Container Renovations 2! (smile)

NEXT - What do I plant for my employee who loves to gamble? hahahaha. (shamrock?) LOL
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A couple of white square containers with black dots stenciled on them?

dp72 - YES!!!

And???

Plants with round leaves? Rolled up play currency stuck in among the plants? Or little flags on bamboo skewers with very small play currency with little wings on the bills? White and black (very dark) plants? You mentioned shamrocks. The dark oxalis?

Come on, people! Help out here!

we both decided if we ever move the first thing to happen is an underground watering system.... but for now I have sprinklers and hoses all over the place... not pretty but keeps me sane and all we can afford at the moment

but as for seeds... I am nuts over them... we are actually looking into a green house (that my dad said he is going to buy for me -- tomato investment) for next winter... the past 3 years I was growing seed inside and took over two rooms in the house this year..... started off with one or two racks in the spare bedroom.... and know the whole one side of that room is filled with racks & lights... ran out of room and my honey LET me take over the tiny basement we have ... between what I bought, collected, and traded I got a bit out of hand this year... here is my list that germinated

http://davesgarden.com/community/journals/vbc/onewish1/58432/

granted all of them did not make it outside since I am still learning and some didn't make it.... but overall I think I did well this year... even ran out of room out on my deck with all the flats ... (mom told me I had better start selling some).... but that's what it's all about... getting better each year that I do it.... and really loving it

it was difficult hardening them off with our weather ... never know when a frost is going to come and always wait until it's safe... I ALWAYS start some things off too soon and some fair well and some don't.... but with a green house it wouldn't be as bad... and my honey will be happy getting this stuff out of the house

Kat- Tuesday Morning has some planter boxes that are about 1 1/2 foot square. I could see it painted white. Perhaps then add stick on black dots so they could be removed. Plant a money plant in it.

Actually I just went to plant files & searched "lucky." 25 responses, mostly crown of thorns. It is called Siamese Lucky Plant. Who knew? And then there's lucky bamboo. I vote for a Money Tree with Moneywort at the base.

I just came back from Home Depot. They have 3 1/2 ish foot tall Money Trees with the thick braided trunk. They were $15. I almost bought one for my patio, but instead I bought a hanging basket to fill with bromeliads & orchids. I talked to the pool cage company & they said I can easily hang hooks from the steel beams for my plants without comprimising the integrity of the structure. No problem!!! I also bought a couple large pots to do tomatoes in. Looks like a busy week ahead! I still have the mess of replacing a magesty palm that outgrew the poolside planter.....

Onewish - I sure hope you get your greenhouse! That's quite a list my dear! Sounds like your seeds have kept you busy and Hubby needs his basement back! hehe

Teri: Great ideas! I love the white square pots made to look like dice! Thanks to you also, I'm so glad I moved those bouganvillea planters into the Lizard Lounge - they drop so much and would be making one mess of the pool right now!

My Gal loved her container and I did manage to find a little cross to add in...it really did turn out to be a cutie!

Wow Kat I marvel at your artistic ability and eye for your containers - they look beautiful! You've inspired me to try a few also - gone are the days for one plant pots! :)

Kat- Great looking container! I bet she was thrilled! I want to be a friend of yours!!! You think the bougie sheds - a friend talked me into buying 2 massive Boston Ferns for the pool deck. Hers is immaculate & I assumed it must not shed with all of our humidity. Ugh! Little did I know she hoses her pool deck every day! She is also the friend that introduced me to Old Time Pottery though! Kat, have you ever been there in Ft Myers? I know they are a chain. I was like a kid in a candy store. 2 carts full of stuff & that was just the first trip! :)

OMG Teri! YEAH! I've been there! That really is a great place...and you have to go there with a truck! I nearly furnished an entire home with greenery from there as well as pots. That's a few years ago. Bought a great foo dog and wasn't thinking I needed to buy it's mate (don't even know if they sold it), but wish I could find it. I'm sure it's even better now, but they have great stuff!

Kat

Thank-you Ultimateshopper (I love your name! hehe) Ahhhh...I still kind of like one-plant pots sometimes! Like a big pot full of Angelonia!

