Gardening 2012

A

B

I came across this collapsible, reusable vase at Office Depot after Christmas. It was on a sales table for 25 cents. The plastic vase is reusable and collapses for storage and reuse.  A shows the vase standing with water inside. B shows the bottom of the vase with water. C is the vase emptied of water and pressed flat for storage. The filled vase has enough room for maybe 4 long stemmed flowers. It is more of a bud vase than a flower vase. Something like this could come in handy during a last minute gift.

C



D, side view

This year's garden began with me laying black plastic in the area where I planned to place my plants. This cuts back on having to weed around the plants. Most of the containers have been settled on top of bricks. The ones in the concrete blocks are set directly on top of plastic. I prefer to use containers since the ground is mostly clay and the soil would need to be amended and etc. Instead I buy Miracle Gro potting soil and use it. If you enlarge the photos you might see a black plastic chain inside the pots or foot locker. This is to try to dissuade cats and any other creatures from using planters as toilets. Don't know how useful it is but I try.

2012 Garden

 I used last years pots and 2 concrete blocks I had sitting inside the garage serving no purpose. I'd seen  plants placed inside some of the blocks and so I'm trying the same planting stringless beans in one and dwarf sugar snap peas in the other. The sticks and cage are there for the vines to grow on. I have since replaced the sticks with a collapsible metal trellis. The tomato rocket is one of the As Seen On TV plants I picked up at Walgreen's. Herbs include pineapple sage, and citrus mint. Cinnamon basil is in the bottom photo .
You may or may not be able to tell that I have planted squash and bell peppers inside the bottom of a foot locker which I purchased at a thrift store for $9.00 and then took the lid off of when I got home.  I've never planted squash so it is a little crowded in with the peppers.

Cinnamon basil (in pot). Roll out flowers used the top of the foot locker as a bed for the roll out flowers.

The roll outs were left over from last year. They have a few sprouts but nothing like I thought they'd be. Still I will keep them just in case they turn out to be late bloomers.
THAT'S IT***