Containers....

...and More Containers...
In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful. ~Abram L. Urban

So the family are away...

I have that time I always think I haven't got to do a few things...among which will be the garden of course.  At this time of year it is a matter of just keeping on top of things, planning, a certain amount of watering, particularly containers.

Gardening requires lots of water — most of it in the form of perspiration. ~Lou Erickson

Containers need water every day, sometimes twice a day.   They are labour intensive but in lots of ways they are worth the little extra time and care because they add that vital pop of colour where it would be difficult to have growing colour otherwise.  They are the beads, belt and shoes to the garden that those accessories are to an outfit.  So this post is showing some of my containers.  (Click on the photos and they will enlarge)

Terracotta pots with pink and white miniature petunias (Surfinia mini)

Gels gave them to me a couple of years ago, she brought them back from South Africa.   I think is one of my favourites.

This basket is one I planted a while back, it has filled out well.
Pelargonium, Begonia, Verbena and Thyme

This one is one of the 3 baskets on the white Med-Inspired wall.   I am glad I went to the trouble of using 3 baskets, any less would not have given the impact I wanted.   Thankfully all the baskets have filled out and look great right now.

The Med-Inspired Wall
3 baskets containing Pelargoniums, Verbena, Thyme Petunias and Fuchsia
L-R on wall: Fig Tree, Pelargoniums, begonia and petunia, Mint,
a tub of pelargonium and a tub of gladiola not in bloom yet but the petunia with them is. 

Pelargoniums or as they used to be called Geraniums are really easy to grow from cuttings...this is the right month to take cuttings.   This is how it is done Click Here.   When Chris and I were working on his Home Schooling  we took a lot of cuttings from pelargoniums.  They nearly all took and I still have the results all over the place in containers.   They overwinter inside as they are far too tender to cope with a British winter out doors.

Cheap, successful, easy propagation - try it!

Our original pelargonium cuttings in most of these containers

I don't get too clever with containers.   I like simple things to put in them.   Petunias are good, fuchsias work well, begonias come again year after year if you look after the bulbs/tubers over winter. Verbena, the creeping sort that used to grow on the side of the road in South Africa, works well too in a container.  I grew some of the plants from cuttings, some from seed and a some from cheap posti-plugs (postage only from Thompson and Morgan)...and a few, very few I bought as a tray of 'whatevers' at the garden shop....when they were offered at reduced prices.

Science, or para-science, tells us that geraniums bloom better if they are spoken to. But a kind word every now and then is really quite enough. Too much attention, like too much feeding, and weeding and hoeing, inhibits and embarrasses them. ~Victoria Glendinning

Orange Nasturtium and mini sunflower not quite in bloom.
Both grown from seed planted by Leah, yes, that simple!

Let me encourage you to plant seed and to grow cuttings ...it really does work, it is nature and it's not difficult.

“The miracle of the seed and the soil is not available by affirmation; it is only available by labour.” ~ Jim Rohn

This one I didn't plant, it was an unexpected gift.
The deep indigos are lovely.  I want to move the hook
so the basket is more visible from the patio.

Containers can be tailored for sun, shade of dappled shade.

I have recently introduced some at my front door.   I was reluctant to do this because there is always a chance they may get stolen if they are visible from the road.   I took the chance that the area I live in, though humble, is decent.  This front-door spot is nearly always in the shade.

Green pot: Acer, Hart Tongue Fern and Impatiens
Middle pot: A special Hosta
Little pot: Can't remember the name of this shade loving fern.

These are all plants that prefer shadier conditions.  The only plant in this collection that won't survive winter is the Impatiens...commonly known and Bizzi-Lizzi.

Sandra, that Acer you gave me is thriving now I have it in a better drained pot.   This is worth really understanding.   The terracotta and ceramic pots are lovely but the drainage isn't brilliant so you need to make a plan for ensuring decent drainage if you use them.   I have put in a false bottom with plenty of drainage holes and that has solved the poor draining problem.

Talking of drainage and water, then a related thing is how to water plants in containers.   Most will not get enough water even in rainy weather if you water from the top and not under the leaves to the roots.  Some plants do better if you can water from the bottom of the root.   Apparently tomatoes taste better if you do not water them from above but from the bottom, but there are other reasons for watering from the bottom too.  This can be tricky when they are in a container or grow bag.   This is how I have solved the problem this year.

Cut off milk bottles as funnels pushed deep into the container .
Admittedly this is not a tomato, it is a cucumber.
The same principle for the tomato...
I couldn't find the picture.of the tomato plant!

Tomatoes suffer from mildew on the leaves very easily.   So avoid the leaves becoming overly wet and water from the bottom.   I use the improvised funnel to ensure the water reaches the roots without splashing on the leaves.  This website here is clear and easy on how to look after tomatoes.  Tomato Dirt.

Containers can come in various shapes and forms from a plastic shopping bag filled with dirt to ...well the limit is only governed by your imagination and purse.  Here was an idea I tried in 2012.  It really worked very well indeed.

Shopping Bag container.

Tarted up old box (they call it shabby-chic now)

Old coffee mugs.  
Be careful these need holes drilled in the bottom which is tricky.  
Roger did that bit for me.

A couple of discarded boots

Kristen left these discarded boots.
They also needed extra drainage added.

So you see, containers need not be bought, be a bit creative ...a lack of funds does wonders for your ingenuity and imagination!