In between Container gardening, I made a few jars of pickles the other night. The last batch I made a couple of month ago were so tasty I just needed to make more!

pickles Kat . . . I'm impressed!!!! Love the pot you did for your friend BTW. Came out just gorgeous. You definately have the gift for container gardening.

Patty

Kat, can I get a list of the plants you used? I have a neighbor I want to make a "religious" container for. I have some "Angel Wing Begonias" but that is the only one I have so far.

jlp- I sent your Devil's backbone, I guess that's not a good one to include!!! :)

No, that one is for me!

Ha! I was thinking that you should try breaking the pieces I sent in half & then planting them. They might have better form that way. Or even laying them down in the dirt. Everyone else's always looks so symetrical and mine are all over the place. Who knows. It really reminds me of seaweed. It is easy to root that's for sure. Have fun with it. I am going to try it in a container next.

(Oh you're bad terri! haha)

Jlp...she absolutely loved the planter and it was so much fun putting it together... Angel wing Begonias woud be fantastic to include.

In this one I used -

Jesus's Heart (Rosebud Caladiums)
Angelonia (Angel Flower)
Crown of thorns (Euphorbia Milli)
Moses in a Cradle (Oyster Plant)
Josephs Coat
Angel tears (trailing plant)

There are a ton more plants out there...I just couldn't find them locally. Do a search on DG plant files and put in words like Saint, angel, mary, and there's a lot of plants that will come up!

I really enjoyed this and it's a very personal gift..




This message was edited Jun 4, 2008 11:37 PM

KatG-because of your beautiful plants I was inspired to try some container plants. I ordered Musa acumenta, Zingiber, Colocasia and Canna Stuttgart. I need help.

What type of planter mix do you suggest?
In large pots do you fill the bottom with soda cans to keep them from getty too heavy?


I am new to tropical plants so I will appreciate any help. Thank you.

snowtop! Thank-you...Wow! I'm so happy you're inspired.

I know there are better planter mixes out there and maybe I'll get there one of these days, but for now I just use old Miracle-gro potting mix. I tried the moisture control one and I find it get's hard. I tried some organic soil with 1/4 cow manure and although things grew well, I didn't see a difference.

I don't know Musa acumenta, but your other plants sound great.

Oh yeah...With larger pots, I always fill about 1/3 with the contents of my recycle bin - bottles, cans, styrofoam. plastic plant pots.I fill it with dirt and shake it to settle everythng and then water it down. It really does cut down on the weight and also quickens drainage. So far I haven't had any problems with doing this.

Sounds like you're going to have some lovely containers...will you please post some photo's?

Good growing to you...

Kat

(this pot is about 50" tall - I filled it 1/3 with recycle contents and it still took 8 bags of soil and a bag of mulch!)

WOW that's alot of soil! Looks great!

Hey Jeanne! Long time no see - How's your garden growing? Those pictures you posted earlier where gorgeous! Loved your Orchid!

(excuse me if I'm sitting here scratching - I just watered the front containers and got killed with mosquitoes! Arrrgghh)

Cute pigs! The garden is doing great! Thanks for asking! Here's a picture looking out the back door. I started a thread on Tropical Zone Gardening..."What's outside your back door" and posted some of my pictures. Stop by and take a look. Doesn't compare to yours, but it's very tropical.

Hey Jeanne,
Your garden looks great. I wish that I could grow plants like those here, maybe next year when I'm in Oklahoma. Tina

Thanks Tina! Just came in from watering....really takes it out of me, but it's worth it!

Thank you Kat - for those helpful suggestions. I will post any progress I make.

Oh you're so welcome snowtop! One thing I didn't mention was, if the pot is really big, after filling the bottom 3rd with bottles and plastic recycle stuff, I don't use expensive potting soil for the next 2/3'rds. Usually follow the bottom fill material about another 3rd with bagged garden or top soil and then use the good stuff on top. Doe's that make any sense?

