old alike) inspire us by gardening regardless of their disabilities.
- That many gardening friends are more than willing to share their gardens on a regular basis via #gardenwalk.
- That there was A GAGA before the GAGA and she grows beautiful roses and developed something very important she refers to as “the OUI Theory.”
- That there is a Bren of Vision that opened up a whole new world to gardeners when she developed #gardenchat.
What is it to me?
- A virtual garden club!
- An amazing hour of inFormation, Fun, Flowers, Food, Friends and Frenzy. And, it is heavy on the Friends!
What it could be to you?
If you are even mildly interested in gardening and mildly knowledgeable of social media, set up a Twitter account and join us. You might want to go slow at first … be a watcher/listener to get your bearing, but it won’t take long until you are ready to jump in “fingers first” to join the frenzy. You will Learn, Laugh and be Loaded down with support and encouragement.
Hope to see you there on Monday nights at 9 pm EST … from someone who loves to dig in the dirt, grow roses and share her garden experiences thru blogging and Twitter.
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Moo Poo … Who Knew?
From the first night I participated in #gardenchat I began to hear amazing stories about a product called Moo Poo and the magical effect it had on plants. What gardener doesn’t want a miracle product for their plants?
If you are not familiar with Moo Poo here are a few details…
- Company: Authentic Haven Brand
- What: Totally organic soil conditioner teas
- Who: Annie the expert!
- How: Easy to brew … click here or see video below.
- Bonus: Very cute packaging
For the last few years my tomatoes have been very disappointing … wimpy plants with wimpy fruit. So, I decided that my first Moo Poo experiment would be with my tomatoes. I may be new to Moo Poo but I can honestly say I feel great about using something that comes so highly recommended by so many amazing #gardenchat gardeners. And, believe it or not, my tomatoes already look impressive. The plants are huge and there are blooms everywhere! I can almost taste the homemade marinara, homemade salsa, BLTs … you get the picture.
Along with the tomatoes, my roses and potted flowers are also getting “the poo!” I’ll keep you posted.
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TOMATO UPDATE: AUGUST 25, 2011
This is by far the best tomato crop ever! And I LOVE tomatoes. My patio tomatoes produced and produced and produced.
The tomatoes in my herb garden are still producing yummy tomatoes even in this very hot and very dry season!
However, my favorite tomato/Moo Poo story is this… Some friend’s told me before their 2-week vacation that they had this pitiful tomato in a pot that was probably going to die while they were gone if not before. I told them to bring it over and I would see what I could do. Sorry to say I did not take a before picture. It WAS pitiful!
The first thing I did was repot the poor baby and give it a stiff drink of Moo Poo. I continued to give it stiff drinks each of the two weeks they were gone. When they returned, they did not recognize their plant– it was huge … green leafy and had several tomatoes. Trust me, it really was miraculous. And, even surprised me! I was very proud.
The plant was truly over 5′ and much too large to move, so I kept it! To date we have picked about 10 yummies and today there are 25, yes 25, tomatoes on the plant.
I say all that to say this … I am a believer in Moo Poo. Contact Annie asap and place your order. Stock up for next year! If you need more info, her website has all the details you need.
So, join me in raising a glass of tea or whatever to Annie at Haven Authentic Brand … she has something all gardens need!
Bloom Thyme Friday: Going Up …. and Over
Whether on an arbor, a fence or other structure, growing vertically is a great way to utilize space and add interest to your garden.
My top 5 favorite plants to grow vertically…
1. Â Roses! (Favorite: New Dawn)
2. Â Clematis (Favorites: Etoile Violette, Henryi & Jackmani)
3. Â Honeysuckle (Favorite: Major Wheeler/Resistant to Powdery Mildew)
4. Â Morning Glories (Favorite: Heavenly Blue)
5. Â Pole Beans (Favorite: McCaslins/YUM)
 Top 3 reasons why I grow vertically…
3. Â Provides privacy.
2. Â To disguise an ugly view.
1. Â It is so charming!
What is your favorite plant to grow vertically?