As important as watering is feeding plants in containers.  They can't escape to get food from elsewhere so they do rely on you to understand their needs.  I use an ordinary Tomato fertilizer such as Tomorite

when the plants start to flower as it is cheap and contains just abut the same ingredients as the more expensive tailor made products on the marker.   I don't use it before the plants flower or fruit.   Also remember to change your potting soil every year for those perennial plants permanently in pots, they will need fresh compost and probably a bigger pot.  I feed my pots once every 7-10 days when they are in flower or fruit.

Well, you know what?   It's now lunch time and I am going to make a garden fresh salad to enjoy for lunch.  That is the glory of gardening, you can eat so much of your hard work.   It usually tastes better uncooked and straight from the dirt (wash it if you must) ...this way it won't even add unwanted calories to your diet!

Creating your own urban farm is as simple as planting your flowerbeds with edibles. ~Greg Peterson, My Ordinary Extraordinary Yard: The Story of the Urban Farm, 2009, www.urbanfarm.org

Chat to you again  in the garden soon

How my garden grows...

....Molokoloko Garden blog, first post....

Recap on the last 3 years
3 years ago....

Molokoloko Garden June 2011 (you've seen this before, lots of times).

This was my project so armed with some of my plants I'd salvaged from my garden in Sturminster Marshall, a lot of good will wishes from friends along with lovely gifts of seeds, gardening book and so on, but no budget or finances, also armed with a determination not to live with this derelict space for any longer than absolutely necessary this is how it all began.

Garden in Sturminster Marshall, also in 2011

Another view of the Stur garden

Well, you can see why I was so determined not to live with my new garden space can't you?   You wouldn't be reading this if you had any interest in gardens at all and the top image can not, by any stretch of imagination be called a garden.

If I had to lose this Dorset Garden then I wanted to make another Wild-Life Garden.....(emphasis on wild)

So no time to lose and work began on the garden, mostly planning and dreaming for the first few months until spring 2012 when Gels and Dave went to spend a couple of weeks in South Africa.   I started to plant the mini-meadow ...and wrecked my shoulder but doing too much digging and weed pulling too quickly.

That put paid to garden plans for most of the year.   I was very limited what I could do without agonising pain.

Leah in my garden  July 2012

Oh, my goodness!  Isn't she tiny?   and in the far background the sheds are up but not yet painted in sugar colours.

But at least there is progress and green stuff not bare ground and concrete slabs.

I started work on The Mound Leah sitting on it
September 2012

The same Mound today

Marguerites and Sheds Midsummer 2014

Yes, certainly now there is much more garden but it all takes time.

May 2012

In 2012 Dave and Gels gave me a wonderful birthday present, the pergola.   Poor Dave put it up one weekend when he had 'flu.

The new Pergola

That made a big difference to the balance of the garden and to the wind flow.

Well, little by little the garden began to take shape.   2013 was a long warm summer, my shoulder was better things progressed.   It might have made it easier if I'f had a budget for the garden.   Well, I did - it was whatever could be squeezed from the housekeeping and whatever could be begged from friends as cuttings, seeds, plants they didn't want...and I have to admit even some garden escapees dug up from the verge of the road.  In retrospect this is the way to build a garden in my opinion.   It was slow but gave me chance to get to know the garden moods, the path of the sun and the ravages of the winds....

2013 also brought about another wonderful addition and another wonderful gift from D and G...the Greenhouse.

The Greenhouse and the worthy builders thereof, Chris and Dave

After a beautiful summer we had a dreadful winter, the gales and rain were non-stop.   We escaped with minimal damage but the greenhouse suffered a few panels completely blown out.  That was a set back but could have been much worse.

As soon as I was able to I invested in a fence, this year, again my trusted helpers came to help put it up...this time Sarah came too.

The shelter fence up (click on the photo, it will enlarge)

Once again this has altered the shape and dynamics of the garden, I have many more shady areas at last.   I love the sun, but sun without shade is not good.  I hope the fence protects the greenhouse in future winter storms until I can grow a living shelter belt to protect the garden from gusts of up to 80 mph.

Learning to garden with the wind has been, and is still, a big challenge.

So that is a little recap on what has taken place so far....here is a recent picture of the garden to compare with the top/first picture on this post

Taken in May 2014.

Same view from different aspect.

And this is where I decided the garden needed its on blog posts.   It is an ongoing living space that has so much going on in its boundaries ...much of it only of interest to other gardeners.

Finally, to finish off this post, here are a few individual pictures taken today.

The meadow and a newly created shady corner

Welcome to Molokoloko, the front door

A big part of the reason for the garden is to provide nice things to eat....

Sweetcorn ...hope it is ready in August or early September

Beans

Sugar snap peas and they are so sweet!

I think it is going to be a butternut when it grows up.

Tomato

Cucumber

Grapevine

Not forgetting the things that are pretty and attract pollinators...the new rose, Bridge of Sighs is lovely the fragrance sweet and fruity.

Bridge of Sighs Rose with bee or wasp if you look carefully.

Hydrangea

Lavender and Californian Poppies

We've come a long way from that first visit to see my new 'garden'.  It's been fun, hard work, frustrating, rewarding...all the things a garden is to all of us some of the time.   This evening the scents of a summer garden waft across the garden and, although it still has a long way to go, it has already made a very big step or two to becoming a wonderful garden.   I am one more step to understanding a bit more of how to make a garden grow.

Do come back and visit this blog often.  I am hoping to add tips and advice I have learned as I grow with this garden.   Links to other great gardens and places where you can buy seeds, find ideas, and so on...
It will be fun (I hope) to watch it develop and I would welcome any advice, criticism (constructive please) and feed back you feel you would like to give me.

Home made watering funnel in the cucumber bag.

Meet you here again soon.