WOW Jeanne - I checked out your thread and you sure are carving out a beautiful tropical paradise in Texas! Your garden is absolutely lovely. Excuse me darling...doesn't compare to mine? Ummm, I think it does, and I'm in the tropics! hahaha

I think we need a new thread, this one is getting kind of long-ish ; )

It's been really unusually hot these past couple of weeks - It's not normal and we've been in the 90's and It got up to 98 degrees the other day and there's just been no rain. It's taking a toll on my poor plants. I water continuously but there is nothing like a good rainfall to get things revived! You can water as much as you want with City water, or well water for the lawn and it's just never the same. I'll be sitting out there with my Dear Man, and the sky blackens and I say "I think I felt a raindrop on my hand" and he replies "I think it's your imagination" hahaha. And it is!

Finally today we got a couple of short rainfalls...Nothing big, but I'll take anything I can get! It's amazing how much this short little rainfall will perk up the lawn, flowers, etc.. Curtailed my gardening today...but I don't care!

I did manage to plant a few new pots and revive a few old ones...

Purple Porter Weed, Margarita Del Medalion?, Orange Coleus and something I found called Fibre Optic grass???

Ahhhh? I'm not really sure about this one. It looks pretty sad after planting. Found this cool plant at Lowes called "Cat's whiskers" (white flowered plant)...also found Gaura (pink little guy)...Planted it around a black Elephants ear. The strange looking purple stuff is something I've never seen before called "Geranium Vine?"...We'll see! This is one of those mystery planters that you just don't know how it's going to turn out. The worst that can happen is you pull out and move what doesn't fit.

Put my Nong-Nooch vine inside a pyramid trellis! This is a beautiful flowering vine and after doing what I did, I thought it was kind of stupid. Don't you usually use these types of trellises for plants to grow outside of it? It's just starting to bloom and was just all over the place. Okay please tell me...somebody has put their plant on the inside!

Nong-Nooch in bloom...

Re-arranged a few pots today...Where does the growth slow down and I haven't even fertilized. I'm not complaining! hehe

Kat, those look great, as always! Thanks for your kind words! I appreciate it!

My first daylily seedling that I crossed myself bloomed. I am so proud of it! I have posted it everywhere.....in Tropicals Zone and in the Daylily Forum. Take a look at it..... It's sibling should bloom any day also. I have several other seedlings but they have not even scaped yet. Sometimes they can take three years, and these are only two year seedlings, so I guess I should be happy with them.

I haven't fertilized yet either.

Your garden is growing very well!!!!! Don't worry...BE HAPPY!!!!! LOL!

Unbelievable Jeanne! You crossed that yourself? Ummmmm YES, I think you should be proud!

That really is gorgeous...so different also. There has to be an amazing satisfaction that comes from creating something so beautiful!

Kat

Thank you! YES, I made the cross. Harvested the seedpods, refrig. them, then my Mom helped plant the seeds. Then we repotted the little seedlings into pots, and now it's been two years waiting for them to bloom. I don't recommend anyone keep them in pots. They really need to be in a raised bed with good drainage.

We had so much rain the first summer, last year, that most of them just rotted away. Then we had a problem with rust. So we only have about 39 seedlings left, but I still have lots of seeds from that first year, so now I think I will plant them and try again.!

Thank you for your kind words! I am encouraged to plant more of them. It's just such a long wait for them to bloom!!! But then, what else do I have to do? LOL!

Jeanne - that is quite an accomplishment and it sounded like a lot of hard work and worrying! Good for you!

Kat

That is awesome Jeanne!

You know? I'm sure everybody has their favorite plant in the garden (even though you don't want to play favorites! hehehe). Of all the pretty plants and containers I have...I choose this one and I'm not being sexist here, but this one is totally female! (she's too pretty not to be! hehe!)

She's a little straggly and doesn't make a beautiful container plant, but continually provides me with such a challenge. She's always got some kind of strange bugs invading. She's very cold sensitive and dropped half her leaves when temps went past 40 degrees this year. She's also really touchy when it comes to the light she likes. She's been moved 17 times and I turn her constantly. Very high maintenance!

However...when happy, this dear puts forth so much. When I experience her magnifect and happy blooms, all is forgotten.

Kat