tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21990599064998727992011-04-21T15:40:52.890-05:00A crash course on gardening in a ridiculously small spaceCFNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02879742047346962730noreply@blogger.comBlogger81100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2199059906499872799.post-36207774581354456542009-03-20T08:38:00.024-05:002009-03-20T11:20:31.233-05:00

DEBATE EXISTS OVER the correct classification of raised garden beds. Raised beds can either be placed over existing soil (grass or tilled), or- with a little extra care and black plastic- over a concrete or brick patio.So do raised beds qualify as container gardens? I think they do. You can construct them cheaply and easily, they can be set up on top of manmade surfaces, and offer an easily

CFNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02879742047346962730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2199059906499872799.post-23058238367554032282009-02-22T09:40:00.002-06:002009-02-22T09:59:50.380-06:00

CHANCES ARE GOOD that with your seedlings and young plants now in the ground, you're itching for something more to do with your container garden. Enthusiasm can outstrip common sense when the weather turns nice for the first time in the year, and with a smaller-than-usual focal point for your energy (assuming your container garden isn't exceptionally large), young plants can actually suffer from

CFNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02879742047346962730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2199059906499872799.post-16174379664597987242009-02-20T10:40:00.005-06:002009-02-20T15:50:55.519-06:00

PROBLEMS THAT ARISE with container gardens generally have different solutions than those employed by large-scale, in-ground gardeners with their beds and rows and endless space (those smug bastards). As your new container garden begins to take hold, problems inevitably arise. But you have chosen to invest yourself in the adventure of container gardening, not the easy delights of planting a

CFNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02879742047346962730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2199059906499872799.post-12392234738281349282008-04-01T09:39:00.019-05:002008-04-23T09:14:42.006-05:00

NOW THAT YOU have your plants and containers, it's time to get them growing. You'll want to get set up before you begin: make sure you have potting soil, plants, slow-release fertilizer, and containers. You might want a small spade as well, or gardening gloves, though I use neither. It works just as well to dig the potting soil out with a leftover plastic plant cup and dig the dirt from under my

CFNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02879742047346962730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2199059906499872799.post-88772293742746800612008-03-30T16:22:00.053-05:002008-04-23T16:11:43.399-05:00

THE BEST PART about growing your own container garden is getting to choose what types of plants you'll be growing. Given a large enough container you can grow anything- even trees- so let yourself be guided by the size of your containers, the daily dose of sun your plot gets, and your own imagination. Most of all, grow what you would most like to eat, smell, or see. Maybe you're interested in

CFNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02879742047346962730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2199059906499872799.post-16807009750640945032008-03-15T09:38:00.014-05:002008-04-21T12:17:13.266-05:00

YOUR NEXT TASK as a fearless small garden grower is perhaps the most expensive. Before you can begin to dig into your plants, you'll have to have somewhere to stow them. Recycled material is a container gardener's best friend for doing it on the cheap; be certain, though, that your pirated treasure wasn't used to hold oil, paint, or any other type of hazardous chemical before you plant your

CFNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02879742047346962730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2199059906499872799.post-5824996186183686722008-02-15T15:13:00.018-06:002008-04-14T15:17:41.728-05:00

THE FIRST DAY of Spring has sprung here in Zone 8, and it's time to take one bare, blank patio of twenty square feet and turn it into something special.The first task of any downsized gardener is to assess the damage- er, I mean assets, of course.1. Measure: Take a small sketch pad and measuring tape out to your porch, balcony, or two square feet of roof and commence to measuring. Map out the

CFNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02879742047346962730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2199059906499872799.post-80113471630353856412008-01-15T09:57:00.005-06:002008-04-14T15:18:05.437-05:00

I WOKE UP this morning and found myself standing at the front window, coffee in hand. The view falls on my tiny front porch which was, on this particular morning, covered with snow.It's been a long time since I grubbed around in the dirt. Though I love this new apartment, it comes with one major drawback: no garden. To make matters worse, it's on the second floor of a restored 1920's apartment

CFNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02879742047346962730noreply@blogger.com0